From neck cutting to tie, what’s behind Al-Julani’s change of appearance?

Written by Ali Al-Hajj

We have recently witnessed radical changes in the appearance of the terrorist leader of “Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham” “Abu Muhammad al-Julani”, which raised many questions about its implications and objectives, from a criminal militant who dominates the scene with his extremist speeches and strict appearance, to a person wearing a tie and speaking in a more flexible language, and it seems that there is a strategic shift aimed at re-marketing the character and the organization he leads.
Politically motivated superficial transformations?”

Certainly, the change in al-Julani’s appearance is not a coincidence, but rather a reflection of a broader political project supported by regional and international powers. This transformation coincides with attempts to reshape the map of influence in the Middle East, in a way that serves the interests of some countries that were a key player in crisis management and reshaping armed groups according to their agendas.
Al-Jolani, who was known as one of the symbols of extremism and terrorism, is now being marketed as a political man who can be part of the “New Middle East” project. This project, led by major powers such as America and Turkey and in coordination with global Zionism, seeks to divide the region and weaken the countries that are still resisting hegemony.
The goals of the supporting powers, America, Turkey, Zionism and their followers, are clear: trying to reshape the regional scene in a way that guarantees the security of the Zionist entity and control over energy sources, while Turkey is trying to strengthen its influence in northern Syria and use armed groups as a pressure card to achieve geopolitical gains.
The Muslim Brotherhood is also trying to find a new role in the region after its decline in some countries, and to re-present itself as a force capable of cooperating with the West.
Despite the strenuous efforts to re-market figures like al-Julani, the free peoples of the region have become more aware, in terms of their growing understanding of the dimensions of international and regional plans, which has contributed to strengthening the spirit of resistance among many free forces that see these movements as a threat to the sovereignty and stability of their countries. In this context, the awareness of the people constitutes the last bulwark against the projects of division and hegemony.
On the other hand, the axis of resistance has proven its presence in many arenas, which still represent the biggest obstacle to these plans.

It seems that the new programming and the transformation that Al-Julani is witnessing “from a slaughterer to a cute one” reflect larger strategies that seek to redraw the political landscape in the region.
However, we are certain that conscious people and real resistance can thwart these projects, as history has proven that popular will is capable of overcoming the toughest challenges. Attempts to market terrorist figures such as al-Julani as part of a “moderate” political project are just a new step in a series of moves aimed at undermining the stability of the region and dividing it according to pre-drawn agendas, but reality has proven that the axis of resistance is the impregnable dam that stands in the way of these projects.
Previous experiences, whether in Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon or Yemen, have shown that the forces that bet on dividing peoples and tearing apart their homelands find themselves in the end facing a solid resistance that defies all conspiracies.
Therefore, the responsibility of the peoples and intellectual and political elites remains to expose these plans, educate the masses about their true goals, and work to strengthen internal unity and stand by the issues of freedom and dignity.

The battle is not only a battle of weapons, but rather a battle of awareness, thought and will. When these factors triumph, the projects of hegemony fall, no matter how coherent they appear to be on the surface.