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Last week, Syrian journalist Kevork Almassian discussed the recent massacres in Syria with Neil Oliver, highlighting the persecution of minorities, particularly Alawites and Christians, by the Julani regime.

The Julani regime, led by Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani), has been carrying out brutal repression and massacres, with estimates suggesting over 7,000 Alawites and Christians were killed in just 3 days.

The regime is supported by Western countries, including the UK, US and EU, despite its extremist Islamic ideology and human rights abuses.

The international community, including Russia, the US, Turkey and Israel, are involved in geopolitical manoeuvring, with proposals for a mini-state for Alawites in the coastal region of Syria, which Almassian considers disastrous for Syria’s nationhood.

Part of the propaganda, echoed by the EU, is using the term “Assad regime remnants” to justify the execution of unarmed civilians, including military-age men, by the Julani regime in Syria.

Almassian warns that Islamists and the Islamic State pose a global danger, not just limited to Syria.  He notes that extremist ideas are being promoted and glorified, encouraging people in other regions, including Europe and the US, to adopt similar approaches.

The following are some highlights from the interview above.

Table of Contents

The Current Persecution of Minorities

To understand what is happening in Syria, Almassian said, we need to understand what happened on the first day, when the insurgency started. The insurgency started with militants carrying arms in public and calling for the persecution of Christians and Alawites, with the slogan “the Christians to Beirut and the Alawites to the grave”  This well-known slogan meant that Christians should go to Lebanon and the Alawites should be killed.

“This is the prophecy they trying to implement at the current moment.  Which means that the ethnic and religious minorities are coming under a brutal repression and massacres by the Julani government,” he said.

Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, also known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, has been the President of Syria since 29 January 2025, following the fall of the Assad regime.   

Julani’s persecution of Alawites is purely because they belong to the same ethnic group as former president Bashar al-Assad.  Corporate media has to carry some of the blame for this perception and the resultant atrocities that Syrians are now being subjected to. 

In previous years, the media has manipulated the narrative to portray Alawites as the stronghold of Assad and his grassroots supporters and were benefiting from his regime. However, in reality, the persecution under Assad was based on politics, not discrimination against people based on their beliefs or religions.  The opposition and their media have portrayed the Assad regime as sectarian, leading to revenge against not only Assad but also the popular base of his regime, resulting in a spree of killings, humiliation and pleasure in taking revenge. 

“They’re killing civilians. They’re killing entire families and wiping them out,” Almassian told Oliver.  Estimates suggest that over 7,000  Alawites and Christians were killed in just 3 days; over 450 deaths per day.

For comparison, the number of casualties among Armenians and Christians during the Armenian Genocide under the Ottoman Empire was 400 per day.  The current situation in Syria is even more severe, with Christians and Alawites facing significant threats to their lives.

Before recent events, the Alawites made up around 20% of the population, with approximately 2-3 million Syrians identifying as Alite, while Christians made up around 1.5 million, with 80% having fled the country since the war began.  The Druze are also a small minority.

The objective of the ultra-violence and slaughter by the Islamist Julani regime is the subjugation of the Alawites.  The Alawites are highly educated and a moderate sect in Islam.  There is a harmonic relationship between the Alawites and the Christians, with the two ethnic groups intermarrying, for example. All this makes the Alawites and Christians a potential political threat.  The Julani regime’s goal is to teach them a lesson and prevent them from rising against the regime in the future.

“[Julani] wanted to teach them a lesson now, that in the future if they think of rising against the Julani regime this is what’s going to be the result of it. It’s going to be massacres,” Almassian said.

The Julani regime has been documenting their actions and posting videos on social media, despite an order to ban recording, and has expressed intentions to ethnically cleanse the Alawites from the coast and commit genocide if they do not behave, aiming to subjugate and force them to be loyal to the Julani regime.

“They want for the people to see what they capable of doing,” he explained. Although Almassian didn’t say so, this is terrorism and proves that those supporting the Julani regime are Islamic terrorists.

The prejudice against the Alawites is higher and more brutal than against Christians, as the Alawites are considered heretics due to their unique philosophical teachings and beliefs. 

