Syria not a threat to world, rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa tells BBC
The de facto leader of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, stated that the country is weary from years of war and no longer poses a threat to its neighbors or the West.
In an interview with the BBC in Damascus, he called for the removal of sanctions on Syria.
“After all that has transpired, sanctions must be lifted, as they were aimed at the old regime. The victim and the oppressor should not be treated the same,” he remarked.
Sharaa led the swift campaign that overthrew Bashar al-Assad’s regime less than two weeks ago. He is the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the dominant faction within the rebel alliance, and was previously known by the alias Abu Mohammed al-Jolani.
He argued that HTS should be removed from the list of terrorist organizations. Despite being designated as such by the UN, US, EU, and UK, HTS originally emerged as a splinter group of al-Qaeda, from which it separated in 2016.
Sharaa asserted that HTS is not a terrorist group, emphasizing that they did not target civilians or civilian areas. In fact, he claimed they viewed themselves as victims of the Assad regime’s crimes.
He also denied any intentions of turning Syria into a version of Afghanistan, pointing out the significant differences between the two countries. While Afghanistan was a tribal society, Syria, he said, has a distinct mindset and traditions.
He said he believed in education for women.
“We’ve had universities in Idlib for more than eight years,” Sharaa said, referring to Syria’s north-western province that has been held by rebels since 2011.
“I think the percentage of women in universities is more than 60%.”
And when asked whether the consumption of alcohol would be allowed, Sharaa said: “There are many things I just don’t have the right to talk about because they are legal issues.”
He added that there would be a “Syrian committee of legal experts to write a constitution. They will decide. And any ruler or president will have to follow the law”.
Sharaa was relaxed throughout the interview, wearing civilian clothes, and tried to offer reassurance to all those who believe his group has not broken with its extremist past.
Many Syrians do not believe him.
The actions of Syria’s new rulers in the next few months will indicate the kind of country they want Syria to be – and the way they want to rule it.
