Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa has a knack for politics. He owes his political instincts to his layered character, his remarkable personal journey that took him from the leader of the al-Nusra Front to President of Syria in a few years, and a keen reader of the lessons of history.
Sharaa has not succumbed to popular pressure as previous leaders had, most notably President Gamal Abdel Nasser. The latter paid a heavy price for going along with the masses. Sharaa understands popular sentiment can sweep you and turn you into a hostage, limiting your options at every pivotal juncture. Sharaa has clearly learned from the experiences of President Anwar Sadat, who went against the popular mood and even key figures in his regime but retrieved the Sinai and averted new wars that would have destroyed Egypt.
What also distinguishes Sharaa is that he does not exploit obsolete cliches. We are tired of this rigid ideological jargon. He speaks simply and frankly - no equivocation or prevarication. Devastated and divided, Syria does not need an orator seeking glory, but rather a realistic, rational leader who can responsibly address its complex crises.
The extremists who celebrated his arrival in Damascus believed that he would resume the Brotherhood’s moment in the "Arab Spring," turning Syria into a hub for jihadists. When their hopes were dashed, they began attacking Sharaa instead of praising him.
But the question is: Would they have cursed him today if he had declared jihad? Or waged a futile war with Israel? Or clashed with his Arab neighbors? Or made inflammatory insults against the "Great Satan" and "colonial" powers? Certainly not. They would have glorified him as the "jihadist leader." Meanwhile, the Syrian people alone would have paid the price: another 50 years of poverty and displacement.
Fortunately, Sharaa chose another path: rationality, state-building, and restoring the Syrian economy. He avoids empty slogans and boisterous rhetoric, preferring dry but effective technocratic discourse that furthers the national interest and rejects blackmail. "Syria First" is the slogan, and it is the gateway to rebuilding trust between Syria and the international community.
That's why Saudi Arabia threw its political and economic weight behind Syria and contributed to the effort to ensure sanctions relief, removing one of the most significant obstacles to Syria's recovery.
Syria needs patience and time, but the path has become clear. Indeed, we would have reason to worry if the extremists and mendacious orators had praised him.
