Dr. Hassan Marhej, expert on Syrian and Middle Eastern affairs.
There is no disagreement that the fall of the Damascus regime represented a state of political imbalance among many followers of Syrian affairs, and in parallel, the fall of the Damascus regime and the control of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham over Syria, created major challenges and concerns for Syrians, especially since there are many scenes that explicitly confirm that the government of Ahmed al-Sharaa has monopolized the political decision in the country, and the latter’s statements, although they came in a reassuring context regarding the future of Syria and the Syrians, many data confirm that al-Sharaa and the Idlib government have become, by virtue of the matter, the ones who solve and bind, and this is what makes Syrians stand confused and afraid of future developments.
There is no doubt that after the fall of the regime in Syria, many concerns and fears emerge among Syrians regarding the potential new government. These concerns need to be calmed in word and deed through clear political, economic and social steps, especially since the new Syria needs a lot of restoration of its reality, and this reality the Syrians realize will not be restored without a clear political transition that guarantees the representation of all Syrians from different sects, and within that, the actual and real start of the transition to a state of political and security stability in Syria, stems mainly from the necessity of laying the foundations of the transitional phase in a way that guarantees a state of stability throughout Syria.
What the majority of Syrians want today, in order to achieve political and security stability in the country, is a state of political representation for all Syrians, as many fear that the new government established by Sharia may not reflect the diversity of Syrian society, which leads to the marginalization of certain groups or the failure to represent their interests, which means, in essence, the continuation of the conflict, especially since there is concern that delaying the political transition may not be smooth, which may lead to the continuation of conflict and violence in the country, which takes us to the equation of security and stability, and in this, Syrians wonder about how to secure the country after the fall of the regime, and whether the new government will be able to impose security and stability, especially in light of what are called individual or retaliatory cases, and this matter is seen by Syrians as extremely dangerous and even threatening to the majority of Syrians and perhaps leading them and Syria towards a civil war.
One of the concerns that govern Syrians at this time, and after the statements of Al-Sharaa or Al-Jolani in which he said that there is a need for the government to be of the same color, meaning that forming the new government at this delicate Syrian time requires the thought, culture and vision of Salafi jihadism, and this is not correct with regard to the new Syrian affair, especially since many of those chosen by Al-Sharaa have a criminal history in Idlib, and this may reproduce corruption and favoritism according to their view, which negatively affects the state of stability that Syrians seek, and also affects transitional justice, as many are looking forward to holding accountable those responsible for human rights violations and those who were appointed by Al-Sharaa, but there is a fear that the new government may avoid this issue or ignore it because it has become the de facto authority.
The previous concerns of the Syrians require comprehensive and transparent treatment to ensure the building of a better future for Syria, and saying that the Sharaa government is working within the framework of achieving the aspirations of the Syrians is not consistent with the violations that many Syrians are exposed to, and these violations will only end with the departure of the Idlib government or the Sharaa government. The Syrians themselves will achieve transitional justice and build a new Syria, away from the ideas and literature of Al-Qaeda.