Past links to ISIS and Al-Qaeda raise fears for some about Syria's new regime

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DAMASCUS, Syria — It had been less than two days since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime when two Islamist fighters knocked on the door of Father Rafaat Abul Nasser’s Lady of Damascus Church, armed with assault rifles, pious beards and probing questions.

“I’m telling you, I was not afraid,” the pastor told NBC News Wednesday. “Because St. Paul says to be strong in the Lord.”

The soldiers strolled through the ornate sanctuary, snapped photos of the icons and asked about the meaning of the cross and crucifix. Then they left. And that, Nasser said, was mercifully that.

But the chilling visit is emblematic of the uneasy optimism that pervades this new Syria, where many are wondering whether the new regime will practice the inclusiveness and liberalism it preaches.

Father Rafaat Abul Nasser.Matt Bradley / NBC NewsHayat Tahrir al-Sham, which led the charge on Damascus, was once closely linked with both Al Qaeda and the Islamic State, as were its leaders, and it is still classified as a terrorist organization by the United States and much of Europe.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/links-isis-al-qaeda-raise-fears-syrias-new-regime-rcna184104

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