One year after the fall of the Assad regime, a critical debate is emerging across the region: Has Ahmad al-Sharaa, Syria’s current president, actually moderated — or is he simply reshaping his public image while keeping the same hardline ideology?
According to the strict interpretation presented in the attached analysis, al-Sharaa has not abandoned his fundamental worldview. Instead, he appears to be applying classic al-Qaeda strategy: using negotiations as a temporary tactic rather than a real shift in direction. From this perspective, every agreement is a means to buy time, not a sign of ideological evolution.
The argument warns that the West may once again be misreading the intentions of a leader who understands the power of strategic patience. This approach mirrors the long-term doctrine used by jihadist movements:
• building quiet strength,
• penetrating state institutions,
• forming temporary alliances,
• and advancing in stages toward the eventual goal of a caliphate.