Syrian novelist Khaled Khalifa shares his firsthand account from the heart of the country's capital, describing the endless sorrow of the Syrian people
Although the Syrian plight has been widely written on by Arab authors, these powerful works struggle to reach a global audience unlike their Western peers
There is widespread concern that the US has ultimately gotten what it needs from the SDF following the defeat of IS and will, therefore, prioritise its alliance with Turkey — a Nato member.
Key regional powers—Türkiye, Egypt, Iran—do not see eye to eye over what transpired in Syria. One emerges as a winner, the other a loser, and Syria's new Islamist-leaning leaders unsettle the third.
Integrating armed factions, particularly the SDF, will be key, as well as agreeing on an inclusive new government that can unify a country that has been plagued by division
Earlier eras have been characterised by peaceful coexistence in Islam, when people from different religions lived side by side, with equal rights, at a time when violence raged around other faiths