Syrian rebel leader dismisses controversy over photo with wife

Syrian rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has dismissed online controversy over videos in which he motioned for a young woman to cover her hair before posing for a photo with her last week.

The incident sparked criticism from both liberal and conservative commentators, while there was intense speculation about the future direction of the county after the rebels came to power.

Liberals viewed the request from the head of the Sunni Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) as a sign that he could try to impose an Islamic system in Syria after he led the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad while him conservatives criticized conservatives for agreeing to be photographed with the woman in the first place.

“I didn’t force her. But it is my personal freedom. I want photos to be taken for me in the way that suits me.” Sharaa said in an interview with BBC’s Jeremy Bowen.

The woman, Lea Kheirallah, also said she was not bothered by the request.

She said he asked in a “gentle and fatherly way” and she said “the leader has the right to be presented as he sees fit.”

However, the incident highlighted some of the difficulties a future leader of Syria might face in addressing and unifying such a religiously diverse country.

Sunni Muslims make up the majority of the population, with the rest made up of Christians, Alawites, Druze and Ismailis.

There is also a wide range of views among the various political and armed groups that have opposed Assad, with some wanting secular democracy and others wanting governance under Islamic law.

HTS, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, initially introduced strict behavior and dress codes when it took control of the former rebel stronghold in Idlib province in 2017. However, these rules have been lifted in recent years in response to public criticism.

The Quran, Islam’s holy book, urges Muslims – men and women – to dress modestly.

Male modesty is interpreted as covering the area from the navel to the knee – and women are generally considered to cover everything except their face, hands and feet when in the presence of men to whom they are not related or are married.

Lea Kheirallah asked to take a photo with Sharaa, previously known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, as he toured the Mezzeh area of ​​Damascus on December 10.

Before Sharaa agreed, she motioned for her to cover her hair and she obeyedShe pulled up the hood of her sweater and then stood next to him for the photo.

Numerous video clips and images of the incident were shared on social media, sparking widespread outrage among ordinary users and media commentators.

People with liberal or non-conservative views saw it as a disturbing glimpse into Syria’s possible future under HTS and increasingly feared conservative measures such as requiring all women to wear a hijab or headscarf.

The Arabic broadcaster France 24 discussed the incident and asked in the headline whether Syria was “on the path to Islamic rule.”

Others were harsher in their condemnation. A Syrian journalist said: “We have replaced a dictator with a reactionary dictator.”

Other commentators on social media warned of a takeover by “ultra-extremists,” while others lamented the “force of a free woman” to adopt a conservative demeanor.

On Telegram, Islamist hardliners criticized Sharaa for even agreeing to be filmed and photographed next to a young woman.

Some called Ms. Kheirallah a “mutabarijah” – a negative term for women who are considered indecently dressed or wearing makeup.

Such hardliners ranged from clerics to influential commentators, whose views are often shared and read by Syria-focused conservative communities online and are likely to reach HTS supporters and possibly officials.

Most of them appear to be based in Syria, mainly in the former HTS-dominated rebel stronghold of Idlib, with some having previously served in the HTS ranks.

They argued that it was impermissible for unrelated men and women to interact closely on religious grounds and accused Sharaa of seeking “vain public attention” and showing “leniency” in matters that contradict strict religious teachings.

A post on a Telegram channel called Min Idlib (From Idlib) said the HTS leader was “too busy taking selfies with young ladies” to meet demands for the release of prisoners from HTS prisons in Idlib.

Many of the conservative figures who spoke out against the photo have criticized Sharaa in the past on both political and religious grounds, including clerics who have left HTS.