IDLIB (AP) – The leader of a rebel group that controls much of northwestern Syria threatens to retaliate in obscene clothing against Western ‘crusaders’ forces and Muslim religious police after deadly bombings has gained notoriety over the past decade.
Now known as Abu Mohammed Al-Gholani, the man kept his group, known as HTS, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, from al-Qaeda’s origins by spreading a message of pluralism and religious tolerance.
As part of the name change, it cracked down on extremist groups and disbanded its notorious religious police. A long-closed church in Idlib province recently held its first mass in more than a decade.
Algorani told a recent meeting of religious and local officials that Islamic law should not be enforced by force. Referring to Saudi Arabia, which has tightened its social controls in recent years, Al-Golani said, “Society has become so hypocritical that they pray when they see us and no longer pray when they leave.
The tipping point comes as Al-Ghorani’s group becomes increasingly isolated. Countries that once backed rebels in the Syrian uprising that turned into a civil war are rebuilding ties with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Saudi Arabia, a former enemy of Assad, reversed course and spearheaded pressure that last week resulted in Syria’s return to the Arab League after 12 years of regional isolation.
Even Turkey, which continues to maintain armed rebels in Syria as a major state sponsor, has signaled a shift. Last week, the Turkish foreign minister met with the Syrian foreign minister in Moscow, the first such meeting since 2011. The foreign ministers of Assad’s main allies, Russia and Iran, were also present.
The talks were an important step towards restoring ties between Damascus and Ankara, but the presence of Turkish troops in northwestern Syria remains a stumbling block.
At the same time, the US considers HTS a terrorist organization and offers a $10 million reward for information on Al-Ghorani’s whereabouts. The United Nations also classifies them as a terrorist organization. Earlier this month, the United States and Turkey jointly imposed sanctions on two individuals accused of fundraising for extremist groups such as HTS.
Al-Golani rose to prominence in the early months of the 2011 Syrian uprising, becoming the leader of Al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch, then known as the Al-Nusra Front. Militants and Osama bin Laden al-Qaeda cadres flocked to the group’s bases of operations in northern Syria, after which many died in US attacks.
In July 2016, the al-Nusra Front announced it would change its name to the Fatah al-Sham Front and cut ties with al-Qaeda in what many viewed as an attempt to improve its image. Fatah al-Sham later merged with several other groups to form Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. It was also during this time that Al Gorani made his first public appearances and changed his dressing style from a white turban and robe to a shirt and trousers. Its fighters cracked down on militants from the Islamic State group who fled to Idlib after their defeat, as well as Horas al-Din (“Guardians of the Religion”), another extremist group that also included hardcore al-Qaeda members.
