The second episode of the program “Interview” on Al Jazeera, in which the host Ali ad-Dafiri spoke with Syria’s President Ahmad ash-Sharaa, sparked a strong response on social media. The discussion touched on key turning points in his biography—from childhood and his trip to Iraq to the fight against “Islamic State” and a rethinking of his earlier ideological positions. Viewers and analysts were split in their opinions, but almost everyone noted the unusual nature of the life of a man who made the journey from an underground fighter to the head of state.
During the conversation, ash-Sharaa for the first time gave a detailed account of how in 2003, at the age of twenty, he entered Iraq to protect the Iraqi people before the American occupation. In his words, it was a normal and natural step—without any pre-planned scheme. Soon, however, he was arrested, and over the next five years he spent in prison under someone else’s name—“Amjad Muzaffar.” When asked about official documents, he recalled only this name and identified himself as “Amjad Muzaffar Hussein.”
This detail revealed a family secret: it turned out that the name belonged to his father, who signed letters sent through the ordinary postal system in order to evade surveillance by Syrian security services. Thus, ash-Sharaa bore his father’s alias in Iraqi captivity, adding a personal and family dimension to his story. Activists on social media actively discussed the account, seeing in it evidence of the pressure and persecution his entire family had faced.
Ash-Sharaa also directly addressed those who tried to remind him of his former name, “Abu Muhammad al-Julani.” He said he was not ashamed of his history: “I belong to the Golan, and that does not disgrace me. More than 23 years of intense work, and in this story there is a burden, blood, martyrs, people’s cries and suffering. I’m proud of it. It has become part of Syrian heritage.” Such a response won broad support—many saw in him honesty, courage, and a refusal to renounce his own path.
Observers also highlighted two main lessons from the interview. Some see in ash-Sharaa an example of an astonishing rise: not long ago, he moved across Syrian provinces with a handful of people and without even minimal weaponry, and today he receives world leaders in the presidential palace. Others stress his ideological evolution—from a narrow factional logic and the old discourse to building a state and national institutions. This move is viewed as a well-deserved and necessary adjustment, especially important for the restoration of a new Syria, where the president presents himself not as a break with the past, but as a continuation of the story in a new, broader political dimension.
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Why did Ahmad ash-Sharaa take the alias “al-Julani,” and what does belonging to the Golan Heights mean to him—territory that has remained a symbol of Syrian identity since 1967? — “Al-Julani” means “a man from the Golan” and refers to the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel in 1967. Ash-Sharaa’s family is from there, and the alias for him was not just a piece of cover—it was a statement of Syrian identity and resistance to occupation. For many Syrians, the Golan is a wound that will not heal in national memory, so for him that name symbolized the struggle to return the land. Coming out of the underground and becoming president, he returned to his real name in order to appear as a leader of all Syria, not only an armed group.
What is Hay’at Tahrir ash-Sham (HTS), and how did its former leader Ahmad ash-Sharaa make the transition from “an underground figure” to President of Syria? — HTS is a former jihadist group that grew out of the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda (“Jabhat al-Nusra”). Later, it severed formal ties with Al-Qaeda, changed its name, and became the dominant force in the Idlib province, where it created its own administration. Ash-Sharaa managed a double transformation: externally—from a radical field commander to a pragmatic politician who softens the rhetoric in every possible way and promises rights for minorities; and tactically—by using alliances, amnesties, and military force, he led an offensive that toppled the Assad regime. After capturing the capital, he consolidated power and presented himself as a transitional leader, not only the leader of a rebel group.
How did the Syrian “mukhabarat” (state security) operate, and why did Syrian families linked to the opposition have to use false names and secret communication channels to survive? — “Mukhabarat” was a sprawling network of security services that permeated all of Syrian society: they had informants in schools, hospitals, mosques, and markets. They could arrest people without trial, torture them, extort confessions, and punish entire families for the “guilt” of one relative. Therefore, any connection to the opposition—even just a phone call or a letter—could cost someone’s life. Families had to use invented names, code words, pass messages through trusted intermediaries, or, conversely, completely sever contacts so the regime couldn’t find them and punish everyone. Such conspiracy was not paranoia, but the only survival strategy under a total surveillance system.
Full version: From “Amjad Muzaffar” to “Abu Muhammad al-Julani”… How did Syrians react to al-Sharaa’s interview?