Syria's leaders say their jihadism is in the past - is it?

The rebel offensive that ended Bashar al-Assad's 24-year rule has left Syria facing an uncertain future

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersSyria's rebel leaders say they've broken with their jihadist past - can they be trusted?BBCLast week, while touring Damascus, Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani) was approached by a young woman who asked for a photo with him. He gently requested that she cover her hair before taking the picture.

The incident quickly sparked heated debate across Arabic social and mainstream media.

What happened may have been small but it was telling because it encapsulated the tightrope that Syria's new rulers Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - who are designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN, US, EU and UK - must walk.

On one side is the diverse, and, in some cases more liberal, Syrian population, along with the international community, whose acceptance is crucial for HTS's survival and legitimacy. To them, the hair covering incident offered a troubling glimpse into Syria's potential future under HTS, expressing fears that conservative policies could eventually mandate the veil for all women.

On the other side, Islamist hardliners criticised al-Sharaa for taking the photo at all, describing the woman as a "mutabarijah" - a term for a woman perceived to dress immodestly or wear makeup - and insisting his action violated religious rules.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2ldj04p0q2o

---