DECEMBER 11, 2024 — The appearance of a flag associated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) during Syria‘s interim Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir’s first public address has drawn attention from some Syrians, the New Arab reports.
In his televised speech on Tuesday, al-Bashir announced the formation of his transitional government.
He stood flanked by the green, white, and black flag of the anti-Assad opposition and a white flag displaying the Islamic shahada in black script.
The shahada flag has been linked to various Sunni Islamist groups, including HTS. The display of this flag has sparked unease among some Syrians.
Ayman Abdel Nour, a board member of the Arab Christian Congress, condemned the flag’s presence, stating that the Syrian Future Movement had previously rejected the use of partisan symbols alongside the national flag.
Image: The New York Times
