Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa denies links to Muslim Brotherhood, claims to be ISIS’s ‘biggest victim’

Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s interim president, has firmly denied any affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood, asserting that he has been “the most harmed” by ISIS. 

In an interview published Tuesday in the Kuwaiti newspaper An-Nahar, he expressed his view that both nationalist and Islamic ideologies have failed to deliver positive outcomes in the region.

Al-Sharaa emphasised that any aspirations for secession within Syria will remain “mere dreams,” stating that viable solutions with the Kurdish population and the Druze minority of Sweida can only emerge within the context of national unity. 

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“All solutions with the Kurds and Sweida can be discussed, with the exception of secession,” he said and stressed that the state’s approach is founded on “tolerance, not revenge”.

When addressing relations with Israel, al-Sharaa indicated that discussions are strictly tied to the return of the occupied Golan Heights and adherence to the 1974 agreement, insisting, “there is no room for negotiations on a peace agreement before that”.

He also voiced his rejection of external interference in Lebanon’s internal matters and dismissed the idea of a “river of fire” dividing Syria and Lebanon, praising Iraq’s “political and economic” stance.

In conclusion, al-Sharaa declared that Syria is “on the verge of a renaissance,” adding, “Our country is strong both independently and through its alliances.” 

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