The capture of Damascus by a coalition of militias led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) on December 8, 2024, and the subsequent fall of the Assad regime have sparked a wave of reactions across the Islamist spectrum. This article offers an illustrative overview of the responses, categorizing them into three key groups:
- Violent Islamists – Including the Islamic State, Hezbollah, and Al-Qaeda affiliates, these groups express sharp ideological divides, with some condemning HTS as betraying jihadist ideals and others cautiously observing the new reality.
- Non-Violent Islamists – Prominent organizations like several branches of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hizb ut-Tahrir, and the International Union of Muslim Scholars emphasize themes of Islamic governance, unity, and warnings against secular or externally influenced transitions.
- Islamist Actors in the West – Groups and individuals in Western democracies, such as CAIR and European Islamic organizations, celebrate the fall of the regime while raising concerns over external interventions and broader geopolitical tensions.
This compendium of statements reveals the complexity of HTS's position and the competing visions for Syria’s future emerging from violent and non-violent Islamist actors globally.