Surviving Syria's Dictator, Bashar al-Assad | How to Survive of Dictator | Episode One

Today, Jeremy Courtney sits down with Marwa Mohammed: a Syrian war survivor, artist, and refugee turned peace builder. At just 16, Marwa joined the Arab Spring protests against Bashar al-Assad. A year later, her family fled Syria. What followed was a multi-year journey through Lebanon, Egypt, and Iraq—each step a new exile, each country another lesson in survival and identity. JOIN DOP HERE: https://www.joindop.com SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0m678UA... ADD US ON: INSTAGRAM:   / dept.of.peace   JEREMY ON IG:   / thejcourt   JESS ON IG:   / jessonthejourney   JOSH ON IG:   / joshjwhite   CHAPTERS: 00:00 – What Does It Mean to Be a Refugee? 00:47 – Welcome to The Department of Peace 01:32 – Growing Up in Syria Under a Dictator 07:00 – The Party, the Snitch Culture, and State Indoctrination 12:33 – Her Father's Quiet Resistance 16:34 – Syria and 9/11: Misunderstood by the West 20:07 – The Assad Dynasty and a Family’s History of Repression 27:00 – The Revolution Begins 33:08 – The Truth Is the First Casualty of War 38:00 – When the Snipers Fired 41:15 – The Decision to Run 45:00 – Beirut: The First Exile 51:17 – Beirut's Silent Rejection 57:00 – Cairo: Displaced Again 01:02:08 – Iraq: Starting From Zero 01:07:00 – Life in the Refugee Camp 01:12:09 – Needing Help vs. Being Helpless 01:14:24 – Dreams in Exile 01:16:32 – Progress, Identity, and Becoming Whole Again