Ahmed al Sharaa, better known as Abu Mohammad al-Golani leader of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) told CNN on December 5: “These sects ( Alwawites, Christians and Druze) have coexisted in this region for hundreds of years, and no one has the right to eliminate them.” So far Golani has been saying the right things. The question on everyone’s mind is: Are these words just to appease or for for real? If for real will his fighters be following his directive? The last thing the Syrians want to see is another dictator like Bashar al-Assad
Abu Mohammad al-Golani, leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has become Syria’s new strongman, replacing the Alawite regime of Bashar al-Assad. Once a partner of al Qaeda, Golani now speaks the language of tolerance towards Syria’s ethnic and religious minorities and told his fighters to refrain from extrajudicial violence. Videos emerging on social media, including one apparently showing the execution of four suspected regime collaborators, suggest that not all of his fighters are following his directive.
By:Observers team
While other factions still control significant parts of Syria – including the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), HTS’s ally in the latest offensive, and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – HTS has achieved a stunningly rapid military victory. In just ten days, the Islamist group toppled the Assad regime and seized control of most of Syria’s major cities.
This sudden consolidation of power has sparked widespread alarm, particularly among Syria’s minority communities. The country’s mosaic of ethnic and religious groups – including Shia Alawites, Christians, Druze and Kurds – now finds itself under the rule of a group with a deeply controversial history. HTS, which remains on the terror lists of the United States and the European Union, has also provided shelter to international jihadists from Afghanistan, Chechnya, and France. For many minorities, the notion of such a group ruling from Damascus evokes fear and uncertainty about what lies ahead.
Since its creation in 2017, HTS has attempted to rebrand itself as a more moderate force, demonstrating a degree of tolerance towards certain minorities, particularly Christians, in the areas it controls, compared with the al Qaeda-linked group it emerged from. Since assuming power in Damascus and much of Syria this month, the group has generally shown restraint in its treatment of Christian and Shiite Alawite monuments and communities.
In official announcements and meetings with local minority leaders, HTS has repeatedly pledged to safeguard the safety of Christians and Alawites. Golani told CNN on December 5: “These sects have coexisted in this region for hundreds of years, and no one has the right to eliminate them.”
But reports and videos on Syrian social media show that reprisal killings have begun, casting doubt on HTS’s promises of protection. Members of the Alawite community appear to be the primary target. Despite representing only 10 percent of Syria’s population, Alawites dominated the country’s power structures for more than five decades under the Assad regime. Their close ties to Iran’s Shia regime – an unwavering backer of Bashar al-Assad – have further entrenched their vulnerability under HTS rule.
Video shows the execution of suspected regime ‘Shabiha’
On December 10 a video emerged on Telegram documenting the execution of four men by HTS fighters. The video opens with two bodies visible, one man on his back, and another man face down with his hands apparently bound. A voice is heard saying: “There they are, Shabiha pigs,” a reference to the Shabiha, pro-regime militias known for beating and killing political opponents of the Assad clan. Two men are visible on their knees. As one of the fighters asks their name, others are heard calling them “Nusayriyah”, an anti-Alawite slur, and “Allahu akbar.” Two of the fighters, one wearing the black Seal of Muhammad flag popular among Islamist groups, then open fire and kill the two men with bursts from their Kalashnikovs, as a third says: “Two pigs killed in the village of Rabia.” (There are at least two villages in Syria called Rabia, one in Latakia governorate, the other in Hama governorate. There were conflicting reports about which village was the site of the killing.
FRANCE 24’s specialist on Islamist groups, Wassim Nasr, said the video was the first documented case of a summary execution by HTS fighters since the offensive began on November 27.
Other videos appearing to show reprisal attacks against suspected regime collaborators have also emerged. Two videos filmed in Idlib and posted on December 10 show a body being dragged behind a car as a crowd applauds. The caption includes an apparent plea to the HTS leadership: “We demand the establishment of a state with a justice system. Shabiha thugs should be punished by the rule of law, not by actions like this. There is no difference between you and the Assad regime.”
