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Transformed by the People: Hayat Tahrir al-Sham's Road to Power in Syria
How did a jihadi group reform into the movement rebuilding Syria after Assad?
In December 2024, to global astonishment, former al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led a coalition to overthrow the Syrian regime. This fascinating account unravels HTS's dramatic transformation since 2019, from a besieged insurgent enclave to a conservative Islamist government.
Drawing on interviews with HTS leaders including Ahmad al-Sharaa himself--as well as diplomats, dissidents and opponents--the authors reveal the group's pragmatic evolution while ruling Idlib province, in the face of global and local constraints. They uncover how HTS approached religious minorities, redefined its understanding of sharia, and embraced a non-radical conservative society. HTS reshaped its identity not only in northwest Syria, but on the world stage, aligning with NATO member and secular republic Turkey, confronting both al-Qaeda and Islamic State, and marginalising die-hards in its own ranks, in favour of a popular, mosque-based Islam.
This book offers a glimpse into HTS's extraordinary journey, blending frontline narratives with sharp analysis to decode the group's success in outmanoeuvring the regime and mapping its own path to power.
In December 2024, to global astonishment, former al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led a coalition to overthrow the Syrian regime. This fascinating account unravels HTS's dramatic transformation since 2019, from a besieged insurgent enclave to a conservative Islamist government.
Drawing on interviews with HTS leaders including Ahmad al-Sharaa himself--as well as diplomats, dissidents and opponents--the authors reveal the group's pragmatic evolution while ruling Idlib province, in the face of global and local constraints. They uncover how HTS approached religious minorities, redefined its understanding of sharia, and embraced a non-radical conservative society. HTS reshaped its identity not only in northwest Syria, but on the world stage, aligning with NATO member and secular republic Turkey, confronting both al-Qaeda and Islamic State, and marginalising die-hards in its own ranks, in favour of a popular, mosque-based Islam.
This book offers a glimpse into HTS's extraordinary journey, blending frontline narratives with sharp analysis to decode the group's success in outmanoeuvring the regime and mapping its own path to power.
- GenresPoliticsNonfiction
320 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2025
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November 10, 2025
Absolutely brilliant! Timely, analytically compelling, very well researched. A solid foundation for understanding contemporary politics in Syria with regards to the new authorities and the internal challenges they face. Highly recommended.
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