The author is a Syrian citizen living in Damascus who is not being further identified for safety reasons.
The young men of Syria account for many of those fighting on both sides of the country's civil war. Yet those on the sidelines of the conflict are facing heavy burdens of their own.
All over Syria, many young men, and particularly those from rebellious towns, spend their days holed up at home to avoid running into trouble with the Syrian authorities.
Some want to avoid compulsory military service required of most young men. Others live in areas where the rebels are active, and therefore are suspected of being rebel fighters or at least sympathizers.
In parts of the Arab world, particularly in conservative, traditional communities, the streets are full of men while women are relatively scarce. But in parts of Syria, this dynamic has been reversed.
In the embattled province of Homs, displaced families have taken shelter anywhere they can in the city. But with government checkpoints all around them, many men stay indoors while the women go out to run errands and buy food.
The same holds true in other areas where the government still has a strong presence, including the capital Damascus and all along Syria's Mediterranean coast.
Once Detained, Now A Recluse
Abdulrahman is a young man in the capital who only leaves his house on the days when the government authorities do not setup a checkpoint at the end of his street. Otherwise, he runs the risk of being harassed, detained and imprisoned, something he says he already experienced.
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