Videos emerged on social media December 10, 2024 showing the body of a man being dragged behind a car. The captions indicated that the victim was a suspected regime collaborator. The France 24 Observers team geolocated the video 50m east of Idilib’s Al-Mashtal Park but could not confirm the circumstances. © Observers
Videos like this are adding to the fears of Syrian citizens about their future under HTS. The FRANCE 24 Observers team spoke to Syrians from the Alawite, Sunni and Christian communities.
‘My family is terrified, they fled to the mountains’
Ali (not his real name), an Alawite who now lives outside Syria, remains in close contact with his family near Homs. Their lives, he says, have been upended by fear.
The HTS members came to our village and guaranteed the safety of the Alawites, But my family is terrified and cannot trust them. They fled to the mountains to wait and see what happens next.
While HTS fighters have instructed locals to surrender their weapons, few are willing to comply. This reluctance is compounded by videos circulating on social media that appear to show arbitrary executions carried out by HTS members. They kill Shiites after accusing them of being soldiers or informants for the former regime.
‘Alawites are anxious about what comes next’
Mounir (not his real name), a young Sunni Syrian from Tartus – a former stronghold of the Assad regime – is optimistic about Syria’s future under the new Islamist government. “Everyone here is happy that the new government has ensured the safety of everyone,” he says confidently. However, even he admits that “the situation for the Alawites is unique”.
The Alawites who held government positions or served in the military, along with their families, are frankly panicking.
They are afraid of reprisals or losing properties they may have acquired illegally during the Assad era. Most of them are staying at home and, as far as I can see, avoiding public places, even though many of them have already pledged allegiance to the new government.
Those Alawites are just as happy as the rest of us. Many of my Alawite friends have been hoping for Assad’s fall since 2011, just like we all were. When it finally happened, they celebrated in the streets of Tartus with everyone else.
Still, Mounir acknowledges the deep uncertainty gripping the Alawite community as a whole. “Even those who celebrated are anxious about what comes next.”
Christians feel safer but uncertain
While many members of Syria’s Shia minority remain fearful and uncertain about the future under HTS rule, the country’s Christian communities appear to feel relatively safer – for now.
Sami (not his real name), a Christian originally from Homs who now lives abroad, describes how his family’s initial fears have subsided. “At first, my family was afraid of the jihadists, but not anymore,” he explains.
The rebels approached our Christian villages and towns with a deliberate effort to reassure the population. They first met with the priests and guaranteed the safety of the Christians. Then they rang the church bells and told people there was nothing to fear. In some regions, they even brought bread and entered the villages mostly unarmed. All my family members who fled our village on 6 December had returned to their homes by December 9.
Over the long term, they are still worried about the possible introduction of Sharia law.
‘I am a little afraid they might impose hijab on us’
The uncertainty of Syria’s future under HTS rule is unsettling for many, including Haifa (not her real name), a young Sunni woman from Tartus. While she acknowledges the brutality of Assad’s regime, she fears the potential imposition of Sharia law and its consequences for her personal freedom.
It’s hard to believe that there could be anything worse than Assad’s regime. So far, everything is fine, but we must wait and see what the new government will insist on. What will the laws be? These are things we do not know yet.
So far, they haven’t imposed any Islamic rules on us, but I am a little afraid that they might impose the hijab on us. But compared to the rape of women under the Assad regime, that’s nothing.
Uncertain leadership, uncertain future
Broderick McDonald, an expert on jihadist groups in Syria, believes that Golani faces significant challenges as he attempts to consolidate power.
On the one hand, Golani must maintain good relations with his foot soldiers, including the more extremist elements within his ranks. On the other hand, he needs to present himself as a legitimate leader capable of fostering consensus and governing effectively.
There are factions within HTS – some more radical, some less. If Golani pursues a localised, deradicalised strategy, there’s no guarantee that these factions will hold together. And, of course, there is no guarantee that Golani himself won’t return to his jihadist origins once he has cemented power.
The Observers/ France24