Adrien Golinelli: The Sour Taste of Pommegranate

Like fruits swiftly stolen
From a life molded by deprivation
To the promise of a sweet juice
They coat the mouth with a bitter taste

After half a century of Assad rule, the dictatorship collapsed in just two weeks in December 2024. Thirteen years of war left the country drained, caused over half a million deaths, and deepened divisions. Everywhere, symbols of the fallen regime were quickly destroyed or covered. Yet beneath the festive appearances, the struggle for power continues. Settling scores suddenly turns into massacres of ethnic minorities. Syrians hold their breath; apprehension mixes with impatience.
Women without veils pass by Salafists from Idlib posted at intersections in Damascus’s Christian quarter, in a fragile mutual acceptance.
Tarps are stretched as makeshift walls in the devastated neighborhoods of Ghouta, Homs, and Hama, while families return to deserted villages, nervously hoping that peace lasts. An entire country must reinvent itself.