We may soon wake up to a security agreement between Israel and Syria. The symbolic nature of Syrian leader Ahmed al-Shara’s visit to Washington, however, demands we look beyond the handshakes and examine the man at the center of this new diplomacy.
For years, al-Shara was the leader of al-Qaeda in Syria. His ideology is born of the Muslim Brotherhood, which seeks to establish an Islamic state everywhere, and this must start in the Middle East.
The Islamists want to do this through two primary methods: Da’wa, or controlling civilian life by providing services (as al-Shara did for six years in Idlib, northwest Syria, building a state-within-a-state); and tactical deception.
In 1994, PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat told an audience in a South African mosque that the Oslo Accords with Israel were like the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, a temporary, 7th century peace arrangement that existed between Islam’s prophet Muhammad and the pagan tribe of Quraysh that controlled Mecca at the time. The treaty was later broken and Muhammad conquered Mecca.
The Islamists of varying stripes have provided religious sanction for making and breaking agreements with “infidels” as a tool of war to provide time for them to grow in strength.
Al-Shara claims he has changed. If so, we must see that change reflected in the facts on the ground. The reality in Syria today does not align with this claim.
First, the new Syrian army’s command is filled with al-Shara’s jihadist allies. As we have detailed, at least 22 senior officials with radical backgrounds have been given key posts, from the defense minister and chief of staff down.
Second, Syria is a nation of minorities, and they are not being protected. Al-Shara’s forces have participated in massacres against the Druze and Alawites, and the agreement with the Kurds remains unimplemented. Forcing these minorities to disarm before their rights are guaranteed is a threat to their very existence.
Third, the new Syria is not a democracy. In the “elections” on October 5, the Syrian people did not vote; committees appointed by al-Shara simply selected the parliament members.
Finally, we are seeing the first buds of forced Islamization. We have tracked the destruction of alcohol shops, the forceful dispersal of civilian parties in Damascus, and videos of schoolchildren being led in radical Islamist, not just Islamic, chants.
The state al-Shara is building is Islamist and undemocratic. Its power centers are reliant on al-Qaeda-affiliated militias. The U.S. has offered a 180-day temporary lifting of sanctions on Syria. This is a practical step, but the West must clearly define and enforce what must happen in this period.
Good things can still come from this engagement, namely a shared interest against Iran and ISIS. But we must be under no illusions. We are not doing business with a French-style revolutionary; we are dealing with a leader whose ability to detach himself from fundamentalists is in doubt, even if he wanted to do so.
3 Responses
Dear Sarit,
Thank you for sharing the Truth about da’wa, the Al Sharra (all charade) snake of changing colors, and unmasking the insidious muslim brotherhood agenda. I attended your Alma annual conference back in May, and also remember many similar discussions then. Nothing short of the total defeat of the islamonazi terrorists and their propaganda lies can bring true security to Israel.
I oppose any foreign islamist da’wa army presence within Israel or Gaza. No agreements with terrorists whose ideology authorizes lies in negotiations as a strategic plan of operations can produce anything but more terrorism and oppression. The time has come for Israel to destroy Hamas and all the tunnel networks. Amen.
Dear Sarit,
The Gaza political quagmire is deeply disturbing. The deception campaign by hamas and their Qatari and Turkish supporters is a military black hole in the making. It reminds me of Yassar Arafat’s campaign of lies. Hamas does not have any negotiating or governing authority, period.
I suggest that Israel commence an immediate bombing campaign on all remaining tunnels. I recommend tunnel bunker busters with timed fuses to detonate at each corresponding tunnel elevation with napalm and oxygen warheads to burn out all the remaining tunnel rats from every terror tunnel that still exists. If possible, the same should be executed upon all known hezbollah tunnels in Lebanon, and the IRGC tunnels in Iran also. Then a special bunker buster delivery to the ayatolla and the mullahs will complete the operations.
When all your enemies are “ashes under the soles of your feet” peace can return. Do not negotiate with lying terrorists again. The first Gaza withdrawal brought the October 7 attack. We cannot repeat delusional deals with lying terrorists and expect any good outcome. Execute Justice!
Dear Sarit,
Your da’wa expose’ is also applicable to the PA (Pernicious Atrocity), aka the palestinian authority that is also falsely projected by islamo-nazis as an image of a legitimate governing entity. It is nothing but another cancerous terror proxy along with hamas, hezbollah, and the houthis that were created, not to govern as protectors of societies, but for the expressed single purpose to destabilize any existing legitimate governments and to destroy the state of Israel. The French president “Mach Wrong” stooped to a new low by referring to Abbas as the “prince of peace”. What a disgrace! A more fitting title for the terrorist leader and financial terrorist funder would be “the prince of perdition”. He will go down to perdition with his evil corrupted companions Putin, Xi, Kim and the ayatollah. They will all reap what they have sewn. Death.