Germany’s foreign minister stated Friday that the country wants to assist Syria in becoming “a functioning state with full control over its territory” before traveling to Damascus.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led Islamist rebels in overthrowing Syria’s longstanding ruler Bashar al-Assad in early December, will meet with European Union representatives Jean-Noel Barrot and Annalena Baerbock in Damascus on Friday.
Despite “scepticism” about Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) forces, “we must not miss the opportunity to support the Syrian people at this important crossroads”, Baerbock said as she travelled to join Barrot in Syria.
She said the visit was a “clear signal” to Damascus of the possibility for a new relationship between Syria and Germany, and Europe more broadly.
She also asked the new regime to avoid “acts of vengeance against groups within the population”, to avoid a long delay before elections, and to avert attempts to Islamise the judicial and education systems.
“This must be our common objective,” she added.
A Quranic verse about those who had strayed and angered God was interpreted as referring to “Jews and Nasara,” a disparaging term for Christians, by Syria’s new Islamist-led authorities, who have also announced curriculum changes that include eliminating poetry about women and love as well as references to “Gods” in ancient history courses.
Additionally, the national song is no longer included in school textbooks, and the Islamist slogan “to sacrifice one’s life for the sake of Allah” has taken the place of the patriotic expression “to sacrifice one’s life in defense of his homeland.”
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