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The contrast is striking: look at this image of Ward in 2016 rebel-held Syria.
Compare once again to Ward's attire in the days of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
Nice to see. Hopefully it lasts and Syria can be a modern multicultural nation.
Jess was a shy girl who looked easy to push around. So when she was asked to go to the principal office every day after school, she planted a camera inside to record their 'meetings'.
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Is she in the Kurdish controlled areas? Love to see this either way.
At the same time 
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John Berman
@JohnBerman
IMPORTANT from @clarissaward and her remarkable reporting from Damascus:
"One small detail, rebel forces wouldn't look at me or talk to me until I put my scarf on ..."
A sign of what is to come? x.com/NewsCentralCNN…
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It is significant and very welcome, I however am nervous that once power is solidified it could potentially reverse. I really hope not as all Syrians deserve peace.
I hope they can feel the love and support from so many of Americans. Their courage, strength no words can express enough. I pray it stays free. 
Jess was a shy girl who looked easy to push around. So when she was asked to go to the principal office every day after school, she planted a camera inside to record their 'meetings'.
Click to read more
This is very nice, the girl is very happy and I'm happy for her.
But will this last?
I hope this is not temporary and they will not do like the Taliban.
I want the Syrian people happy, free, all of them, men and women.
#FreeSyria
I don't know how legit it is or if it is just a temporary ploy to garner support, but the rebel leader guy issued a "decree" prohibiting the forced wearing of hijabs. According to him, no one is allowed to dictate what women can and cannot wear. Hopefully, it is legit.
Nice to that you compare what Isis did. The Kurds are now facing ethnic cleansing, are you going to help them? Those who help Syrians from Isis? Those who put down the burka on your women? This who made it possible to not wear hijab?
Don’t get too excited! Telling from Iran’s 1978 revolution. You don’t know these islamists well enough!
Why are we hung up on this - small detail? Isn’t it a fact that Syria underwent the same Islamization (or revival or sahwa) as the entire region? So, the Ba’th attacking hijab gave way to it & now we’re seeing some tolerance - but admit, most street scenes are men.
Good point, women and men should be free to wear what they want but nothing should be banned …like in France right?
Assad’s regime was toppled by jihadis. A few brief days of relative freedom are to be expected in the ensuing chaos, but it’s delusional to think that a new government consisting primarily of ISIS and Al Qaeda members is going to transform Syria into a secular paradise where
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The time will come for all enablers of oppressive regimes, Syria, Iran and beyond.
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Solzzzzzzzzzzzz
@solysolz
How can humans be so evil?
The horrors revealed about Sednaya prison, a slaughterhouse of unimaginable cruelty, show the depths of Bashar al-Assad’s evil. This is not just a Syrian tragedy; it’s a human tragedy. And it mirrors the atrocities committed by the Islamic Republic
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Same as they celebrated areb spring. And even similar to start of Irani revolution. They do not show executions of wounded in the hospital, hanging,ass graves and much more undocumented hostilities
And yet one has to wonder if this moment of liberalism will last...
"They're not murdering women for showing their hair. Progress!"
What year is it again?
The so-called rebels have repeatedly said they want Sharia law.
Assad was a bastard, but Syria is not about to turn into Ibiza any time soon.
One interesting aside though. CNN said its reporter that was in the garage with all of Assad‘s cars wanted to interview someone and she had to put on a scarf first, or they wouldn’t talk to her.
But wait! The smart people told me that Assad was preserving secularism against radical Islamic fanaticism...
Back to the Future. Syria returning to these pictures from the 1970's before the Far-Right & Russia eras.
I went to Syria in 2007 to teach map making to the Ministry of Surveys. Few women wore scarves or anything like that. Younger were often in shorts and blouse. Most of my students had ham sandwiches. Most drank beer, etc in the evening. The state was officially secular.
This. The women and men playing drums together in whatever they choose to wear. Beautiful.
I know that is something I just heard to kind of determine what the new leadership will look like. Women's head coverings and if they become compulsory
I don’t think it’s small at all! I’m so happy for the women that aren’t forced to wear them now!
I know nothing really about what’s going on over there, but I gotta think that pictures like this are gonna make women all over the Muslim world get a little more excited for change.
