Not a day passes in Syria without crimes being committed against Alawites, Christians, or members of the LGBTQ+ community. The only difference from the past: the perpetrators no longer film their acts. All attacks and crimes stem from an extremist Islamic ideology.

Background: Idlib first

The Syrian civil war, which broke out in 2011, has fundamentally changed the nature of the country. With the collapse of the central government in large parts of the country, armed groups emerged, establishing their own ideological and state structures. One of the most influential was the Al-Nusra Front, later renamed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, led by Abu Muhammad al-Julani (Ahmad al-Sharaa). This process led to what is known as the “Islamization of northern Syria” – the imposition of a strict Islamic governance system, particularly in Idlib province, where Islamist groups gathered after their defeat against the Assad regime and Russian air forces.

There, they managed to align with the secular rebels of the Free Syrian Army and reshape societal, educational, and legal structures according to their vision. Since 2017, Idlib has been de facto the power center of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – almost entirely under the organization’s control.

Drastic measures were taken in the city and surrounding areas to implement Sharia law:

• Judicial System: Courts ruled according to Islamic law. Civil laws from the Baath era were abolished. Public floggings and stonings became commonplace.
• Education: Curricula were reformed, secular content removed, and religious instruction emphasized. Boys and girls were segregated, and women were largely excluded from education.
• Gender Segregation and Restrictions on Women: Modesty rules were strictly enforced. Women were required to wear the niqab and could only leave the house accompanied by a male family member.
• Economy and Resources: Revenue came from zakat taxes imposed on the local population and illegal trade with Turkey and other actors.

The population of Idlib reacted in a divided manner to this process. Some viewed Islamic rule as a stabilizing factor after years of chaos. Others rejected the severe restrictions, particularly on women’s rights and freedom of expression. Secular groups and human rights activists in the area faced harsh persecution. Any criticism of the religious regime was met with severe punishment.

Conclusion: Under al-Julani’s leadership, northwestern Syria is experiencing accelerated Islamization. Through religious ideology and military power, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has profoundly transformed society in the region – at the expense of civil liberties.

Massacre of the Alawites

On March 6, units of the former Assad regime killed dozens of security forces in the regions of Latakia and Tartus. Hours later, hundreds of regime-aligned fighters invaded the coastal region – particularly Latakia, Tartus, and surrounding villages. They looted, kidnapped, and murdered thousands of Alawites – men, women, and children – without distinction.

Two main motives drove the massacre: revenge and religious hatred. From a Sunni perspective, Alawites are considered infidels – serving as a religious justification for the killings. Influential religious leaders, past and present, declared Alawite blood “permissible.”

During the massacre, regime-loyal fighters systematically searched villages for Alawites, humiliating and killing them. In many cases, the bodies disappeared without a trace. Hundreds of gruesome videos depict the executions – some victims were humiliated before being shot. In the Arab world, the Assad camp and the West were blamed, but no one directly criticized the actual perpetrators.

The regime established an investigative commission to examine the “coastal events” – a euphemistic term for the massacre of thousands of Alawites. The West did not condemn the ethnic cleansing, despite it lasting several days, out of consideration for its own geopolitical interests.

The exact number of Alawites killed remains unclear. Alawite sources claim thousands of deaths, while the regime speaks of only hundreds. The commission has yet to release a report. The West recognizes the new Syrian regime to legally facilitate the repatriation of refugees. Only a few voices in Europe openly condemned the massacre.

Violence against the LGBTQ+ community

The ousting of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on December 18, 2024, brought no real change for the population. Initially, al-Julani and his allies attempted to present themselves as moderate Islamists – an alternative to Assad and the moderate rebels.

At Christmas, they even allowed Christians to hold celebrations and appointed a Christian as the governor of Aleppo. But the façade quickly fell. As their control over Syria grew, they began rigorously enforcing Islamic law.

Thousands of gruesome videos now circulate – not only of murders of Alawites but also of the violent imposition of Islamic norms on an unprepared civilian population. One example: a video documenting the brutal treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals by security forces.

The silent persecution of Christians – and a priest’s cry for help from Canada

In a recent video from early April, Syrian priest Fadi Atallah raises his voice – a cry for help from Syria’s Christian community. He recounts how ISIS murdered his family and destroyed churches in 2017. Today, he says, Christians face daily attacks in Syria.

In the video, recorded from his home in Canada, he pleads for international protection. He speaks of a creeping genocide against Christians – and the West’s silence. Churches are constantly targeted with attacks and disruptions. Atallah calls on the United Nations to act, stating that Christians live in constant fear and pleading for their safe emigration and protection abroad.

From secularism to Islamization

In early March, Syria was shaken not only by the massacre of Alawites but also by a profound societal shift. The country is undergoing a fundamental transformation – from a secular, Alawite-dominated state to an Islamic republic modeled on Idlib or Afghanistan.

All signs indicate that Syria is no longer the Syria of past decades. The country, which was ruled secularly by the Assad family for over 60 years, is turning into a radically Islamic state.

A video shows security forces forcing a citizen not to smoke or eat during Ramadan. In the first days of his takeover, de facto President Ahmad al-Sharaa initiated an Islamization process – modeled on Idlib or the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan after the U.S. withdrawal.

And the West? For political reasons – particularly the desire to repatriate refugees – Europe portrays the new Syria under al-Sharaa as safe. This justifies deportations while ignoring the systematic massacres of thousands of Alawites.

Hundreds of gruesome videos are circulating – yet the West looks away and blames the remnants of the Assad regime for everything. The most recent massacres took place in Syria’s coastal region in early March.

Syria on the path to Afghanistan

Whether supporters or opponents, all agree: Syria is heading toward an Islamic Afghanistan model. The Islamization process began with the fall of the secular Assad regime and reached its peak with the new constitution, which stipulates that all former secular institutions will now fall under Islamic law.

In many parts of the country, civil courts have already been replaced by Sharia courts. The persecution of minorities – whether Alawites, Christians, or LGBTQ+ individuals – is rapidly increasing. The difference: the acts are no longer documented. There are instructions not to film murders anymore.

Europe bears co-responsibility: by granting legitimacy to the new Syrian president, it enables him to continue the murder campaigns. The truth is bitter: Europe has sacrificed itself in the name of human rights and out of guilt, taking in millions of so-called “fake refugees” who changed its demographics – and now it remains silent on the fate of Syrian Christians, just as it previously abandoned its own societies.

Europe must tie all aid to Syria to clear conditions – an end to violence against minorities and an end to incitement against Jews and Israel. Billions of euros must not continue to flow into a void, as was the case with support for the Palestinians for decades.