Celebrations in Syria - today and across the country and in particular Damascus.

 The end of fifty years of a murderous dictator Assad, and his mafia state of cronies and crooks - can be celebrated. It’s difficult to imagine coming from a society, where despite is manifold problems - such a situation could last so long. We can at least throw the scoundrels out - as we did in July with the Conservative government. 

I sincerely hope we can now witness a government and constitution that can guarantee a number of things as there is a tabula rasa: the rule of law, the judiciary free to make their judgments and free of political interference, the punishment of those found guilty of heinous crimes, torture and murder, free, fair and open elections that are open to all shades of opinion, freedom of association, free unfettered press and media, equality - of treatment for men and women, religious tolerance of all religious beliefs and persuasions and non, the end of cronyism and preferment by - who you know and not by talent and ability, universities able to get on with their proper role in society and educating the next generation of talented and intelligent Syrian students, stopping indoctrination of students and young people and freedom of thought and intellectual life, freedom to travel freely and without supervision to any part of the country and other countries, opening up the country to foreign visitors, opening up museums and art galleries to all who want to visit them. I know it’s a rather long list but we - take these freedoms for granted. Let’s hope in a few years time the citizens of Syria can do the same.