The autumn of President Bashar al-Assad has left a crucial query: After a half-century of brutal dynastic rule has come to an finish, who speaks for Syrians now?
One group staking a significant declare for that position is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which, below the management of Abu Mohammad al-Golani, spearheaded the opposition advance that toppled Assad.
However what does the group stand for? And who’s al-Golani? The Dialog turned to Sara Harmouch, an professional on Islamist militant teams, for solutions.
What’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham?
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has its roots within the early levels of the Syrian civil battle, which started in 2011 as a preferred rebellion in opposition to the autocratic authorities of Assad.
The group originated as an offshoot of the Nusra Entrance, the official al-Qaida affiliate in Syria. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham was initially acknowledged for its fight effectiveness and its dedication to international jihadist ideology, or the institution of strict Islamic rule throughout the Muslim world.
In a shift in 2016, the Nusra Entrance publicly lower ties with al-Qaida and adopted the brand new identify Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, which suggests “Front for the Conquest of the Levant.”
The next 12 months, it merged with a number of different factions within the Syrian battle to develop into Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or the “Organization for the Liberation of the Levant.”
This rebranding aimed to maneuver away from al-Qaida’s international jihadist agenda, which had restricted the group’s attraction inside Syria. It allowed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham to concentrate on points particular to Syrians, corresponding to native governance, financial points and humanitarian help.
Regardless of these adjustments, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s core ideology continues to be rooted in jihadism, with the first goal of overthrowing the Assad authorities and establishing Islamic rule in Syria.
Who’s al-Golani? How central is he to the group’s success?
Abu Mohammed al-Golani was born Ahmed al-Sharaa in 1982 in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Golani spent his early years in Damascus, Syria, after his household returned from Saudi Arabia in 1989. His jihadist profession started in Iraq, the place he joined fighters aligned with al-Qaida after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
In 2011, below the course of Iraqi militant and then-al-Qaida in Iraq chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, al-Golani was tasked with establishing the Nusra Entrance in Syria.
The group rapidly grew to become a formidable power throughout the Syrian civil battle.
It was below al-Golani’s management that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham sought to painting itself as pragmatic, much less targeted on international jihad and extra on governance points within the area of Idlib, Syria’s largest insurgent stronghold.
This shift in technique kinds a part of al-Golani’s effort to rework his nationwide and international picture from that of a jihadist chief to a extra politically viable determine in Syrian politics.
Al-Golani’s shift towards a extra pragmatic strategy, notably post-2017, has been essential in serving to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham management territories and assert itself as a regional governing power. His latest strikes, like adopting a extra average persona and fascinating in conventional public service, replicate al-Golani’s central position within the navy and the political evolution of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – underpinning the group’s maintain on energy and its efforts at gaining legitimacy each regionally and internationally.
Syrians have fun after armed teams led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham oust President Bashar al-Assad.
Omer Alven/Anadolu through Getty Photos
How did the group rise to develop into a significant power in Syria?
To maintain energy over the territories it managed, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham employed a mixture of methods that features establishing governance programs that would present stability and providers whereas legitimizing their management within the eyes of native populations.
Aiming to increase and take extra territory, the group’s leaders concluded that it wanted to win over the worldwide neighborhood to attenuate worldwide opposition and successfully work with the broader Syrian revolutionary motion.
This concerned working with different actors in Syria, aiming to current a united entrance that might be extra palatable to worldwide observers and potential allies. To try this regionally, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham introduced many teams inside Syria below its management. Regionally and internationally, it reshaped its picture by way of public relations campaigns, corresponding to participating in social providers.
Since 2017, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has been the prevailing power in Idlib, which, after authorities forces retook management of Aleppo in December 2016, emerged because the final main bastion for numerous insurgent teams.
Over time, the group has solidified its management within the area by functioning as a quasi-governmental entity, offering civil providers and overseeing native affairs – corresponding to controlling highways and gathering duties on business trucking – regardless of reviews of human rights abuses.
Lately, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s propaganda has emphasised defending Syrian territory and its folks from the Assad authorities.
This has helped the group improve its place amongst native communities and different insurgent teams.
In an effort to additional burnish its picture, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham ramped up its public relations efforts, each at dwelling and overseas. For instance, it has engaged with worldwide media and humanitarian organizations to barter – and movie – help deliveries to the areas it governs.
Doing so helped Hayat Tahrir al-Sham acquire some native assist, positioning itself as a defender of Sunni Muslim pursuits.
In the meantime, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham bolstered its navy capabilities by establishing a navy academy, reorganizing its models right into a extra typical navy construction and creating specialised forces adept at executing coordinated and strategic assaults. The latest advance seems to be proof that this technique has paid off.
What does the US consider the group and al-Golani?
The U.S. has lengthy listed al-Golani as a Specifically Designated World Terrorist and the Nusra Entrance as a Overseas Terrorist Group.
In Might 2018, the U.S. State Division expanded this designation to incorporate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Because of these designations, the group and its members face authorized restrictions, journey bans, asset freezes and banking restrictions.
Moreover, the State Division’s Rewards for Justice program is providing as much as US$10 million for info on al-Golani.
What occurs if al-Golani emerges as a post-Assad chief?
First, we should always be aware that these are very early days, and it stays unclear what Syria will seem like post-Assad.
However based mostly on my years researching Islamic historical past and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, I’m keen to enterprise a couple of educated guesses. Traditionally, Islamic empires have used distinct governance frameworks to drive their growth and administration, which could inform Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s strategy to mirroring these profitable methods.
First, I believe al-Golani is more likely to attempt for genuine non secular management, positioning himself as a frontrunner whose private piety and adherence to Islamic rules align with the non secular sentiments of the inhabitants at giant.
This might be complemented by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham emphasizing the position of Sunni Islam in Syria’s state features and integrating non secular authorized practices into the nation’s legal guidelines.
Simply because it has established on a localized scale, efficient administration would possibly develop into a cornerstone of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham governance. In Idlib, for instance, the group established programs for taxation and neighborhood engagement. That is important for constructing belief, particularly amongst beforehand marginalized teams.
Moreover, by permitting some autonomy for areas inside Syria, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham might mitigate the danger of unrest, balancing strict Islamic regulation enforcement with Syria’s cultural and ethnic variety.
Total, ought to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham below al-Golani attempt to steer the formation of Syria’s new authorities, we’d anticipate a governance strategy that goals for a mix of conventional Islamic governance and fashionable statecraft, striving to stabilize and unify the varied and war-torn nation.
Nevertheless, the group’s controversial standing and historical past of militant actions might pose vital challenges in gaining widespread worldwide recognition and inside assist.
Sections of this text have been first revealed in an article for The Dialog on Dec. 2, 2024.
