Mohammed Ghanem
Mohammed Alaa Ghanem is the Senior Political Adviser, Government Relations Director, and Strategist for the Syrian American Council in Washington D.C. He previously served as a professor at the University of Damascus, and has been involved in the Syrian Revolution since its early days as a peaceful protest movement. His work connects U.S. policy-makers and the Syrian-American community with the revolution inside Syria. Utilizing his extensive network of contacts at all levels of the Syrian opposition, he frequently travels to the liberated parts of Syria, participates in international conferences on Syria, and advises local administrative councils in liberated areas across Syria on international relations. In early 2013, he participated in monitoring the elections of the first democratically elected government in Aleppo. Ghanem is also a fellow with the Syrian Center for Political and Strategic Studies. At SCPSS, he has been involved in SCPSS’ Syria Transition Roadmap, an ambitious post-Assad transition project. He holds a master’s degree in peacebuilding and conflict transformation. He’s frequently quoted in the media, and his op-eds have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Politico, the Daily Beast, the Hill, the New York Post, the Huffington Post, Syria Deeply, and the Atlantic Council MENASource. He has appeared on CNN, Al Jazeera, MSNBC, HuffPost, RT, and CCTV America.
Abstract
Mohammed Alaa Ghanem offered a personal and poignant account of Syria’s transformation, describing the fall of Assad’s control over Damascus as a moment of profound emotional and historic release. For many Syrians, it marked the end of a suffocating era defined by authoritarian rule and the cult of the Assad regime. Yet, the initial euphoria has been tempered by the harsh realities of economic collapse, institutional breakdown, and widespread humanitarian need.
Ghanem painted a picture of a country rising from the ashes, scarred by years of violence and state decay, but showing signs of new direction. He noted emerging efforts by Syria’s new leadership to stabilize the economy through energy agreements and inflation control, reflecting a shift toward practical governance. At the same time, he strongly criticized U.S.-led sanctions for compounding civilian suffering and urged support for Syria’s reintegration into global markets.
Rather than prioritizing immediate political reform, Ghanem called for a focus on rebuilding civil society, restoring basic services, and laying the groundwork for future accountability. He emphasized that real change must come from empowering Syrians on the ground, not imposing top-down solutions. His remarks concluded with a direct appeal to Muslim Americans to support Syria’s recovery, through advocacy, investment, and sustained engagement.
