Violence and Sectarian Tensions Complicate Ties Between Central Government and Minorities

Since Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) assumed authority in Syria last December, many have questioned the capacity of the country’s new leadership — emerging from an Islamist ideological background — to socially and politically unite the country after years of armed conflict. While the level of chaos has been considerably lower than initially feared after the fall of the regime, the overall performance of the new authorities, particularly in areas with significant religious and ethnic minority populations, has raised questions. Recent developments, including the terrorist bombing of Mar Elias Church in Damascus’ Duwailaa suburb and the absence of any tangible progress in the negotiations with the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (AANES), have led some to doubt the new authorities’ ability to achieve the broader objective of Syrian unification.