The Alawites and Shiites are viewed as the worst of the worst by Julani’s Islamist groups, as they have different perspectives on life and do not solely believe in the Quran.  The priority of some groups is to fight against Alawites and Shiites, considering it more important than fighting against Christians and Druze, as seen in various videos about massacres.

In mixed cities such as Latakia, Tartus, Hama and others, where Alawites, Sunnis, Shiites and Christians co-exist, massacres have occurred, resulting in the killing of everyone in a neighbourhood, including Christians and Armenians, who are mistakenly targeted.

But it is not only “mistaken” killings of Christians while targeting Alawites.  There have been instances where terrorists have stormed into apartments, destroyed Christian symbols such as pictures of St. Mary and killed the people inside, demonstrating that Christians are also being deliberately killed in the genocide against Alawites.

Almassian shared a story about a family who escaped their home due to multinational terrorists and was hosted and protected by a Sunni family from a neighbouring village, highlighting the humanity and kindness shown by some Muslims towards Christians and Alawites during these times.

He spoke of similar stories of Muslims protecting Armenians during the Armenian Genocide, where Armenian survivors were adopted into Muslim families to protect them from the genocide. Similar events are happening now in Syria.

These Muslims are brave because if a Sunni family is found to be protecting Alawites or Christians they are also being killed by the jihadists.

Geopolitical Manoeuvring and the Proposed Mini-State for Alawites

Russia and the US appear to be on the same side in terms of coordinating efforts, with Trump and Putin working together, and Russian sources suggesting that they are preparing for a mini-state for Alawites in the coastal region of Syria “to separate them from the rest of the country,” Almassian said.

The end goal of regime change in Syria is not entirely clear but it appears that Turkey and Israel have collaborated to knock out Assad from power.  When it became clear that Donald Trump would be elected as US President, “Turkey and Israel didn’t like the idea of Trump that he would withdraw American forces from Syria. So, they accelerated the regime change. They have collaborated together in order to knock out Assad from power,” Almassian said.

Turkey is seeking to expand its influence in the region and Israel is aiming to implement the “Yinon plan,” which involves the balkanisation of the region.

Turkey’s end goal is to take over the coastal line of Syria where there are gas fields, for example, building military installations and installing a puppet for Turkey in Damascus.  “[Turkey’s President] Erdoğan says that he is a neo-Ottoman person and he wants to expand his influence in the region,” Almassian said.

Almassian describes the current situation in Syria, with the killing of Alawites and Christians, as a typical Ottoman approach, now being implemented by the neo-Ottoman Erdoğan who is the main mastermind behind the genocide against the Alawites.

It’s not restricted to orders from Erdoğan himself. “If the most Junior official in Turkey, if he picks up the phone now and calls Julani – all these massacres [will] stop now.  But they won’t do it,” Almassian said.  “They won’t do it because the Alawites in the Syrian Coast, they reject this Ottoman rule in Syria and they [Turks] know [ ] it.”

Israel’s end goal is not the same as Turkey’s.  One stage in Israel’s plan is the Yinon plan, adopted by Israel 20-30 years ago, which calls for the destruction of national armies and the division of countries into smaller states, which is what Israel has attempted to do in Iraq and now seeks to do in Syria, dividing the country into four or five regions.

The goal is to create a corridor in southern Syria, with the Druze having an open corridor with Israel, Kurds under American protection on the eastern shore of the Euphrates, and Christians and Alawites living together in the coastal line. 

However, Israel lacks geographical proximity to the Syrian coast due to Lebanon being in between.  So, Israel has approached Russia to have the Syrian coast under Russian protection, with potential participation from Greece and Cyprus, as all these countries have a mutual interest in minimising Turkish influence in Syria by keeping them out of vital areas such as the coast where there are gas reserves in the Mediterranean.

The plan is to give the Alawites a ministate.  Almassian, as a geopolitical analyst, considers this as disastrous for the nationhood of Syria as it would further partition the already divided country, making the region more disintegrated and weaker economy and dependent on outside forces instead of having national unity and a national economy.

Although it is not only Israel that is trying to divide Syria up, Almassian gave an example of how Syria is being divided by how Israel is treating different ethnic groups to get them on sides.

