Syria’s insurgent chief, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has dismissed the web controversy over movies exhibiting him gesturing to a younger girl to cowl her hair earlier than he posed for a photograph along with her final week.
The incident sparked criticism from each liberal and conservative commentators amid intense hypothesis in regards to the county’s future path after rebels swept to energy.
Liberals noticed the request from the top of the Sunni Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) as an indication that he would possibly search to implement an Islamic system in Syria after main the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, whereas hardline conservatives criticised him for consenting to be photographed with the lady within the first place.
“I didn’t drive her. Nevertheless it’s my private freedom. I need photographs taken for me the way in which that fits me,” Sharaa stated in an interview with the BBC’s Jeremy Bowen.
The lady, Lea Kheirallah, has additionally stated that she was not bothered by the request.
She stated he had requested in “light and fatherly means”, and that she thought “the chief has the correct to be introduced in the way in which he sees match”.
Nevertheless, the incident demonstrated among the difficulties any future chief of Syria might need in interesting to and uniting such a religiously various nation.
Sunni Muslims make up the vast majority of the inhabitants, with the rest break up between Christians, Alawites, Druze and Ismailis.
There’s additionally a variety of views among the many varied political and armed teams who have been against Assad, with some wanting a secular democracy and others wanting governance in accordance with Islamic legislation.
HTS, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, initially imposed strict behaviour and gown codes guidelines when it seized management of the previous insurgent stronghold of Idlib province in 2017. Nevertheless, it revoked these guidelines lately in response to public criticism.
The Quran, Islam’s holy guide, tells Muslims – women and men – to decorate modestly.
Male modesty has been interpreted to be overlaying the realm from the navel to the knee – and for girls it’s usually seen as overlaying every little thing besides their face, arms and toes when within the presence of males they aren’t associated or married to.
Lea Kheirallah requested to take a photograph with Sharaa – who was beforehand recognized by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani – when he toured the Mezzeh space of Damascus on 10 December.
Earlier than agreeing, Sharaa gestured for her to cowl her hair and he or she complied, elevating the hood on her jumper after which standing beside him for the picture.
Many video clips and footage of the incident have been shared on social media, sparking widespread outrage amongst peculiar customers and media commentators.
Folks with liberal or non-conservative views noticed it as a troubling glimpse into Syria’s doable future underneath HTS, fearing more and more conservative insurance policies just like the requirement for all girls to put on a hijab, or scarf.
France 24’s Arabic channel mentioned the incident, with a headline asking if Syria was “heading in the direction of Islamic rule”.
Others have been sharper of their condemnation. One Syrian journalist stated: “We changed one dictator with a reactionary dictator.”
On social media, different commentators warned of “ultra-extremists” ascending to energy, whereas others decried the “forcing of a free girl” to undertake a conservative look.
Islamist hardliners on Telegram criticised Sharaa for agreeing to be filmed and photographed subsequent to a younger girl within the first place.
Some known as Ms Kheirallah a “mutabarijah” – a destructive time period for girls thought of immodestly dressed or sporting make-up.
Such hardline figures ranged from clerics to influential commentators whose views are sometimes shared and browse by Syria-focused conservative communities on-line, and are more likely to attain HTS supporters and presumably officers.
Most of them seem like primarily based in Syria, primarily within the former HTS-dominated insurgent stronghold of Idlib, with some having beforehand served in HTS ranks.
They argued that it was religiously impermissible for unrelated women and men to work together intently and accused Sharaa of searching for “useless public consideration” and exhibiting “indulgence” in issues opposite to strict spiritual teachings.
A submit on one Telegram channel known as Min Idlib (From Idlib) stated the HTS chief was “too busy taking selfies with younger women” to deal with calls for for releasing prisoners from HTS jails in Idlib.
Most of the conservative figures who spoke out towards the picture have criticised Sharaa previously for political in addition to spiritual causes, and embrace clerics who’ve left HTS.
