Executive Summary
This research examines the updated curriculum (2024–2026) of the “Dar al-Wahi al-Sharif” (دار الوحي الشريف) school network, which is affiliated with Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and currently operates as part of the official education system of Syria’s new regime under the leadership of Ahmad al-Sharaa.
The research is based on a systematic content analysis of all 65 official textbooks and workbooks used by the network for kindergarten pupils and students in Grades 1–6. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the most comprehensive and up-to-date collection of the network’s educational materials currently available.
Since the publication of our previous research in December 2025, which exposed the “Dar al-Wahi al-Sharif” network, the network has continued to expand significantly. Its schools now operate in major provinces throughout Syria, including Aleppo, Hama, Damascus, Latakia, and Deraa, while simultaneously undergoing a process of institutionalization and official recognition under both the Syrian Ministry of Education and the Syrian Ministry of Awqaf (وزارة الأوقاف). Alongside the incorporation of core academic subjects in accordance with reforms in the Syrian education system, the network offers a subsidized and accessible educational track that has become an attractive alternative for many families in light of Syria’s economic conditions.
The research’s findings indicate that despite the educational reforms and the incorporation of general subjects such as mathematics, science, English, and social studies, no substantial change has occurred in the ideological content of the religious curriculum. Throughout the curriculum, consistent messages of religious, jihadist, and anti-Israeli indoctrination continue to appear, beginning as early as kindergarten and intensifying as students advance through the educational system.
This research identifies four principal findings:
- Delegitimization of the State of Israel – Israel is consistently portrayed as “the Zionist enemy,” while educational maps erase its existence and replace it with the name “Palestine.”
- Portrayal of Jews and Christians as Islam’s religious enemies – The educational materials frame the conflict as an ongoing religious struggle between Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, utilizing historical figures and Qur’anic verses to reinforce this perception.
- Glorification of jihad and the armed struggle – Jihad is presented as a legitimate and even desirable means of confronting unbelievers, while fighting Islam’s enemies is portrayed as a religious obligation and a model worthy of emulation.
- Shaping an ideological worldview from an early age – These messages are not confined to a single religious subject but are integrated across multiple disciplines and age groups, creating a continuous educational process intended to shape a specific religious and political identity among the network’s students.
Th “Dar al-Wahi al-Sharif” network is not merely a parallel religious education framework alongside the state education system. Rather, it constitutes a significant instrument for shaping Syria’s next generation in accordance with the worldview of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and the new regime. While the network has incorporated core academic subjects and integrated into the official education system, it simultaneously continues to preserve and disseminate extremist ideological content, including jihadist indoctrination, the denial of Israel’s legitimacy, and the reinforcement of the religious struggle against Islam’s enemies.
Given its geographic expansion, official status, government funding, and the attractive economic conditions it offers, the network represents an educational system with broad potential to influence the shaping of Syria’s future generation.
