Too easy to cut Syria with a knife, dividing the parties involved between supporters of the “bloody Assad” And “rebels” who seek freedom after years of oppression. First of all, because it does not take into account the dozens of parties involved in the conflict and who divide the Syrian territory which for years has not been united under a single ruler: Russians, Americans, Turks, Kurds, Iranians, Salafists, Alawites, Christians, Sunnis and Shia. And then because it is not certain that in the end the conquest of power by Muhammad al Jolani doesn’t end up dropping the Middle East from the pan to the grill. His past in Al Qaeda, Isis and other jihadist groups, in addition to that 10 million dollar bounty hanging on his head, certainly do not allow him to sleep peacefully. And in fact the women, especially the Alawite ones who supported Assad, are slowly deciding to return to wearing the Islamic veil which they have not worn for almost half a century.
To tell it to Republic he is a freelancer and translator living in “liberated” Damascus. He lives in the Mazzeh neighborhood, where many Alawites and especially soldiers and former members of the Syrian Security have their homes. He says the soldiers were ordered to retreat, not to offer any resistance against the rebels who advanced within a few days AleppoHama and finally the capital, a story that reinforces the hypothesis of a decision taken on the table. It is whispered that the fall of the Assads was planned in Doha at a three-way summit Türkiye, Russia And Iran. According to this hypothesis, Moscow would have guaranteed a safe conduct to the former dictator’s family and agreed with the insurgent rebels on the maintenance of the two most important bases: the port of Latakia and the port of Tartus. Provided that al Jolani intends to respect any agreement.
The Syrian freelancer talks about the 48 hours of terror he experienced in Damascus. Incessant gunfire. Of the Syrian army abandoning its weapons. Hts militiamen who arrive and begin to dictate the law after having opened Assad’s terrible political prisons. “In the morning I had the opportunity to speak with the rebels – he writes – they were trying to organize themselves, they had gathered and passing through the streets in jeeps they used loudspeakers to give directions to the population. They also came to our neighborhood, told the residents to hand over their weapons and that they would not harm anyone.”
Al Jolani has decided to show his moderate face, even returning to his old baptismal name Ahmed al Shara, which is why – among other things – it is not well seen by ISIS. The new ruler has guaranteed amnesty for all the soldiers and policemen of the old regime. And in a decalogue published on Telegram he invited his militiamen to “prevent any interference with women’s clothing or impose any demands relating to their appearance or modesty, personal freedom is guaranteed to all.” But as he explained yesterday to Fourth Republic the minister Matthew Plant yourselfthe situation is so “indefinable” that anything can happen. Even the Taliban in the days of the daring American retreat presented themselves as different from the past, more moderate, less Islamist. Then it went as it did once the West lowered the threshold of media attention towards Afghanistan.
What will happen to Iranian women now that “the great Islamic nation” has resurrected? What decisions will the new Prime Minister Muhammad Bashir, former head of the jihadist government of Idlib and a Sharia graduate, make? “Yesterday we went out for the first time – says the reporter a Republic – I went with my wife to visit my sick mother-in-law. He asked me before leaving if it wasn’t safer to wear the hijab. We decided not to. On the street we met the militiamen but they didn’t say anything to us. Nonetheless, we know of other friends who have already chosen to cover your head to avoid problems. In general, minorities are afraid. One of my best friends is Christian and has a jewelry store: he fears losing everything.”
At the bottom the Afghan case teaches: after three years of Taliban power, ISPI reported in a recent report, the pragmatic wing of the movement has been defeated and the radicalists are thriving. “In the country, spaces of freedom are contracting – we read – Gender discrimination is consolidated and becomes systemic and institutionalised”. Will it happen in Syria too?