At the last issue of CAP journal (No. 23, Feb 2018) we find the article “The World at a Glance: Highlights from IAU National Outreach Contacts” that provides short news from the IAU National Outreach Contacts. And for Syria we read:
“Mohamad AlAssiry: Despite the political situation, the Syrian Astronomical Association was building an observatory and opened in August 2017.”
which I found impressive given the country’s situation since the war broke out in 2011.
Of course, a counter-argument would criticize the prioritization given the number of lives threaten everyday in Syria. However, only education and civilization will help us overcome (on the long-term unfortunately…) these problems.