Head of the Civil Labor Movement: extremism rules Syrian society

Syria witnesses daily crimes and violations across its various regions, amidst a security vacuum and the absence of effective government oversight. To discuss this reality, ANHA agency conducted an interview with the head of the Civil Labor Movement in Syria, Syrian lawyer Issa Ibrahim, who shed light on the reasons behind the escalating violations and ongoing security chaos.

He explained that "this background is the jihadist intellectual framework of the alliance of jihadist factions stemming from the al-Qaeda terrorist organization, which occupies power, and through it, the state in Damascus. This alliance directly or indirectly carries out killings, massacres, and kidnappings, with Turkey playing a leading role in managing the de facto terrorist authority in Damascus. This includes all of the above and other atrocities committed in Syria, particularly against Alawites."

He pointed out that "the kidnappings target Alawite women as well as Alawite men. They are part of a violent campaign aimed at forcibly imposing the authority of terrorism on the people and implementing local, regional, and international agendas to serve the interests of the parties to the conflict in Syria. This is based on a jihadist mentality that justifies these violations religiously and through sacred texts for its followers. The escalation of these acts is a factor in the implementation of these regional and international agendas."

He pointed to the reasons for the security breakdown: "The handover of control to the terrorist Abu Muhammad al-Julani and the jihadist factions, and the formation of this alliance that constitutes the 'de facto authority,' which took place with international and regional consensus and is managed directly and completely by Turkey, as well as with Israel's participation."

He added that the goal is "to complete and intensify the process of turning Syria into a hub for global violence by bringing in extremists, terrorists, and jihadists from all over the world. This is in addition to the 'authority' carrying out demographic changes and signing security, economic, and political agreements binding on the Syrian state and Syrians for decades to come, as well as stealing all of Syria's wealth, including the enormous production of Syrian phosphate, whose reserves are estimated at about three billion tons and contain 31-32% phosphorus pentoxide (P₂O₅), making it of international quality. Syria is the fifth largest exporter of phosphate globally, and phosphate is Syria's third largest resource after oil and gas."

Ibrahim asserted that "extremism is what governs Syrian society, creating its reflection within it and shaping the new identity of the community. The current regime is an extremist alliance of factions affiliated with the al-Qaeda terrorist organization, whose members hail from various countries around the world: the Arab world, particularly the Gulf; North Africa, especially Tunisia; Europe, particularly France; the republics of the former Soviet Union; and China."

He explained that "it is important to view extremism in Syria as a methodology and practical application of the theory of managing extremism and exploiting it, rather than attempting to address it fundamentally."

Regarding the repercussions of this mentality on society and politics, Ibrahim emphasized that it will create an extremist model in society and politics in the short, medium, and perhaps long term. He cited examples, stating, "The manifestations of this extremist culture have appeared in calls for jihad and incitement from the pulpits of mosques controlled by the de facto authority, targeting Alawite and Druze areas. This is in addition to the assassination of Sunni figures with differing jihadist views, and the modification of curricula, media discourse, and administration."

He emphasized that this is "a very serious matter, impossible to control at the Syrian, regional, and global levels. Even if the regional and international perspective based on the theory of managing terrorism from within is understood, the situation is fraught with risks, and its immediate or long-term effects, as well as its cultural repercussions shaping the human conscience in the region and the world among Muslims, cannot be controlled. Once 'jihadist icons and symbols' are eliminated after they have served their purpose, their cultural and psychological impact will persist for decades to come in the region and the world, especially in Europe and America."

Regarding urgent steps to establish security, Ibrahim explained that "the Syrian political forces harmed by this Salafist-jihadist terrorist model are the ones concerned and relied upon to form a strong alliance to confront existential threats."

He emphasized that "the institutions affiliated with the de facto authority are unreliable, as they carry out what is required of them to spread chaos, extremism, murder, kidnapping, and mortgage Syria's future and resources. Some institutions, such as the judiciary, are currently attempting to whitewash past systematic and institutionalized criminal acts and market the de facto authority of terrorism as a 'state of institutions.'"

Regarding the role of international actors, Ibrahim considered the international community to be "a vague concept," noting that "the clearly active powers are Turkey, which completely manages the de facto authority from Ankara, with a financial and logistical role for the Gulf states, and a pivotal role for Russia, Israel, the United States, and Iran, each with interests that can be negotiated with this authority."

He affirmed that the transitional government in Syria seriously sought to gain international legitimacy to justify imposing its presence on the Syrian people, both socially and politically, and implemented everything these countries wanted literally and with full commitment. He added that it "previously downplayed the scale of crimes and violations against Alawites and Druze in exchanges." For the sake of benefits, therefore he does not see any serious possibility or effective will now among countries to combat the phenomenon of extremism, but rather to manage and activate it in a way that serves the interests of each party.”

ANHA