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The Hill: Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, leader Syrian rebels who toppled Assad
The Hill - Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, leader Syrian rebels who toppled Assad
by Laura Kelly - 12/09/24 4:40 PM ET
Designated by the U.S. as a terrorist and with a $10 million bounty on his head, Abu Mohammed al-Golani has emerged as the leading figure in Syria’s liberation from the decades-long oppressive regime of Bashar al-Assad.
He has quickly placed himself at the forefront of shaping the country’s future, with a past that is raising concerns even as much of Syria celebrates Assad’s fall.
Split from Al Qaeda
Born in Syria in the late 1970s or early 1980s, Golani is promoting himself as a pragmatic, political leader and extending assurances for Syria’s multi-ethnic and religious populations. These promises run in direct contrast to the violence and human rights abuses carried out by the Islamist groups he aligned with in the past, such as Islamic State and Al Qaeda.
“No one has the right to erase another group,” he said in an interview with CNN in the days before taking over Damascus, the seat of Assad’s government.
“These sects have coexisted in this region for hundreds of years, and no one has the right to eliminate them. There must be a legal framework that protects and ensures the rights of all, not a system that serves only one sect, as Assad’s regime has done.”
/snip
by Laura Kelly - 12/09/24 4:40 PM ET
Designated by the U.S. as a terrorist and with a $10 million bounty on his head, Abu Mohammed al-Golani has emerged as the leading figure in Syria’s liberation from the decades-long oppressive regime of Bashar al-Assad.
He has quickly placed himself at the forefront of shaping the country’s future, with a past that is raising concerns even as much of Syria celebrates Assad’s fall.
Split from Al Qaeda
Born in Syria in the late 1970s or early 1980s, Golani is promoting himself as a pragmatic, political leader and extending assurances for Syria’s multi-ethnic and religious populations. These promises run in direct contrast to the violence and human rights abuses carried out by the Islamist groups he aligned with in the past, such as Islamic State and Al Qaeda.
“No one has the right to erase another group,” he said in an interview with CNN in the days before taking over Damascus, the seat of Assad’s government.
“These sects have coexisted in this region for hundreds of years, and no one has the right to eliminate them. There must be a legal framework that protects and ensures the rights of all, not a system that serves only one sect, as Assad’s regime has done.”
/snip
1 replies
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