Transformed by the People

How did a jihadi group transform into the movement rebuilding Syria after Assad?

In December 2024, to global astonishment, former al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led a coalition to overthrow the Syrian regime. This fascinating account unravels HTS's dramatic transformation since 2019, from a besieged insurgent enclave to a conservative Islamist government.

Drawing on interviews with HTS leaders including Ahmad al-Sharaa himself, as well as diplomats, dissidents, and opponents, the authors reveal the group's pragmatic evolution while ruling Idlib province, in the face of global and local constraints. They uncover how HTS approached religious minorities, redefined its understanding of sharia, and embraced a non-radical conservative society. HTS reshaped its identity not only in northwest Syria, but on the world stage, aligning with NATO member and secular republic Turkey, confronting both al-Qaeda and Islamic State, and marginalising die-hards in its own ranks, in favour of a popular, mosque-based Islam.

Transformed by the People offers a glimpse into HTS's startling journey, blending frontline narratives with sharp analysis to decode the group's success in outmanoeuvring the regime and mapping its own path to power.