Moderate Islamists

Woman at the head of the Syrian central bank

The Syrian central bank in Damascus

(Bild: APA/AFP/LOUAI BESHARA)

Following the seizure of power by an Islamist rebel alliance, there is still great concern that people of other faiths and women could be oppressed. So far, however, the transitional government has been extremely moderate. Now, for the first time, a woman has been appointed managing director of the central bank.

Maysaa Sabrine had previously held important positions at the bank, including the position of first deputy director, the government under the leadership of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) announced on Monday. 

The central bank chief is already the second woman to hold a key position in the new government that took over the country after the fall of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad. At the beginning of December, Aisha al-Dibas was appointed head of the Women's Affairs Office.

HTS emerged from the Al-Nusra Front, an offshoot of the Al-Qaeda terrorist network. Rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa renounced al-Qaeda and the Islamic State terrorist organization and has recently expressed moderate views. But there are reports that the HTS leadership maintains contact with al-Qaeda.

Leading positions for several foreign jihadists
Several foreign jihadists are apparently also being rewarded with leading positions. According to a decree published by al-Sharaas on Sunday evening, a total of 49 former fighters have been appointed generals and colonels. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least "six foreign jihadists" are among them. 

The armed militias are now to be disbanded and integrated into a new army under the umbrella of the Ministry of Defense.

(Bild: APA/AP)

According to the UK-based Observatory on Monday, the foreigners who have been promoted include an Albanian, a Jordanian, a Tajik, a Uyghur and a Turkish fighter from the Islamist militia Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was previously led by al-Sharaa. However, Aymen al-Tamimi, an expert on the Syrian civil war and jihadist movements, told the AFP news agency that three foreigners were on the list of those promoted: a Uyghur, a Jordanian and a Turk.