Memories of Syria

The author served in the Czechoslovak and later Czech diplomatic corps at embassies in three important Arab countries, which were once among our most significant trading partners. Syria, Libya, and Iraq, under the leadership of authoritarian rulers, were each building their own version of Arab socialism. Recently, however, black flags of the Islamic State have flown over vast territories of these countries, and medieval laws have been enforced. The transformation of these nations into epicentres of chaos and Islamic extremism, and Europe's subsequent role as a destination for waves of migrants and refugees, undoubtedly prompts reflection on the causes of such a fundamental reversal. It confirms that military intervention from abroad against secular regimes contributed decisively to this dramatic change.

Drawing on his intimate knowledge of local realities, the author describes the events preceding the so-called Arab Spring through the fate of Syria's diverse, multi-religious society. He observes with astonishment how protests in the streets of Syrian cities suddenly escalated into a proxy war involving regional and other powers, and a jihad financed by Islamist networks. He contrasts his memories of Syria from forty and twenty years ago with the reality of the last decade, and reflects on the other circumstances that have brought Syria, sometimes nicknamed the cradle of Christian civilisation, to the brink of total collapse.