Before the massacres in Syria, the majority of Syrian people were shocked by the atrocities of Israel and had negative sentiments against the country but the current situation with Jolani killing minorities has led some to accept any help, even from Israel, to save their families.

Julani’s actions have created conditions where Syrians will accept help from whoever comes to save them.  And so, Syrians are contacting Israeli officials on Twitter (now X) asking for intervention and some Israeli officials are posting about receiving such messages.

Almassian recalls that Israel has previously provided medical treatment, light weapons and cash to Julani’s army in the Israeli Golan Heights, as documented by the UN and acknowledged by the Israeli former Mossad head and defence minister.  This “tangible support” has contributed to the creation of the problem and now Israel is offering a solution to those being persecuted by Julani’s militants.

The Misrepresentation of the Syrian Revolution and Julani’s Islamic Extremism

The European Union has made statements blaming the “Assad regime remnants” for the atrocities in Syria, which is disgusting beyond belief and unjust as the EU is effectively blaming the victims for getting killed.

Who are the so-called “Assad regime remnants”?  Any military-aged person in the coastal region who used to be part of the Syrian army is considered an “Assad regime remnant.”  The Syrian Army was a service where every male of fighting age was required to serve and the notion of “Assad regime remnants” is a smoke screen to justify the actions of the Julani regime, which is trying to crush them to “stabilise the country.”

The Julani regime is executing unarmed civilians, including military-age men, and labelling them as “Assad regime remnants.” Not one of the people being killed by the Islamists is armed or has attacked Julani’s militants.  And corporate media is complicit in Julani’s false narrative.

Related:  EU Commission Invites Syrian Terror Leader Jolani to a Conference in Brussels on 17 March, Geller Report, 11 March 2025

It’s not only the media but also left-wing ideologues and activists who are whitewashing what has been and is happening in Syria.  The so-called “liberals” in the UK have whitewashed the so-called Syrian revolution and insurgencies, portraying Syria’s Islamists as democratic and moderate groups fighting for freedom and human rights, which has shaped the narrative in the UK.  This narrative is now contributing to the killing of people in Syria.

“[It] is pure fascism. This is what the so-called liberals are defending in Syria at the current moment. They don’t see themselves, that they are enabling fascism … we need to put a mirror in front of their faces to see the monster they have created in our country with their words and support and money and the media campaigns that they have done so that they enable this,” Almassian said.

This follows a familiar pattern of lies and manipulation. Corporate media has a track record of lies and deception, which has led to the destruction of people’s lives in countries like Iraq, Syria and Libya, resulting in millions of people being killed.

To set the record straight, Almassian explains that Abu Muhammad al-Julani, the self-appointed president of Syria, has a history of extremism, having joined Al-Qaeda in 2003 and sent car bombs to Shia neighbourhoods in Iraq to start a civil war.  He was later released from a CIA-operated prison in 2011. Together with a fellow prisoner, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, he formed the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (“ISIS”).  The two later split over a dispute over disagreements about authority and power.

Julani’s radical ideology and inability to build a state have led to fear among the Syrian people, who are choosing to stay silent, and his regime is destroying the country rather than building it.

Europe, UK and US Funds Julani; Trump Stops US Funds

The UK government’s decision to send £50 million to support an “inclusive” government in Syria, just before the chaos started, is incomprehensible and raises questions about the intentions and understanding of the situation, Oliver said.

Following the regime change in Syria, several countries, including Germany (50 million euros), Switzerland (65 million euros), the UK (60 million euros) and the EU (235 million euros) sent hundreds of millions of euros in aid to the region.  Before that, the US provided billions of dollars in funding through organisations such as USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy (“NED”).

The aid was sent to a small region in Syria that was occupied by Julani, who controlled around 10% of the country’s territory, and this region was classified by the Pentagon as the largest safe haven for Al-Qaeda terrorists since 9/11.

The funding was intended for humanitarian aid but it was discovered that a significant portion of the money was being redirected to the pockets of Julani’s army officers and commanders, with some non-governmental organisations (“NGOs”) established to receive USAID and then redirecting it to Jolani’s army.

“These humanitarian NGOs, who is their handler in the US and in the UK? They’re all part of this mafia of the foreign aid people,” Almassian said.

