Rethinking Democracy Ep. 6: Shariah, Democracy, and the Future of Governance in Syria

For the first time in decades, the question of how Syria will be governed is wide open. The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime at the hands of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an armed Islamist group with former ties to al-Qaeda, has left Syria in uncharted territory. Its de facto leader, Ahmed Al Shaara, has pledged a vision of a pluralistic Syria governed by civil institutions rather than dictatorship or ideology.

But can Syria’s new rulers deliver on that promise? Will this moment mark the beginning of an inclusive, secular democracy, or will Islamist rule take hold? And can Syria’s fractured society—divided by years of war and sectarian tensions—unite around a new national identity?

Dr. Olivier Roy, Professor of Political Science at the European University Institute, and Ziad Majed, Professor of International Relations at the American University of Paris, join host Gonul Tol to explore the challenges and possibilities that lie ahead for Syria.