New Delhi:
Syria Civil War: The Syrian war was not ending, but suddenly Abu Mohammad Al-Julani played such a move that the whole game turned upside down. Damascus fell, Bashar al-Assad’s rule ended and now Julani seems to be the face of Syria, but who is this Julani? Is this the same person who once fought under the flag of Al-Qaeda? And now he is trying to become a leader? What is Julani’s real face? Is he a radical terrorist, or a cunning leader who wants to give his Riya a new identity? Let us understand what is the story of Abu Mohammad al-Julani and how he has become the biggest name on the political map of Syria.
A few days ago, Abu Mohammed al-Julani was seen climbing the stairs of the historic citadel of Aleppo. With guards in khaki clothes, without weapons. Crowd of thousands of supporters behind. This picture was of the Jihadi leader who had recently captured Syria’s largest city Aleppo and within a few days also captured Hama, Homs and finally Damascus. The 50-year-old rule of the Assad family was uprooted, but how did this happen suddenly in a war that had been going on for 13 years? Actually, the condition of Assad’s army was already bad. Despite the support of Russia and Iran, his army disintegrated, but Julani did not focus only on war. He had taken every step thoughtfully over the years.
Julani’s decision to fight ‘against oppression’
The year was 1982. Ahmed Hussein al-Shara alias Abu Mohammad al-Julani was born in a middle-class Sunni family in the Syrian capital, Damascus. His family was a middle-class Arab family. The father was an engineer and the family lived close to Saudi Arabia’s Aramco company. His early childhood spent in Saudi Arabia left a deep impression of religious and cultural values on Julani. He was good in studies and was known as a smart boy among his peers. But there was something that made him different from other children. This was due to his deep religiosity and interest in history, but his family was deeply influenced by Syrian politics.
When Julani was born, Syrian politics was in turmoil. The government of Bashar al-Assad’s father Hafez al-Assad carried out a major massacre against the Muslim Brotherhood in Homs and Hama in 1982. Thousands of people died, and it forever changed the religious and political dynamics of Syria. This was the time when anger against the Assad government arose among Julani’s family and many other Sunni Muslims like him.
Julani’s family returned to Damascus in the 1990s. Julani’s life was about to change. In 2000, the second intifada, the Palestine uprising, began. This left a deep impression on Julani’s heart and mind. At that time he was only 17-18 years old. He decided that he would fight ‘against oppression’.
Julani’s ideas got an edge in ‘Camp-Buka’
Then came 2003. When America attacked Iraq, a wave of anger ran across the Arab world. At that time Julani was 21 years old. He decided to see himself as a Mujahideen protecting ‘Sunni Muslims’. And Julani packed her bag. Caught a bus from Damascus and went straight to Baghdad. But this was no ordinary journey. In Baghdad he joined the rebel groups fighting against the American forces. Julani’s name became known in Iraq as a small fighter. But fate had something else in store. The American army captured him and imprisoned him in ‘Camp Buka’.
Now the question is, what was Camp Buka? Camp Buka was an American prison in southern Iraq, where top leaders of ISIS, al-Qaeda and other jihadist groups were imprisoned. This jail is called ‘university of terrorists’. Here Julani further sharpened his mind and his ideas. He strengthened his ties with al-Qaeda leaders, especially Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. He befriended notorious terrorists and listened to their plans and developed a new ideology.
Presented as more nationalist than fundamentalist
The rebellion started in Syria in 2011. The impact of the Arab Spring reached Syria and Julani decided to return to Syria after being released from Camp Buka. They had money, people, and a mission—to establish a foothold in Syria for al-Qaeda. From here his real journey begins. After returning to Syria, Julani laid the foundation of a new organization with the support of Al-Qaeda. The name of this group was Al-Nusra Front. The objective of this group was clear, to topple the Assad government and establish Islamic rule in Syria. From suicide attacks to deadly attacks on the Syrian Army, Al-Nusra Front created fear in the entire country.
Julani began to make the organization the face of the ‘local Syrian rebellion’, but Julani soon realized that he could not accomplish his mission through terror alone. Julani distanced himself from al-Qaeda and ISIS. In 2013, he distanced himself from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. He presented himself as “more of a nationalist than a fundamentalist”.
From terror dealer to political power
Now Julani did not resort only to guns and violence. He made such moves on the political chessboard that big leaders could not understand. A major upheaval on the political map of Syria occurred when Julani took a big step in 2017. He completely redesigned his organization. He changed the name of his group to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham i.e. HTS. The purpose of this change was to transform the group from a terrorist organization into a ‘political force’. He established schools, hospitals and local administration in rebel areas of Syria.
The fundamentalist people of the group were thrown out. In a way, he tried to show his organization as ‘Islamic’ as well as ‘progressive’. HTS started direct communication with Russia and Western countries. Julani gave the message that he is no longer just a ‘terrorist’ but a ‘political leader’. Then came that historic date – the fall of Aleppo.
When Julani conquered the fort of Aleppo, it was not just a victory, but an indication that now the days of the Assad government are numbered. Then came Sunday morning. Damascus fell. The Assad government, which was supported by powerful countries like Russia and Iran, collapsed in just a few hours. This was not a miracle. This was Julani’s ‘diplomacy’.
Is Julani a terrorist or a leader?
He did not fight only with weapons. He talked to the tribes there and won the trust of the minorities. And the most shocking thing – he even told Russia that if they want to rebuild Syria, then HTS can work with them. However, now the question arises whether Julani is a terrorist or a leader? There are many contradictory things about him. Some people say he is a fundamentalist. Seeing the changed nature of HTS, some people also consider it the ‘future’ of Syria. But one thing is clear – Julani has created such a combination of politics and war that hardly anyone has seen before.
Now it remains to be seen how the relations are between Julani and western countries. This question is because America has declared HTS a terrorist organization. And a reward of 10 million dollars (i.e. approximately Rs 83 crore) is also placed on Julani’s head. This may create difficulties in Julani’s dreams of building relations with Western countries and leading Syria. Julani is a person who changed the political map of Syria with his strategy, intelligence and cunning. But how will his further journey be? Only time will tell.
