Fadah Jassem is head of data visualisation journalism at The National
January 14, 2025
Syria faces plenty of uncertainty about its future: the future of its economy, the future role of women, the role of minorities and the multitude of rebel factions that will eventually need to be dissolved. Yet one group that seems to be on surprisingly stable ground includes the thousands of Islamist foreign fighters still living in the country.
Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, the formally dissolved organisation that runs Syria’s new government, has integrated many of these fighters into the country’s Ministry of Defence. This has sparked outrage among rival groups, notably the Syrian National Army, whose members had hoped their experience and loyalty as early defectors from Bashar Al Assad’s forces would earn them senior military roles.
Members of the SNA have also argued that Ahmad Al Shara, the head of HTS and Syria’s de facto leader, does not have constitutional power to grant military ranks – which is solely reserved for the president – to non-Syrians. Meanwhile, American, French and German envoys have reportedly told the new government that these appointments are a security concern.
Syria expert Aymenn Al-Tamimi told me how difficult it is to get accurate figures on the number of foreign fighters currently in Syria. But he estimates figures vary between 5,000 and 10,000.
Their presence has created unease among some Syrians. A friend of mine in Damascus expressed mixed feelings. “On one hand, they fought side by side with the rebels to free us of Assad,” she said. “But on the other hand, we know some of them are extremists, and some might even have been part of [ISIS].”
Feeling perhaps like fish out of water in Damascus, quite a few foreign fighters have reportedly returned to Idlib and other northern provinces, where the way of life is more suited to their conservative values and where they have families.
Foreign fighters began heading to Syria in late 2012, driven by two primary motivations. The first was a visceral reaction to the carnage inflicted by the Assad forces. The second was a potent mix of religious zeal and apocalyptic beliefs.
Foreign fighters, suspected of being part of ISIS, lie in a prison cell in Hasaka, Syria. Reuters
When the fervour subsides, what will become of the fighters who have called Syria home for more than a decade?
Radical preachers in Europe, Central Asia and beyond fanned the flames, proclaiming that the Syrian conflict was the precursor to the Day of Judgment, supposedly foretold in Islamic eschatology. The prophecy that the final battle would begin in Dabiq, a small town in the north, spurred waves of radicalised young men to seek glory in Bilad Al Sham, or Greater Syria.
Many of these fighters, some arriving as adolescents, were radicalised at home through social media and social networking platforms such as Telegram. Once they reached Turkey, networks operating along the Turkish-Syrian border arranged their journey into the rebel heartland.
By 2014, about 12,000 foreign fighters from more than 80 countries joined the battlefield.
Today, many of them are basking in the success of toppling a half-century-old government, feeling justified in their “struggle”. Social media footage shows how many of the first fighters to enter Aleppo and Damascus visited the historic Grand Mosque of Aleppo and the Umayyad Mosque – sites that served as pivotal battlegrounds during the Crusades and other periods in history.
But when the fervour subsides, what will become of these fighters who have called Syria home for more than a decade? Will Syrians remain broadly welcoming to extremists driven by the idea of building an Islamic state?
Between 2013 and 2015, I interviewed a handful of fighters who left the UK for Syria. Within months, some of those young men joined ISIS. But they did not see themselves as extremists.
In 2014, I asked a British man, Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary, if he felt Syrians were turning against them. He said: “Come to Syria and ask the civilians who helps them, and they will say the mujahids with the black flags – we clean streets and put up electricity [lines].” But Mr Bary’s radicalisation was just in its infancy at the time; he later became one of the most extreme and terrifying western fighters to be associated with ISIS, responsible for abhorrent crimes.
Not all foreign fighters joined ISIS. Many aligned themselves with other Islamist factions, and some with the mostly secular Free Syrian Army, while others – mainly British and American former military personnel – fought alongside Kurdish groups. By late 2014, most fighters entering Syria knew they would probably never return home. Crimes committed by these fighters, often justified in their minds as necessary for their cause, have caused much heartache in Syria.
Ahmad Al Shara, the leader of Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, is welcomed by supporters before addressing a crowd at Umayyad Mosque in Damascus in December. AFP
“Jihad is a lifetime commitment,” a young British fighter who joined Jabhat Al Nusra, since rebranded as HTS, told me at the time. “When I went to Syria, I effectively accepted that my citizenship would be revoked. I had zero plans to return.”
Indeed, many fighters today are stateless, while many others fear prosecution if they attempt to return to their countries of origin. For some, the spoils of victory, the power, the prestige and the sense of purpose may be too tempting to leave behind.
One of HTS’s founding principles is that the group would not betray or surrender foreign fighters to their home countries. Mr Al Shara, who has upheld this principle, has been strategic in overlooking past crimes of these fighters. This policy has even extended to Assad loyalists and former members of the army. Evidently, Mr Al Shara’s amnesty serves a dual purpose in encouraging Syrians to overlook crimes committed by his own group, which was once affiliated with Al Qaeda.
Of course, foreign fighters are not the primary concern of most Syrians, who have far more pressing issues to tackle. Beyond those still detained in ISIS prison camps, most fighters don’t appear to pose an immediate threat. Mr Al Shara’s leadership has largely kept the various factions relatively stable across all fronts.
Now that some of them are in the inner circles of power in Damascus, they will be expected to become or, at the very least, appear as moderate as Mr Al Shara has shown himself to be. But the question is, for how long?
It’s too early to predict what the new constitution will look like, or whether the majority of citizens will vote for a secular state or one based on some interpretation of Sharia. What is clear is that the foreign fighters will stay put for now, and it will be up to them to rehabilitate themselves into a new Syria, whatever shape it takes.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday Valladolid v Osasuna (Kick-off midnight UAE)
Saturday Valencia v Athletic Bilbao (5pm), Getafe v Sevilla (7.15pm), Huesca v Alaves (9.30pm), Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid (midnight)
Sunday Real Sociedad v Eibar (5pm), Real Betis v Villarreal (7.15pm), Elche v Granada (9.30pm), Barcelona v Levante (midnight)
Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
Travel distance: Limited
Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
Duration: Can linger for days
Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR
US-based BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $5.98 trillion of assets under management as of the end of last year. The New York firm run by Larry Fink provides investment management services to institutional clients and retail investors including governments, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, banks and charitable foundations around the world, through a variety of investment vehicles.
KKR & Co, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is a global private equity and investment firm with around $195 billion of assets as of the end of last year. The New York-based firm, founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, invests in multiple alternative asset classes through direct or fund-to-fund investments with a particular focus on infrastructure, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Scoreline
Switzerland 5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
