Dr. Marwan Khoury, President of the Syrian Democratic Alliance

Who is Dr. Marwan Khoury?

Dr. Marwan Khoury is a Syrian physician who currently serves as the President of the Syrian Democratic Alliance. He is an opponent of the Syrian regime and has been exiled from Syria since the 1980s. Alongside his political work, he manages a private medical center.

Dr. Khoury’s Political Life:

Dr. Khoury states, “In the 1970s, I was active in one of the opposition parties advocating for democracy. I emigrated to Germany in the early 1980s, and after several years, I adopted democratic and liberal ideas, becoming an opponent of the regime at that time. Like many others who believed that this dictatorial and oppressive regime would remain a burden on the Syrian people, I was deeply moved by the Arab Spring in Syria and joined the revolution to change this authoritarian regime. In 2011, I founded the Barada Organization for Relief Work, which has been providing humanitarian medical and relief assistance throughout these years and continues to do so. I avoided political work at that time due to the discord among various political forces and the dominance of some factions over the Syrian National Council, so I focused on humanitarian efforts. For instance, during the siege of Aleppo, we brought in milk for children and supplied medical equipment to hospitals. In 2017, I was one of the founders of the Syrians Bloc, which aimed to unite democratic forces and figures because, in our view, this bloc is what will lead Syria towards the pluralism and modernity we dream of. Through collaborative work and ideas between the Syrians Bloc, the Syrian Council for Change, and later the National Democratic Gathering, we managed to form the Syrian Democratic Alliance, which I now lead in its first term.“

Dr. Khoury’s Vision, Goals, and Aspirations Through Political Work:

Dr. Khoury focuses on unifying democratic forces in his political work. He adds, “We believe that succeeding in this will change the political landscape in Syria and will draw significant attention from the international community, which has lost interest in the Syrian cause. The Syrian people cannot be represented by factions or entities that do not see the state of equal citizenship as a fundamental goal or are aligned with regional or international powers.“

Regarding his goal, Dr. Khoury says,

“Our goal is to succeed in forming a Syrian democratic pole that is not linked to any agendas, where equal citizenship and freedom for the Syrian people are the primary objectives. We are committed to preserving women’s rights, which is why we have established a 30% quota for women in the leadership of this alliance, with the goal of increasing it to 50%. We also aim to focus on empowering youth in political work so they can play a central role in Syria’s future.“

Dr. Marwan Khoury and the Formation of the Syrian Democratic Alliance:

Dr. Khoury comments on the unification of democratic forces, saying, “The idea of uniting democratic forces is deeply rooted in the entity I represent within the Alliance, which is the Syrians Bloc. We have always supported and contributed to all projects aimed at this goal because democratic forces are underrepresented in the official opposition bodies.“

Regarding the Berlin meeting that led to the formation of the Syrian Democratic Alliance, Dr. Khoury states,

“The idea of the Berlin meeting arose between two main blocs: the Syrian Council for Change and the Syrians Bloc. We then invited the National Democratic Gathering to participate and formed a preparatory committee, of which I was a member. This committee successfully organized the Berlin meeting, leading to the establishment of the Syrian Democratic Alliance.“

Dr. Khoury and the Presidency of the Syrian Democratic Alliance:

Dr. Khoury was initially nominated by the Syrians Bloc, the entity to which he belongs, to represent the Bloc in the Alliance. He then ran for the presidency of the Alliance and gained the trust of the General Assembly members, eventually being elected as the President of the Syrian Democratic Alliance through a transparent and democratic electoral process.

Dr. Marwan Khoury’s General Principles for Political Work:

Dr. Khoury emphasizes, as he describes it, transparency and proper guidance through persistent work. He believes in encouraging women and youth to take on leadership roles and emphasizes the importance of not being discouraged, fostering deep and creative thinking, and the ability to motivate and encourage those working in public affairs to develop good ideas.

Dr. Marwan Khoury’s Main Goals as President of the Alliance:

1. Building the Alliance organizationally through a clear organizational structure.
2.  Ensuring the sustainability of the Alliance until its goals are achieved, regardless of its current leadership or names.
3. Strengthening the democratic pole to bring together as many Syrian democrats as possible within the Alliance.
4.  Bringing the Syrian issue back to the forefront through diligent work, building a network of international and regional relationships that serve our cause.

The Syrian Democratic Alliance and the Political Solution from Khoury’s Perspective:

Dr. Khoury explains the role of the Alliance in the political solution, saying,

“The Syrian Democratic Alliance works towards a political solution to the Syrian issue. It is part of the problem and the solution and strives for this through significant efforts, including developing interim and strategic plans to achieve this. The Alliance also works to promote its democratic program so that democracy becomes a slogan, practice, and method. We see that the Alliance has a role in the political process and in building the new Syria.“

Achievements of the Syrian Democratic Alliance as Stated by its President:

• We have managed to position the Syrian Democratic Alliance as a consideration for many countries.
• With self-funding, we were able to organize one of the largest founding conferences for the Syrian democratic opposition, and there will be continuity in holding Alliance conferences.
• For the first time in the Syrian Democratic Alliance, women and youth have had such a significant presence in the leadership of forces and alliances.

Future Goals of the Syrian Democratic Alliance:

Dr. Marwan Khoury, the President of the Alliance, summarized the future goals and work plan as follows:

• A strategic work plan has been established.
• Workshops on decentralization will be organized next year, leading to the issuance of a practical document on decentralization in Syria.
• Extensive communication with a large number of Syrian political forces and entities.