UM professor celebrates Syria's transition, hopes to rebuild ties with homeland
MIAMI GARDENS - Among those celebrating Syria's changing government is a University of Miami engineering professor who hopes to resume regular visits to his homeland and perhaps deliver lectures there.
"This is one of the happiest days of my life," said Dr. Abdul Hamid Samra, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Miami. "It was the happiest, absolutely, because we were oppressed. You can't imagine how horrible that regime was."
Dr. Samra visited Syria in May for the first time in 11 years to see his four brothers, two sisters, and his wife's 80-year-old mother, who was gravely ill. Despite the risks to his freedom, he felt compelled to make the journey.
"Either you are a slave to the [Bashar Al-Assad] regime, or you are killed, jailed, or forced to flee the country," Dr. Samra said. "There were no other options."
For Dr. Samra, the fall of Assad's regime brought more than smiles; it brought relief and hope. He described his family's reaction during a video call after the news broke.
"First, they were celebrating," he said. "Now they want to show they care about their country. Everything was closed under the fallen regime, so they went into the streets to clean, pick up trash, and help each other. It's their way of showing, 'We care about each other. We care about our land.'"
After prayer concluded at the Islamic Center of Greater Miami, where Dr. Samra serves as Imam, he spoke of his hopes to spend more time in Syria and make more frequent visits.
"I want to help my country," Dr. Samra said. "I'm thankful to be here in South Florida, where I gained higher degrees and experience. But I also want to bring some benefit to my country and stay loyal because that's where I was born. This is important to me."
Dr. Samra envisions lecturing at universities in Syria, sharing his knowledge and experience to help rebuild the country he calls home.