Sadly, though it could all turn back to something worse overnight. 
This is definitely good but the Syrian woman's English seems a bit too accent-free. I hope it isn't artificially set up and actually indicative of real changes.
Jess was a shy girl who looked easy to push around. So when she was asked to go to the principal office every day after school, she planted a camera inside to record their 'meetings'.
Click to read more
We’ll see how long that lasts. Women didn’t wear hijabs in the 60s there either.
But she did note that the revels would not talk to her unless she wore a hijab (I think when going to assad’s former palace)
I'm so encouraged by the statements that there would be no infringements on how woman dress. Hoping it holds 
!!!
!!!
The world is hopeful however, with so much going on, it's pure chaos right now. I will reserve the right to determine how I feel about this ones all the smoke settles.
One can only hope so many different identities can live in peace. without education it will be a hard road.
"One small detail, rebel forces wouldn't look at me or talk to me until I put my scarf on ..."
- Clarissa Ward today in Demascus (reporting from Assad's garage full of luxury cars.)
"this islamic shit" she says while the takbirs sound in background. weird situation.
Give it time
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Dr. Maalouf
@realMaalouf
A Syrian Christian woman was stopped at a checkpoint in Damascus and told by Islamist rebels that women are no longer allowed to leave the house without a male guardian, and that hijab is now mandatory.
Syria is quickly becoming Afghanistan 2.0.
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I hope this stays this way. I'm not very confident HTS will allow it in the future
Similar things were heard when Bangladesh's Sheikh Hasina's regime was changed . Now see what has happened to the once stable country.
But didn't she also report that rebels wouldn't talk to her until she put on a scarf? Scarf is improvement over hijab, though.
There are also reports of the opposite happening in Syria. Let’s pray if religious that smarter, forward thinking Syrians win this power vacuum.
I am excited by the idea that this country, Will now become an islámic calipahte and sharia law Will be enacted
Women weren't obligated to wear hijab, I was in Syria last November: Homs, Aleppo & Damascus & was not uncommon to see women without hijab OR scarf. IF rebels are insisting women wear a scarf now, then this is a step backwards. I hope - BUT fear, for the wonderful Syrian people.
I really hope that the Syrian people get the freedom that they deserve. The images coming out of Assad prisons are the stuff of nightmares.
HTS issued a statement saying women would not be forced to wear a hijab.
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Zaina Erhaim 
@ZainaErhaim
It seems that HTS has just prohibited its members from interfering in women’s outfits & looks “including asking them to cover up”!
The statement also confirms that personal freedom is a guaranteed right!
I am astonished. #Syria
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Liz Sly
@LizSly
“It is strictly forbidden to interfere with women's dress or impose any request related to their clothing or appearance, including requests for modesty:” - statement on HTS channels, the rebels who control Damascus
theweek.in/wire-updates/i
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That's because Jolani sees a need to play nice. We'll see in the next year or two if that remains as it is.
If that young woman is representative of average Syrian women, they have more potential than they realize. Smart, well spoken, passionate, and yes beautiful. I wish new Syria only success!!
Let’s hope that the new regime doesn’t backtrack
on its promises to respect women’s rights.
If we rewind the history of the region, it feels like the start of the same broken record. Islamic ideologies will never bring peace or economic stability to these countries. It is similar to when the U.S. removed Saddam (a dictator) and handed us over to Iranian proxies.
I can’t imagine the freedom and joy women in Syria must feel. Cheers to women around the world and hopes for better futures.
Small but significant detail.... the hijab was never compulsory in secular Syria.
The first six months after de victory of the Iranian revolution were also a period of intense freedom.
Pretty soon, Syrian women will have more rights than US women, if tRUMP, musk, thiel, vance & mike johnson get their way.
In the background you can hear the detonation warning scream "Allahu Akbar!".
This will last about a month.
Once they're set up and governing this will change.
Good sign that the Islamists are not in charge and hopefully never will or at least are truly sincere in their moderation.
W-A-I-T for it…just wait.
Hope for the best, plan for the worst. And the rules in Idilib under Syria’s current savior was/is what.
But also note that in other videos the rebels wouldn't allow her to interview them without one.