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.
One Response
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.