Syria’s New Chapter: A Perilous Dawn for Minorities Under Al-Sharaa's Rule
Today One Free World International (OFWI) is releasing an urgent report “Syria’s New Chapter: A Perilous Dawn for Minorities Under Al-Sharaa's Rule.”
News reports have declared the fourteen-year Syrian civil war over with the fall of President Bashar al-Assad on December 8th, 2024. The new government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa is consolidating its position while claiming to pursue unity and promising equality and human rights in the context of an Islamic government. The situation on the ground, however, paints a different picture.
Into this powder-keg entered Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, a seasoned al-Qaeda fighter whose task was to organize al-Qaeda forces in Syria and join with other Islamist rebel groups to overthrow the Assad regime. He engaged in attacks against regime forces, but also in bombings that targeted, or at the very least were careless about, civilian casualties. When his al-Qaeda in Iraq backers established the terrorist group known as ISIS, al-Jolani remained loyal to al-Qaeda until a putative public breakup led to his establishment of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in 2016.
OFWI's new report “Syria’s New Chapter: A Perilous Dawn for Minorities Under Al-Sharaa's Rule” exposes human rights abuses and need for global action.
In recent months, Alawites, Druze, and Christian populations in Syria have faced a wave of violence by forces loyal to al-Sharaa. Thousands have been killed and people are living in a constant state of fear.
Western governments, however, have decided that it is in their interests to support al-Sharaa. OFWI believes that this is a serious mistake and al-Sharaa’s claimed moderation is a mere tactical position. As a result, this report puts forward several recommendations to support minorities in Syria and hold al-Sharaa and his authorities accountable.
To realize a secure Syria that upholds human rights for all of its citizens, here are some of the recommendations OFWI is offering:
President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his government must be required to prove the bona fides of their commitment to a moderate government and the rights of minorities; protection of minorities is only a beginning – they must be provided equal rights with no exception
President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his government must be closely monitored and held accountable for their treatment of the Syrian people in general, and Syrian religious and ethnic minorities in particular.
President al-Sharaa and his government must strongly and unequivocally condemn the attacks described in this report and others like them, and bring those who commit them to justice
To provide immediate relief and protection for Syrian minorities, OFWI is seeking international intervention in the form of safe zones for minorities and the most vulnerable, to be guaranteed by neutral international peacekeeping forces
The full report and recommendations are available here on ofwi.org.