"I congratulate the great Syrian people on their historic victory, which has brought down one of the most brutal and oppressive regimes in history. The Syrian people have reclaimed their freedom from the clutches of Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorship—a regime that has inflicted unprecedented state terrorism on a massive and devastating scale. 

 Through their struggle, the Syrian people have provided the world with an unparalleled example of courage and resilience. They have endured unimaginable suffering: oppression, injustice, massacres, genocide, chemical weapons, barrel bombs, the destruction of cities, and the displacement of millions. Yet, despite these horrors, they remained steadfast, never breaking or despairing, even in the darkest of moments. They held firmly to their belief in their just cause, confident in the certainty of their return and ultimate victory.  

The Syrian people have proven that no matter how long the night of oppression and tyranny lasts, it cannot prevent the dawn of freedom. Freedom is not merely a word; it is a destiny forged with the blood of sacrifices, the patience of the oppressed, and the courage of the determined.  

The Syrian revolution has triumphed over one of the dirtiest global wars waged against it by a genocidal regime and its allies in Iran and Russia. Today, it triumphs by all measures, most notably in its moral superiority. This was evident in the revolution's management of the final phase of toppling Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorship, which was marked by absolute tolerance and a complete absence of revenge or attacks on private and public property—despite the regime’s atrocities, including the mass killing of about a million people, the displacement of millions more, and the forced disappearance of hundreds of thousands in prison. This moral strength was further demonstrated in the revolution's ability to unite Syrians of all orientations, sects, doctrines, and religions around its cause.  

Today, the world must honor the sacrifices and the victory of the Syrian people by standing in solidarity with them, supporting their path toward transformation, and helping them rebuild a free and dignified nation.  

The world must also draw an eternal lesson from the Syrian revolution—and the Arab Spring in general: the will of the people is the noblest and most profound truth. When people rise, no matter how powerful oppressive regimes may appear or how arrogant their allies may be, those regimes will collapse like a house of straw before the blazing will of the free. Driven by an unshakable faith in justice, freedom, and dignity, the people’s cause is unstoppable, and their victory inevitable."  

Tawakkol Karman

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, 2011