Syrian Democracy and Religious Moderation: A Way Forward – Academia

the sudden fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad undoubtedly surprised most experts in the field and disappointed supporters to the extent that some called it a betrayal. Meanwhile, the various opposing factions in Syria and beyond have recognized the possibility of bringing about changes in Syria that could end the long-unresolved political conflict and subsequent war.

The opposition on the ground managed to fill the gap by announcing the formation of a temporary technocratic government. However, it is worth considering the essential conditions for maintaining the territorial integrity of Syria and establishing a system that would be acceptable to the majority of citizens in a country with a historically multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious constitution. Under current conditions, the preferred option for Syria would be a secular democratic system with a philosophy of religious moderation embedded in the social and political landscape to guarantee long-term non-sectarian peace.

It is essential that Syria is able to retain its territorial sovereignty as Israeli troops advance and stand 20 kilometers away from Damascus. The Kurdish armed forces in the north are also threatened by an expected Turkish invasion and could declare the northern part of Syria autonomous or, in the worst case, a new independent Kurdish state. A key priority for building Syria from scratch and an essential task for the interim government and the new leadership is to clarify its political, social and economic outlook. At the same time, it must pave the way for all political actors and factions to form a new constitution and a new political arena that all politically active actors in Syria could accept.

In addition, the establishment of a democratic system in Syria requires parallel elements based on the Syrian reality and its characteristics. For example, Syria has long been familiar with nationalist ideology, which has been embedded in various phases of its history, shaping Arab identity; The Arab Awakening, Syrian nationalism, and Arab nationalism have shaped the Middle East since the early 20th century.

Understandably, Ahmed al-Sharaa announced that Syria has no intentions of waging war or threatening neighboring countries. However, Syria needs a national identity with a historical basis and an ideology that binds people to each other, providing a sense of mutual belonging to the nation. Such a national ideology should be based on a democratic system, giving Syria the chance to form a new nationalism based not only on the Arab factor, but also integrating the minorities.

In the streets, Syrians chant slogans such as “One, one, one, Syrian people one” and “We demand a secular democratic Syria”, which are clear indications that most Syrians value nationalism and value secularism.

A new national identity would provide an opportunity to create a connected Syrian identity without merely assimilating existing identities in a multiracial and multiethnically diverse country. The creation of such a political landscape would allow Syria to establish a democratic political system embedded in a unique national ideology that could be presented as the Syrian way.

Every Thursday

for signing up to our newsletter!