Peloni: Jolani, Jolani, Jolani…what should we have expected when a lifelong Islamist was installed to govern over the diverse population in Syrian society? I think we should have expected exactly what we have received, and that is a cruel fate for the minorities of Syria, particularly those who will not submit to the Islamization process taking place in Syria today under Jolani’s tender care.
O. Peri | MEMRI | June 6, 2026
Abu Muhammad al-Jolani. Photo by Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, Wikipedia
The new Syrian regime, headed by President Ahmad Al-Sharaa – formerly the leader of the Islamist organization Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS)[1] – is promoting religious radicalization and Islamization in Syria, despite its public statements about commitment to the rule of law, pluralism, and civil equality, and although it enjoys considerable foreign support, including from the U.S. and other Western countries. Since coming to power in December in 2024 following the overthrow of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime, Al-Sharaa and other regime officials have taken care to issue assurances that the new Syria will not be governed by a single ideology and that all sects and groups will be represented in the regime.[2] During his visit to London on March 31, 2026, Al-Sharaa even stated explicitly that he did not intend to impose strict Islamic rule.[3]
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