BBC: Ahmed al Sharaa speaks regarding several critical issues regarding the new Syria
The commander of Hay’at Tahrir al Sham and the Military Operations Department, Ahmed al Sharaa, said that Syria is exhausted by the war and doesn’t pose any threat to its neighbors or the West.
Sharaa added, in statements to the BBC, “The name of the organization must be removed from the American and European terrorism lists… We’re not a terrorist group… We didn’t target civilians or civilian areas. Rather, we are victims of the crimes of Assad’s regime”.
He also said that he does not want to turn Syria into Afghanistan: “The two countries are very different, and each has its own traditions… Afghan society is tribal, but in Syria it’s different”.
Regarding women’s education, he said, “I believe in women’s education, and we have had universities in Idlib for years, and the percentage of women in them may exceed 60%”.
In response to a question about allowing alcohol consumption in Syria, he said, “There are legal issues that I have no right to talk about… There will be a committee of legal experts who will write the new Syrian constitution, and they will decide, and any president or ruler must abide by the law”.
The BBC concluded by saying, “Ahmed al Sharaa appeared calm throughout the interview, and he was wearing his civilian clothes… He tried to reassure everyone who still believes that his group has not abandoned its extremist past, but many Syrians don’t believe him”.
