Antoun el-Fata, “Akhbar al-Yawm” agency

Is a New Political Islam Emerging in Damascus, Using Democracy as a Means of Governance?

Building states based on open political Islam has historically failed

Logic and reality demonstrate that the new Syria is currently unable to align itself with any specific regional bloc, given its need for expertise and assistance from all sides to rebuild itself.

On the military level, the new Syrian army and any new security and intelligence forces in Syria have no choice but to rely on Turkish expertise, for one thing, due to Turkey's extensive experience in these fields, and for another, because it is the country that can serve as the main link between NATO and Damascus.

As for the economic, financial, and reconstruction issues, the new Syrian state must rely on assistance from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait, alongside Qatar, of course, which will create a mix that will impact the quality of Syrian governance.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan welcomed Asaad al-Shaibani, the foreign minister of the new Syrian administration, in his first foreign visit since the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Bin Farhan reiterated Riyadh's support for anything that contributes to Syria's security, stability, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.

Could this new Syrian openness toward Arab regimes create significant opportunities, such as laying the groundwork for a new form of political Islam? Is this even feasible? What would its implications be for the region as a whole, for Syrian-Arab relations, Syrian-Turkish relations, and Syrian-Iranian ties?

Is there a chance for a successful integration of "Muslim Brotherhood" and non-"Muslim Brotherhood" models in Damascus, and could such an approach be generalized to other countries in a new way?

Will the new Syria reshape the region, becoming a centerpiece of Arab-Turkish cooperation? Would Iran stand idly by in such a scenario, especially given the significant weakening of its regional influence? What roles might Tehran play in Damascus in the future?

An expert on international affairs noted that "many challenges still surround Syria and the vision for its future—whether it can establish a quasi-secular Islamic state that uses democracy as a means of governance, amidst other regional countries that aspire to secularism but fear taking steps in this direction that could weaken their positions."

Speaking to “Akhbar Al-Yawm” agency, the expert expressed hope for a generally smooth trajectory in Syria but cautioned that this does not guarantee Syria's ability to become the starting point for a new regional dynamic in the foreseeable future.

He concluded with a warning: "Building states based on open political Islam has historically failed in the region. Its failure often leads to the dominance of the concept of a non-state, where the ruler governs a group of people rather than a state. Therefore, there are many conditions that are still not met”.