What is Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham?
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has its roots In the early stages of the civil war in Syria, which began in 2011 as a preferred rebellion against the autocratic government of Assad.
The group was created As a branch of the Nusra Front, the official Al-Qaeda Association in Syria. Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham was initially recognized as the effectiveness of the fight and commitment to the global ideology of jihadists or the establishment of strict Islamic rule throughout the Muslim world.
For a change in 2016, Nusra Front publicly cut ties with al-Qaeda And he adopted the recent name Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, which implies “front for the conquest of the left.”
The following yr, it merged with several other factions in the Syrian War to become Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham or “Organization of Lewant’s liberation.”
This rebranding was geared toward moving away from the global al-Qaeda jihadist program, which limited the group’s appeal in Syria. Allowed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Focus on issues Specific for Syrians, equivalent to local management, economic issues and humanitarian aid.
Despite these changes, the basic ideology of Hayat Tahrira Al-Sham is still rooted in jihadism, with the foremost purpose of overthrowing the Assad government and establishing Islamic rule in Syria.
Who is al-Golani? How does the group’s central success have?
Abu Mohammed al-Golani Born Ahmed Al-Sharaa In 1982 in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Golani spent early years in Damascus, Syria after his family returned from Saudi Arabia in 1989. His profession of jihadists began in Iraq, where he joined the fighters compatible with Al-Qaeda later The invasion of the USA in 2003.
In 2011, under the direction of an Iraqi fighter, and then-al-Qaeda at Iraq’s leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Al-Golani was designed to establish a front of the Nusra in Syria.
The group quickly became a robust force in the civil war in Syria.
This is under the leadership of al-Golani Hayat Tahrir al-Sham He tried to introduce As pragmatic, less focused on global jihada, and more on issues related to management in the Idlib region, the largest rebel fortress in Syria.
This change of strategy is part of Al-Golani’s efforts to remodel his national and global image because of the jihadist leader right into a more politically profitable figure in Syrian policy.
The shift of Al-Golani towards a more pragmatic approach, especially after 2017, was crucial for the help of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham Territories and providing itself as a regional ruling force. His last moves, equivalent to adoption more moderate Persona and engaging in traditional public service reflect the central role of Al-Golani in the army and the political evolution of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham-extinguishing the group of power and its efforts in obtaining ID card and international ID.
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How did the group become the foremost force in Syria?
To maintain power over controlled territories, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham used a method mix including the establishment of management systems that might ensure stability and services, while legitimizing their control in the eyes of local population.
Aiming to expand and take a bigger territory, the group’s leaders got here to the conclusion required To gain a global community to reduce international opposition and effectively cooperate with a broader Syrian revolutionary movement.
This included cooperation with other entities in Syria, geared toward presenting a united front, which can be more tasty for international observers and potential allies. To do that locally, hayat tahrir al-sham brought many Groups in Syria under his control. Regional and international transformed his image through public relations campaigns, equivalent to engaging in social services.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham was since 2017 dominant strength in IdlibWhich, after the government forces, gained control over Aleppo in December 2016, became the last necessary bastion for various groups of rebels.
Over the years, the group has recorded control in the region by functioning as a quasi-eNmutmentProvision of civil services and supervision Local matters – equivalent to controlling motorways and collecting obligations in the field of transport transport – Despite the reports human rights violations.
In recent years, propaganda Hayat Tahrir al-Sham emphasized Protection of Syrian territory and his people against the Assad government.
It helped the group strengthen your position amongst local communities and other rebel groups.
Trying to proceed to burn his image, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham increased public relations efforts, each at home and abroad. For example, he has involved with international media and humanitarian organizations to barter – and filming – help supplies to the areas that rules.
Hayat Tahrir al-sham helped Get local supportpositioning as a defender of Sunni Muslim interests.
Meanwhile, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham strengthened his military abilities Establishing the Military Academy, reorganizing its units in a more conventional military structure and creating specialized forces expert in the performance of coordinated and strategic attacks. The recent advance seems proof that this strategy has paid off.
What does the USA take into consideration the group and al-Golani?
The USA has long Listed al-golani As a specially designated global terrorist and Nusra front as a foreign terrorist organization.
In May 2018, the US Department of State expanded This is a designation covering Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. As a result of these markings, the group and its members encounter legal restrictions, travel bans, freeze assets and banking restrictions.
In addition, the State Department Awards for justice The program is Offering as much as USD 10 million To get details about Al-Golani.
However, the news circled that there have been the United States considering Removing the prize for $ 10 million per leader Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, while Great Britain is Thinking about deleting the group from the terrorist list.
What happens if Al-Golani appears as a post-assad leader?
First of all, we should always notice that these are very early days and stays unclear what Syria will appear to be.
But based on my years, studying Islamic history and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, I’m able to risk several educated guesses. Historically, Islamic empires used a transparent management framework to administer their expansion and administration, which can inform about the approach of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham to reflect these successful strategies.
First of all, I believe Al-Golani probably strives for authentic religious leadership, positioning as a pacesetter whose personal piety and compliance with Islamic principles are according to the religious sentiments of the population.
This can be supplemented by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, emphasizing the role of Sunni Islam in state functions in Syria and integrating religious legal practices with national laws.
Similarly to the situated scale, an efficient administration can become the Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham cornerstone. For example, in Idlib, the group established tax systems and community involvement. This is obligatory to construct trust, especially amongst previously marginalized groups.
In addition, allowing some autonomy to have regions in Syria, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham can alleviate the risk of anxiety, balancing strict Islamic law enforcement agencies with cultural and ethnic diversity in Syria.
In general, if Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham at Al-Golani tried to direct the creation of a brand new Syria government, we can expect a management approach, which goals to mix traditional Islamic management and a contemporary ship, attempting to stabilize and harmonize the various and war of the war.
However, the controversial status of the group and the history of combat operations can be serious challenges in terms of universal recognition of international and internal support.