Until the Arab Spring, few Middle Eastern states were less in public consciousness than Syria. If you knew anything about the country, chances are it was in relation to Israel, or, if you followed the War on Terror, Iraq. Otherwise, it was a blank.
One sign of Syria’s emergence from the shadows – apart from media coverage of the now year-old Syrian uprising – are European posters announcing marches against the Assad government. This one was photographed in Berlin, in December 2011.
Not long after this flyer first appeared, a Syrian-born Green Party politician (and Assad opponent) was attacked in his home, nearby.
Photograph courtesy of Joel Schalit