Syrian rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has dismissed online controversy over videos showing him motioning for a young woman to cover her hair before posing for a photo with her last week.
The incident sparked criticism from liberal and conservative commentators, amid intense speculation about the future direction of the county after the rebels came to power.
Liberals saw the request by the leader of the Sunni Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) as a sign that he may seek to impose an Islamic system in Syria after leading the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad, while conservatives Radicals criticized him for consenting to be photographed with the woman in the first place.
“I didn't force it. But it's my personal freedom. I want the photos to be taken for me in the way that suits me”, Sharaa said in an interview with BBC's Jeremy Bowen.
The woman, Léa Kheirallah, also said that this request did not bother her.
She said he asked “in a gentle, fatherly way,” and that she believed “the leader has the right to be presented as he sees fit.”
However, the incident demonstrated some of the difficulties any future Syrian leader might have in appealing to and uniting such a religiously diverse country.
Sunni Muslims make up the majority of the population, with the remainder split between Christians, Alawites, Druze and Ismailis.
There is also a wide range of views among the different political and armed groups opposed to Assad, with some wanting secular democracy and others wanting governance consistent with Islamic law.
HTS, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, initially imposed strict rules on behavior and dress when it took control of the former rebel stronghold of Idlib province in 2017. However, it revoked these rules in recent years in response to public criticism.
The Quran, the holy book of Islam, tells Muslims – men and women – to dress modestly.
Male modesty has been interpreted as covering the area from the navel to the knee – and for women it is generally considered to cover everything except their face, hands and feet when in the presence of men with whom they do not are not related or married.
Lea Kheirallah asked to take a photo with Sharaa – who was previously known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani – during his visit to the Mezzeh neighborhood of Damascus on December 10.
Before agreeing, Sharaa gestured for her to cover her hair and she obeyed.lifting the hood of his sweater then standing next to him for the photo.
Numerous video clips and photos 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 rule, fearing increasingly conservative policies, such as requiring all women to wear a hijab or a scarf.
The Arabic channel France 24 reported on the incident, with a headline asking whether Syria was “moving towards an Islamic regime”.
Others were harsher in their condemnation. A Syrian journalist said: “We have replaced a dictator with a reactionary dictator. »
On social media, other commentators warned against “ultra-extremists” coming to power, while others denounced “forcing a free woman” to adopt a conservative look.
Radical Islamists on Telegram criticized Sharaa for agreeing to be filmed and photographed next to a young woman.
Some have called Ms Kheirallah a “mutabarijah” – a negative term for women seen as immodestly dressed or made up.
These radical figures range from clerics to influential commentators whose opinions are often shared and read online by conservative Syria-centered communities, and are likely to reach out to 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 HTS ranks.
They argued that unrelated men and women were religiously prohibited from interacting closely and accused Sharaa of seeking “vain public attention” and showing “leniency” in conflicting questions. to strict religious teachings.
A message on a Telegram channel called Min Idlib (From Idlib) said the HTS leader was “too busy taking selfies with young women” to respond to demands for the release of prisoners from HTS prisons in Idlib.
Many conservative figures who have spoken out against the photo have criticized Sharaa in the past on political and religious grounds, and include clerics who have left HTS.
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