Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff
“Just a day after capturing Syria’s capital Dec. 8, the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) felt compelled to issue a rule for its fighters: Do not interfere with ‘the right’ of women ‘to choose their attire or appearance.’ Whether the Islamist group – with roots in Al Qaeda – sticks to the rule remains in doubt. In areas long under its control in northwest Syria, HTS has not put any women in high government positions. Yet the timing was telling. To quickly unify a shattered nation after a half-century of dictatorship, HTS will need the support of Syrian women, whose views on gender equality have risen since the 2011 Arab Spring, the spread of social media, and 13 years of conflict and mass displacement. ‘We’re not afraid of them,’ a nurse named Noor told the BBC.” (12/12/24)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2024/1212/Equality-is-on-Syria-s-agenda