Ibrahim al-Assil إبراهيم الأصيل

An overlooked dimension in Syria’s analysis is personal and emotional for the rebels: the longing for home and family reunification. In this multilayered event, the uprising of the displaced is clear. Since the offensive began, Syrian timelines are filled with videos of families reuniting, tears, collapses, and overwhelming emotions. Many of the fighters I have seen in videos are from displaced communities, separated from their homes and families for over a decade and fighting to go back to their towns. In this video, a rebel leader from Hama, prepping fighters from Homs to fight for their city: “Like I was happy to meet my family today (voice shaking), each of you will see your mother.” This motivation is a real one: “everyone of you will see his mother...” This is by no means the full picture or the only motivation. It's only a single aspect of it, but it’s a crucial one that deserves to be highlighted on its own to build the complex big picture of what's happening. I added another video from a list I'm compiling of videos of people reuniting with their families or places.

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