Sharaa said HTS is not a terrorist group.
They did not target civilians or civilian areas, he said. In fact, they saw themselves as victims of the crimes of the Assad regime. Victims should not be treated the same as perpetrators, he said.
He denied that he wanted to turn Syria into a version of Afghanistan.
Sharaa said countries are different and their traditions are very different. Afghanistan was a tribal society. There is a different mentality in Syria, he said. He said he believed in women’s education.
Sharaa wore casual clothes and had a relaxed demeanor throughout the interview, trying to reassure everyone who believed her group had not broken with its extremist past.
Many Syrians do not believe him.
The actions of Syria’s new rulers in the coming months will show what kind of Syria they want and how they want to rule it.
