Can Abu Muhammad al-Julani redefine leadership in post-war Syria?
Whatever the future holds for Syria, all eyes will be on rebel leader Abu Muhammad al-Julani.
A UN office on the Syrian side of the Quneitra border crossing with Israel on Dec. 9, 2024. Photo by Yossi Zeliger/TPS-IL
The 42-year-old, whose real name is Ahmed Hussein al-Shara, is now trying to present a moderate image and appearance as someone who is shaping the “new Syria.” But his experience in Al Qaida and Islamic State will make leaders pause. He currently leads the Al Qaida-aligned Tahrir al-Sham, which was formerly known as the Nusra Front.
Julani is Arabic for Golani, a name emphasizing his family ties to the Golan Heights and his ambition to make the strategic plateau Syrian again.
Born in Saudi Arabia to a Syrian family from the Golan Heights, Julani travelled to Iraq, where he joined Al Qaida in Iraq in 2003 and rapidly climbed its ranks. Following the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in 2006, Julani moved to Lebanon to support Jund al Sham, a radical Sunni terror group competing with Fatah for influence in the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp.
But in 2008, he returned to Iraq, joined Islamic State and became head of its operations in Iraq’s Nineveh province. In that position, he reported directly to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Julani’s real notoriety emerged in 2011 when he founded the al-Nusra Front, Al Qaida’s Syrian branch, during the Syrian Civil War. The Nusra Front is accused of torture, child abduction, summary execution, stoning to death women accused of having extramarital relations, forcing Syrian Druze to renounce their religion and destroying Druze shrines.
Julani’s new allegiance to Al Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri also led to a rift with Islamic State.
His rhetoric was deeply anti-Western and he vowed to target the US and its allies. Washington designated Julani a global terrorist in 2013, offering a $10 million bounty for information leading to his capture.
Julani claims that his stance shifted over time. He also claimed that the Nusra Front — now known as Tahrir al-Sham — poses no threat to the West.
According to Arab media reports, Tahrir al-Sham and other Syrian rebel groups notified Turkey in June of their plans to launch a new offensive against Syrian government forces.
Julani’s recent actions have aimed to project a statesmanlike image, but whether his intentions are genuine is not clear.
Following the fall of Damascus to rebel forces, Julani visited the historic Umayyad Mosque, symbolizing a shift from insurgent to leader. He has called for the protection of Syria’s diverse cultural and religious heritage, including that of Christians, Muslims, and Shiites, and promised a peaceful transition of power. He also took action to prevent looting in Damascus when the capital fell and already announced plans for a new Syrian police force.
But his long history with Al Qaida and Islamic State continues to raise scepticism.
