Hayat Tahrir al-Sham: Voices of Syria's New Leaders

Abstract

The collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime ushered in a new era of political uncertainty and power struggles in Syria. This article examines competing visions for the country's future, drawing on extensive fieldwork conducted between August 2024 and January 2025 with Syrian refugees in Hatay, Turkey, and residents of Idlib, Syria. Through 123 discussions with activists, scholars, and members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), this study explores three central issues: the role of Islam in governance, how to create a new constitutional order, and the evolving national identity. The findings indicate that HTS, once a transnational jihadist movement, has shifted toward a nationalist Islamism rooted in Syria's sociopolitical fabric. The interviews highlight Syrians’ rejection of Iranian influence, aspirations for regional alliances, and pragmatic approaches to governance. The article further examines the geopolitical stakes, especially Turkey's strategic influence and the tensions with Kurdish factions. While the respondents hope for stability and self-governance, Syria's fragmented geography and ethnoreligious divisions pose challenges. The study concludes that the country's future hinges on reconciling competing political ideologies, securing regional support, and fostering a national identity capable of uniting its diverse population under a post-Assad order.