Syria's HTS Islamists Vow to Protect Minorities

Syria's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Islamist group has pledged to show tolerance and protect minority groups, marking a potential shift in their stance.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Sunni Islamist militia, has promised to protect minority groups in areas under their control amidst the ongoing offensive against Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces. Last week, HTS seized control of several villages in northern Syria and Aleppo, the country's second-largest city, in a surprise attack.

According to Chrissie Steenkamp, an associate professor at Oxford Brookes University, HTS has reassured minority groups that they will be allowed to coexist. Steenkamp noted, “When they took over Aleppo, they reassured members of minority groups that they would allow them to coexist.” Additionally, Steenkamp stated, “HTS do like to portray themselves as being not quite as oppressive to minority groups and other religions.”

HTS has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the US and the UN Security Council. Despite this, the group has pledged to protect minority groups, including Shiite Muslims, Christians, and Kurds, vowing that they are an “integral part of the diverse Syrian identity.”

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Sunni Islamist militia, has been in control of Syria's northwestern region of Idlib for the past five years. Despite its extremist reputation, HTS has surprisingly shown signs of opening up to religious minorities. According to Jerome Drevon, an International Crisis Group analyst, “Over this time, HTS has been opening up to religious minorities.”

Drevon revealed that HTS commanders have met with Christian representatives to address their concerns. One major issue was housing, as many Christian homes in the Idlib region had been seized by refugees from other parts of Syria. However, Drevon noted that “HTS has restored those houses and lands to their Christian owners.” This move has significantly improved the rights of Christians in the region, who have also been allowed to celebrate their religious holidays like Easter and Christmas since 2018. As Drevon put it, “Their rights have improved to a large extent.”

HTS's newfound tolerance also extends to the Druze minority. While this development may seem unexpected, it's essential to understand the complexities of the Syrian conflict and the various actors involved. The situation remains delicate, and it's crucial to monitor HTS's actions and their impact on religious minorities in the region.

The strategic goals of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria are centered around taking over the Syrian regime and establishing a new regime. According to Jerome Drevon, “They want to take over the Syrian regime [of President Bashar Assad] and create a new regime instead.”

To achieve this goal, HTS has expressed its readiness to create strategic relations with neighboring countries such as Turkey, Iraq, and even Russia, despite Russia being a key ally of Assad's regime. Drevon added, “For this, they have expressed their readiness to create strategic relations with Turkey, Iraq, and only a few days ago, they even had a communique saying that they could have relations with the Russians as well.”

HTS's goals are focused on Syria, and they do not seek to build a global caliphate, which differentiates them from other extremist groups. HTS's leader, Abu Mohammed al Jolani, has stated that the group's short-term goal is to “stabilize the area under our control and administer it through an alliance of local Syrian revolutionary forces.”

Middle East analyst Guido Steinberg has expressed concerns about Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), stating that despite its attempts to present itself as a more moderate force, its ranks are still filled with many jihadists. As Steinberg warned, “none of this changes the fact that there are many jihadists in its [HTS] ranks, and we must therefore expect that the organization also acts like a jihadist group that commits acts of violence against religious and ethnic minorities.” This could potentially lead to “a reign of terror for the population, especially in the districts of Aleppo populated by Christians and Kurds.”

Steinberg's concerns are echoed by Hiba Zayadin, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, who doubts HTS's ability to be remembered as tolerant Islamists due to its poor human rights record. HTS has been known to arbitrarily detain, torture, and impose harsh punishments on civilians, including women and children, in areas under its control. Additionally, HTS has been accused of recruiting child soldiers, seizing properties, and imposing strict rules on women's movements and dress codes.

The fear of minorities, including Shias, Kurds, and Alawites, is rooted in the poor human rights records of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and factions of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army. As Zayadin pointed out, “Previous abuses of both groups include mistreatment of religious and ethnic minorities including violence, forced displacement, as well as destruction of cultural and religious heritage.” This disturbing pattern of behavior has created a climate of fear among minority groups.

However, it's essential to note that Syria's minorities and political activists or dissidents face threats beyond areas governed by Islamist rebels. The Syrian government, dominated by the Alawite minority, has also been accused of perpetrating sectarian violence and discrimination against Sunni Muslims. The conflict has drawn in various ethnic and religious minorities, including Armenians, Assyrians, Druze, Palestinians, Kurds, Yezidi, and Turkmens.

According to Hiba Zayadin, even in government-controlled areas, individuals perceived as opposing the regime face significant risks. This includes those from formerly or currently opposition-held areas, as well as members of marginalized sects, such as Sunnis and Kurds. As Zayadin noted, “In government-controlled areas, those perceived as opposing the regime, including because they hail from formerly or currently opposition-held areas or who are part of marginalized sects, including Sunnis and Kurds,” are vulnerable to arbitrary detention, forced disappearance, and ongoing repression.

Zayadin expressed skepticism about the prospect of improved human rights in Syria, highlighting the pervasive impact of sectarian dynamics on ethnic and religious groups. As she stated, “Sectarian dynamics significantly shape the lived experiences of ethnic and religious groups who are often caught in a cycle of fear, displacement, and repression.” This cycle perpetuates a climate of fear and instability, making it challenging to envision a brighter future for human rights in Syria.