Launching the National Program to Remove Symbols of Tyranny and Redefine Public Space

The Syrian Future Movement is positively following the government initiative to remove symbols glorifying the era of tyranny from public squares, schools, and facilities. This initiative, launched on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, is part of what is described as Syria’s “new visual identity.”
We believe that this step, although belated, opens an important door toward liberating the public sphere from the effects of individual glorification and symbolic authoritarianism that the Syrian regime has entrenched for decades.

Removing the names of hospitals, schools, and squares that bear symbols of individual authority is a foundational act that redirects collective memory toward the values of freedom, dignity, and justice. It forms part of a broader transitional justice process that must not be reduced to symbolism, but rather complemented by accountability, documentation, and national reconciliation.

We, in the Syrian Future Movement, affirm the following principles:

1. The removal of authoritarian symbols must be based on transparent community participation that takes into account Syrian pluralism, rather than reproducing a narrative of one faction’s victory at the expense of another.
2. The choice of symbolic alternatives must honor the founding values of the new Syrian state and celebrate the cultural and historical diversity of the Syrian people, far from glorifying new symbols or partisan figures.
3. Public space belongs to all Syrians and must be governed by the logic of a new social contract based on citizenship, accountability, and the right to knowledge.
4. This step must be accompanied by a review of school curricula, official media, and the form of public cultural discourse to ensure that symbolism is consistent with the national liberation project.

The Syrian Future Movement calls for the formation of an independent body of historians, artists, legal experts, and civil society representatives to redefine Syria’s visual identity in public space, in line with the spirit of pluralism, democracy, and justice we seek in a future Syria.