Ahmed al-Sharaa, the newly-appointed leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the most powerful group in control of Syria, has made a bold statement to the BBC. In an interview with Jeremy Bowen in Damascus, Sharaa proclaimed that Syria is exhausted by war and poses no threat to its neighbors or the West. He called for the lifting of sanctions on Syria and argued that HTS should no longer be classified as a terrorist organization.
Sharaa, previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, led the lightning offensive that brought down Bashar al-Assad’s regime just two weeks ago. Despite HTS’s roots as a splinter group of al-Qaeda, Sharaa insisted that they are not terrorists and do not target civilians. He emphasized that his group should be judged separately from the crimes of the Assad regime, denying any desire to establish a Taliban-like government in Syria.
Throughout the interview, Sharaa appeared relaxed and attempted to reassure skeptics who fear a return to extremist rule in Syria. He highlighted his belief in women’s education and the differences between Syrian and Afghan society. Despite his reassurances, many Syrians remain skeptical and fear the emergence of a hardline Islamist government.
As the country navigates this new chapter under HTS leadership, the world watches closely to see if Sharaa’s promises will hold true and whether Syria can truly emerge from the shadow of war.
Watch the video by BBC News
Video “Syria is “not a threat to the world” its new Islamist leader tells BBC | BBC News” was uploaded on 12/19/2024 to Youtube Channel BBC News