Monday 9, Dec, 2024 {HMC} The fall of the Assad regime has left many wondering what the future of Syria will look like.
Let’s take a look at what the leader of Islamist rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has said about his vision for the country.
On governance: In an interview with CNN, external on Friday, Jolani was asked whether post-Assad Syria would be governed via strict Islamic rule. He responded: “People who fear Islamic governance either have seen incorrect implementations of it or do not understand it properly.”
The leader of HTS said his group will focus on building a “governing system that is institutional, not one where a single ruler makes arbitrary decisions”.
On religious minorities: Jolani has sought to reassure Syria’s minority groups about the future governance of the country, insisting there should be a legal framework to ensure the rights of all.
“No-one has the right to erase another group. These sects have co-existed in this region for hundreds of years and no-one has the right to eliminate them,” he tells CNN.
On international relations: To Syria’s neighbours and powers like Russia, Jolani has pledged peaceful relations. He even assured Russia its Syrian bases would remain unharmed if attacks ceased.
Despite the assurances, human rights groups have still raised alarm over the rise of HTS, a group that has its roots in al-Qaeda and is designated a terror organisation by several Western powers.
The BBC’s chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, also writes that the HTS leader is not the only player in Syria’s fast-changing future.
SOURCE BBC
