Abu Mohammad al-Julani

The letter below was sent to Prime Minister Albanese on 24 January 2025. In it, I refer to the abduction of Professor Rasha Al-Ali from the University of Homs.

Video inside by Kevork Almassian, a Syrian living in Germany, gives a complex overview of the situation in Syria. We have transcribed it with headings in square brackets for clarity, and included links and explanations for some specific names and places. While we have previously supported Bashar al-Assad's rule and elections amid brutal external interference, we were concerned by his departure from Syria and the Syrian Arab Army's decline.

We express our sorrow at the fall today of Damascus, Syria, - a secular democracy - to takfiri terrorists backed by Western powers. They are led by Ahmed Hussein al-Shar'a, commonly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani.  The US listed Al-Juliani as a 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist,'  in May 2013, and four years later advertised a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture.