Local Syrian Couple Say ‘Hopes are Coming Back’ After the Fall of Assad Regime

Many Syrian-Americans are celebrating following the collapse of the Assad regime. The Public’s Radio’s Luis Hernandez spoke with a local Syrian couple about what’s been happening in Syria and how they see its political future unfolding

Amjad Kinjawi and Mayss Bajbouj-Kinjawi with their children.
Amjad Kinjawi and Mayss Bajbouj-Kinjawi with their children.
File photo / The Public’s Radio
Share
Amjad Kinjawi and Mayss Bajbouj-Kinjawi with their children.
Amjad Kinjawi and Mayss Bajbouj-Kinjawi with their children.
File photo / The Public’s Radio
Local Syrian Couple Say ‘Hopes are Coming Back’ After the Fall of Assad Regime
Copy

With the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, we wanted to hear from members of the local Syrian community to see what they think about the regime and the aftermath so far. We reached out to two Syrian-Americans we’ve spoken to before on the Public’s Radio, Amjad Kinjawi and Mayss Bajbouj-Kinjawi of North Attleboro.

Interview highlights:

On the reaction of Syrians to the fall of Assad:

Amjad: It’s a mixed emotion, considering that it’s quite an overdue moment that we were waiting for for a long time now. There’s a lot of joy, that’s for sure. But there’s a little bit of caution, as well, on what to expect. You don’t want a regime to fall and somebody else to take over and not be at the level of what the expectation of the people is.

Mayss: From people like my sister, I hear that they’re happy. My friends are happy to finally start a new chapter in our life with a different person. But as well, everyone is waiting, we are in a waiting time. Refugees had a really hard time because they had to flee Syria. You know, they were attacking them. They were torturing them. So for them to see Assad falling, it’s a big happiness, but it’s think they are still looking for justice because he hurt so many people.

This interview was conducted by The Public’s Radio. You can read the entire story here.

A Providence chef and cocktail bar move into the final round of the 2026 James Beard Awards
Without stoves or modern tools, participants learned to prep a full 18th-century meal over an open flame in a historic Rhode Island home
In Los Angeles, a new crop of curbside libraries are helping communities recover after last year’s wildfires. But instead of books, these libraries are full of seeds
The fires will return from May through November, featuring a milestone 500th lighting and themed nights
Janet Coit, the former director of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, and a Biden administration official, is set to begin her new job in April
Thousands of protesters gathered in Providence, part of a nationwide day of protests