From Veil to Suit.. Continuous Transformation in "Tahrir al-Sham" Leader's Appearance
HTS leader's appearance change from veil to suit represents attempt to shed extremist Al-Qaeda-linked past
December 22, 2024, 8:28 pm

From Veil to Suit.. Continuous Transformation in

الجولاني \ تعبيرية \ متداولة

Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, leader of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, received Lebanese leader Walid Jumblatt on Sunday, wearing a black suit with tie, in a new attempt to polish his organization's image.

This change in Abu Mohammad al-Jolani's appearance reflects a political maneuver matching his tactical shifts over years, as Jolani emerged when establishing Al-Qaeda's Syrian branch under the name Jabhat al-Nusra in 2012, hiding behind military dress and veil, deliberately concealing his identity, matching his role as leader of an extremist terrorist group amid the Syrian crisis.

Jabhat al-Nusra's early emergence in 2012 was marked by Jolani confirming his allegiance to Al-Qaeda, declaring commitment to the extremist organization's approach. Jolani avoided showing his face in 2013 during his first TV interview, only showing his shoulder from behind wrapped in black scarf, confirming his identity linked to terrorist organizations.

After three years, Al-Qaeda's Syrian branch announced changing its name to "Jabhat Fatah al-Sham" in attempt to formally dissociate from the parent organization, where Jolani appeared on camera for first time in military uniform with thick beard and white turban.

Jolani quickly conducted a TV interview in civilian clothes, trying to justify his extremist ideas and rejecting his classification as terrorist despite his bloody history.

Jolani established the so-called "Syrian Salvation Government" in 2017 after his organization controlled Idlib, beginning to appear at public events abandoning extremist appearances, attempting to present himself as a "political leader."

Jolani's speeches in recent years showed pragmatic shift, speaking in 2021 about coexistence with Syrian components, ignoring his organization's history of targeting minorities. His statements became more adaptive with Assad regime's fall, appearing in Aleppo Castle in modern appearance days before entering Damascus.

After controlling Damascus, Jolani abandoned military uniform, receiving Jumblatt in black suit with green tie symbolizing new Syrian flag, seeking to polish his organization's image before international community.

Researcher Aaron Lund from Century International believes Jolani and his organization's transformations are notable, but they "remained somewhat hardline," adding to Reuters: "It's a PR campaign, but the fact they're making this kind of effort at all shows they're not as hardline as they used to be, the old school of Al-Qaeda or ISIS would never do this."

Syria expert Joshua Landis, head of Middle East Studies Center at University of Oklahoma, explained that "Jolani is smarter than Assad, he changed his tools and appearance, and established new alliances" with minorities, ignoring the danger of Al-Qaeda branch's continued control over wide areas in Syria.

Levant-Agencies

Houthis Target U.S. Aircraft Carrier Truman.. After Strikes on Sanaa Russian President Declares Oreshnik Missile's Global Superiority

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”