Opposition leader: Syria will not become an Islamic state

Syrian opposition leader Mohammad Alloush, head of the Geneva and Astana peace talks delegation, has stated that the idea of establishing an Islamic state in Syria is unsuitable and harmful to the Syrian people.

"The project of an Islamic Ummah (state based on Islam) is not suitable for the Syrian people," Alloush asserted, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

Alloush, a founding member of the Jaysh al-Islam group, previously led its political wing. In 2016, he was appointed as the chief negotiator for the opposition during the Syrian peace talks in Geneva, and in 2017, he headed the Syrian opposition delegation at the Astana meetings.

Meanwhile, the United States has reiterated its full support for a Syrian-led political transition, emphasizing the need for a credible, inclusive, and non-sectarian government in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254.

The transition should ensure respect for minority rights, facilitate humanitarian aid, prevent Syria from being a base for terrorism, and guarantee the secure destruction of chemical and biological weapons.

The US stressed that the Syrian people must determine their future, with all nations pledging to support an inclusive and transparent process free from external interference. The US is ready to back any Syrian government that emerges from this process.

As President Biden noted, “It would be a waste of this historic opportunity if one tyrant were toppled only for another to rise. Opposition groups must show their commitment to the rights of all Syrians, the rule of law, and the protection of minorities.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev