MEMRI-JTTM –
Canada-based Al-Qaeda supporter Tariq Abdulhaleem published an article on Telegram discussing the recent developments in Syria, following the military campaign, led by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), that led to the fall of President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime.[1]
The Egyptian Salafi cleric argued the new governance system in Syria will be a mix of the Muslim Brotherhood rule in Egypt under the late President Mohammad Morsi, and Turkey’s Rajab Tayyb Erdogan, at least initially.
“The new envision of governance in the new Syria is a mixture of the Brotherhood-Morsi-Turkish orientation, with an intense Islamic flavor, at least during the early stage.”
The cleric, who in the past had praised the Afghan Taliban model of jihad, and their Islamic model of governance, expressed dissatisfaction with the way the new Syrian government is running the country, saying that it has not shown its commitment to implementing Islamic laws.
“There is no place for the Taliban model [in the new Syria], except in terms of adopting some Islamic slogans and local measures, without a constitutional commitment or political constants that adhere to shari’a.”
The current Syrian government is under enormous pressure, he said, militarily and internally, pointing out that “atheist Kurds,” i.e., Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and Israel are among the main challenges this government faces.
“There is no doubt that the pressures on the current Syrian government are extremely enormous, whether militarily and internally, by the counter-revolution and the enemies of the revolution, especially the eastern provinces that are still not liberated from the atheist Kurds, or from abroad, by allowing the Zionists to wreak havoc in all parts of Syria and strike all its military assets. Or on economic and political levels, [the government is pressured] by the West and America through a stifling economic siege, and the demand for secular steps that guarantee what they call feminism and ‘women’s rights’ and children’s and human rights (!), and the formation of a joint council, in which all minorities are represented equally with the majority!”
In a second post, titled “Al-Joulani – From Mujahid to Neutral,” the cleric wondered what the true colors of HTS leader Ahmad Al-Shara’, formerly known as Abu Mohammad Al-Joulani, were, and what kind of strategy he is pursuing.[2]
He asked: “Is it shari’a? Is it global human-made politics, or beneficiary Machiavellianism? What is the real motive behind the transformations that took place in the actions of Mr. Al-Joulani, currently known as Ahmed Al-Shara’? From Al-Joulani the Mujahid, who was prisoner of Saidana, to Al-Joulani who was loyal to Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the Daeshi [i.e., ISIS], to Al-Joulani who pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda.”
Citing Turkey’s support to Al-Joulani during the Astana Agreement, the latter’s crackdown on his rival factions following that, and his recent appearance with unveiled women, Abdulhaleem concluded that Al-Joulani is a “rare case, no doubt, that deserves to be studied, especially since he is clearly going to be the next president of Syria.”
_____________________
[1] Telegram, December 13,2024.
[2] Telegram, December 14,2024.
