EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has expressed concern about potential violence against minorities in Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, now replaced by rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Middle East expert Kawa Hassan from the Stimson Center believes most Syrians, including minorities like Alawites and Christians, benefit from Assad’s fall, although concerns about the future remain.
HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly associated with terrorist groups, claims to assure minorities of no reprisals. However, there are concerns about HTS’s future treatment of minority rights.
HTS positions itself as a nationalist movement recognizing Syria’s diversity, but Middle East expert Maurits Berger notes that Assad’s regime provided certain protections for minorities. Hassan disputes Assad’s perceived protection of minorities, asserting he exploited divisions for self-preservation.
A small group of Assad regime beneficiaries is now targeted by HTS, which plans to prosecute regime affiliates, as confirmed by Sharaa in a Syrian state TV statement. HTS’s approach contrasts with Assad’s secular governance, favoring a tolerant Sunni Islam.
Source: NOS