A Christian Activist's Hopes for the Future

State building, transitional justice, and dialogue in Latakia

Following on from my interview with a Sunni activist in Latakia, below is an interview with a Christian activist from the city who was a long time anti-regime political writer and former detainee. I have met with Christians across western Syria over the past two weeks, each with a different view of the overall situation and the situation for Christians in particular. This interview represents one of the more pro-government views I have encountered. I found in general that the Sunni-Christian relationship in Latakia is quite strong as a result of generations of close living. This comfort seems to have influenced, at least this man’s, trust in the new government.

We also discuss his views of President Shara’a, informal dialogue and communication structures, transitional justice, and his perspective on state building challenges post-Assad.