Abu Mohammad al-Jolani’s road to Damascus was a long one. He spoke openly about his changes along the way. From a young Al Qaeda fighter two decades ago, to a rebel leader advocating for sectarian tolerance.
It was the trip where he got a lot of time to plan where and how he would present his arrival, and to prepare his narrative – his message to those who would put him in power, those who would bring him down, and others who would remove him. he can keep him in power.
It is not surprising that the Islamic insurgent chose Damascus’s venerable Umayyad Mosque – not a TV studio, or the presidential palace that has recently been missing, but a place of religious importance, which at 1,300 years has become one of the oldest mosques in the world – to deliver that. message.
“This victory, my brothers, is a victory for the entire Islamic nation,” he told his juniors, who stumbled behind him to face the beauty of the mosque’s black and white stone.
It was a message to all those who had taken him to power, and he urged his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters with extraordinary speed in Syria to oust President Bashir al-Assad.
It was also a message to the Syrians who had just been liberated. “This victory, my brothers, by the grace of Almighty God (follows) the sacrifices of martyrs, widows, and orphans. This victory, my brothers, has come with the suffering of those who endured in prison,” he said.
In a world where the God you choose, and the way you pray, can define your class, limit your desires and pit you against your neighbor, Jolani sent a clear signal in the Umayyad Mosque. He is a Sunni Muslim, part of the Syrian majority. Assad was an Alawite. There are Christians, Druze, Shia Muslims, Ismailis and others.
But the words he chose showed that he wanted to break old boundaries. “This new victory, my brothers, marks a new chapter in the history of the region, a history full of tragedy (that left) Syria as a playground for Iran’s ambitions, spreading discord, encouraging corruption,” he said.
People welcome the Syrian leader of the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, before his speech at the Umayyad Mosque on December 8, 2024. – Aref Tammawi/AFP/Getty Images
Opting Iran out seems to be a message to the Tehran regime – that their meddling is over, their easy access to mega proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon is over, their support for Syrian Hezbollah is over, and the home they once had is over. Iran’s weapons are stockpiled.
But the news Jolani will know is being heard in Tel Aviv and Washington, where he is said to be a member of a terrorist organization with a $10 million bounty on his head. The message says to them, ‘your interests are understood in the new Syria,’ and understanding to him that these are the forces that can bring him down.
Jolani was suffering from his rush to Damascus to ensure that the American president, Mr. Joe Biden, and even the president of the country, Mr. Donald Trump, knew his purpose. It is no coincidence that he chose the US TV network, CNN, and not the Arab one, for an important interview in the days before ousting Assad, saying that he had split with other jihadists because of their brutal behavior.
Speaking a few hours later, Mr. Biden said he had heard Jolani “saying the right things,” but he insisted that the rebel leader be judged for his actions.
Jolani’s message was also planned for the regional powers that he wants to keep on the sidelines, promising to sweep. “Syria is being cleansed,” he said, referring to the country’s regional reputation, saying Assad’s Syria “has become the world leader for Capitagon,” an amphetamine-type drug, and crime in the region.
Jolani’s speech at the mosque was about reaching and surviving. His actions, however, will save the last.
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