Ahmed Hussein al-Shar, who took power after Assad, became interim president of Syria and was also involved in al-Qaeda. Despite repeated assurances that religious-ethnic minorities would be safe in the future, as-Sar was brutally attacked.
The Al-Alawite minority, the backbone of the ousted regime (Assad dynasty, 1971-2024), was the most fearful of the new regime and its retaliation. Although the majority of Alawites were not seen as winners from the Assad regime, were neutral or even averse to the regime itself, many identified with the atrocities of the Assad regime. "On 6-7 March 2025, extremely fierce and bloody fighting raged along the Syrian coast in the provinces of Latakia and Tartous. Syrian security forces killed some 745 civilians belonging to the Alawite minority. Hundreds have fled their homes," reports the BBC. It is the worst violence in Syria since the overthrow of the Assad regime last December.
On 13 March 2025, a five-year interim constitution was adopted in Syria. The new leadership has promised to set up a committee to draft a permanent constitution. Sharaa said the constitution would mark the beginning of a new history, where repression is replaced by justice and suffering by mercy. Despite the fine words, news of serious attacks on the country's ethnic and religious groups continue to come in.
