The fall of the Assad regime after more than 50 years and the rise of the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has brought Syria to a critical turning point.
Decades of Ba'athist rule entrenched deep ideological and emotional divides within Syrian society. Aside from the massive job of rebuilding the war-torn country’s infrastructure, the militarised nationalism and sectarianism of Assad’s regime have left the country with lasting social and political scars. These must be addressed as a matter of urgency if his successors truly wish to build a unified national identity.
The 13-year civil war deepened sectarian fragmentation, particularly between the ruling Alawite and majority Sunni communities. HTS’s Sunni-centric background now presents it with the considerable challenge of navigating these divides. Further to that, the group’s historical ties to ideological extremism and its origins as a militant and militarised movement contribute to a significant trust deficit both domestically and internationally.
