New Post-Assad Syrian Constitution Enshrines Islamic Sharia Law
For decades Syria was ruled by the Assad family and the secular Ba’ath party, which generally allowed for a high degree of religious freedom for non-Muslims like Christians, Druze, and dissident Muslim sects such as the Alawites.
But this quasi-secular public order collapsed literally overnight with the December 8 ouster of Bashar al-Assad, which saw him flee the country for safe-haven in Moscow.
Church in Idlib province via APThe hardline Sunni Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took over Syria, with the backing of external powers like NATO-member Turkey, and likely backing of Western countries such as the United States.
On Wednesday HTS leader and self-declared President Ahmed al-Sharaa (formerly Abu Mohammad al-Jolani: his ISIS/AQ name) signed a new declaration of an interim constitution.
A committee of HTS appointees produced it (or at least a partial draft) in a committee, and it clearly makes Islamic or Sharia Law the new law of the land.
The constitution for the first time in Syria’s history recognizes Islamic Law as the main source of jurisprudence. Previously the Assad government only recognized Islamic law as a source, or one of many sources.
The Assad family is of course from the Alawite sect, and thus operated in such a way that ensured protections for all non-Sunni religious minorities. But these protections have clearly now been stripped, amid an ongoing massacre targeting mainly Alawites in Syria’s coastal regions where thousands have died.
Sharia Law is now the law of the land in #Syria
The New #Constitution of the Sharaa gov:
stipulates that „Islamic jurisprudence shall be the main source of legislation”
The last constitution stated that „Islamic jurisprudence shall be a (not the) source of legislation” pic.twitter.com/Lyw2iiuHPo
— Joshua Landis (@joshua_landis) March 13, 2025
Under Assad, Christians especially lived their faith very publicly – which included parades in the streets in major cities during holidays like Christmas and Easter. The feast day of St. George was also often accompanied by public celebrations in various Christian towns.
But now, Christians are living in fear – and any church festivals have been either canceled altogether or at least greatly subdued. There have lately been reports that in Damascus HTS militants have roamed restaurants and cafes, chastising and abusing Christians for eating and drinking during the Muslim Ramadan fast.
Tyler Durden
Fri, 03/14/2025 – 22:10