The Trump administration exposed this and stopped the funding, revealing that the aid was not being used for its intended purpose, and instead, was being used to support Julani’s army and enabled Julani to use the region under his control as an economic example to demonstrate to Syrians that this is what happens if you get rid of Assad.

At the time, the majority of Syria, which was under the control of Assad, was under harsh sanctions, making it difficult for people to access basic necessities like food and medical products, while the region controlled by Jolani was receiving billions of dollars in aid.

However, the flow of foreign aid into the region controlled by Julani created an artificial economy, which was not sustainable in the long term, and this model failed.  The entire country of Syria has now become dependent on foreign aid, with corporations coming in to exploit the country’s resources, leaving the Syrian people with little to no control over their own economy.

Personal Experience of Syrian Events

Almassian’s grandparents escaped the Armenian Genocide 120 years ago and found shelter in Aleppo, Syria, where they started a new life from scratch and established new roots. But now his family has been uprooted from their home for a second time due to the current conflict and now lives in Berlin, Germany.

A “big lie” has been sold to the people, claiming that there is a democratic movement in Syria but evidence and proof suggest that this is not the case.  Instead, a narrative has been shaped that has led to the uprooting of the Almassian family and the commitment to genocide against the Syrian people.

The idea of a “free Syria” is false.  Before the regime change, Almassian was able to go back to Syria but now under “free Syria” he can’t.  Now, if he goes to Syria he could get killed.  And it’s not only him that is in danger in Syria, it is his family as well. People in Syria could get killed for their associations.  Almassian’s family cannot return due to their connection with him. Is this the “free Syria” they wanted to establish for the people? he asked.

“They have participated in shaping a narrative that is now committing genocide against the people. And these people want to come who are non-Syrians, basically, want to come and bash us, the Syrians, for speaking against it,” he said.

“In what world do they live in to feel entitled to sit in London or in other places in Europe and tell us what we should accept and what type of governance,” he said.

The imposition of a utopian world by external forces, particularly from a left-wing perspective, is pure imperialism, “Thinking that you know better than us.”  It disregards the differences in priorities and needs of the Syrian people who require security and stability before democracy can be built.

Security and stability are essential for building a political system and without them, democracy cannot exist.  That is why Syrians have been calling for security and stability first so that a more democratic and free system can be established.

Almassian, who has studied political science and is a journalist, would benefit from a free and democratic country, but the current situation in Syria, under the regime, does not allow for the expression of different opinions and he would be at risk of persecution. But that’s not what the new Islamist regime wants.

“When Julani occupied Idlib they have raised a banner at the entrance of the city which says, ‘Democracy is against the rule of God’. It says, ‘Women should stay in the kitchen’. It says that women should cover themselves even their fingernails … They’re telling you what they believe in,” Almassian said.

The leader of the Al-Qaeda-led insurgency, Julani, has become a prominent figure in Syria, and his image is being whitewashed by changing his name and dressing him in a suit and tie to appeal to Europe and the West.  However, despite Julani’s attempts to appear moderate his soldiers on the ground are still calling for the extermination of Christians, Alawites and other minority groups.

The Subversion of Democracy and the Silencing of Dissent

Democracy is defined as a system where the government is of the people, by the people and for the people. But in reality, governments and politicians often serve the interests of the business class and pharmaceutical industries etc. instead of the people.

Oliver points out that the situation in Syria is part of a broader global narrative, where democratic processes are being subverted and the defence of democracy is being used as a pretext for intervention, as seen in the recent events in Romania and Ukraine.

The EU and European countries are presenting themselves as bastions of democracy, while at the same time, they are involved in the subversion of democratic processes and the exploitation of countries like Syria.

The current state of the world is characterised by a post-truth, post-democratic environment where powerful people and governments blatantly disregard international law and democratic processes, and this has become increasingly evident.

Almassian agrees.  When a candidate or political party emerges that serves the interests of the people, they are subjected to scrutiny, attack and attempts to delegitimise them, as seen in the example of the right-wing populist party AfD in Germany. Another example is what is happening in the Romanian elections.

Smear campaigns are used to discredit people who challenge the status quo, including politicians, journalists, activists and social media influencers, by attacking their character rather than engaging with their arguments.

These tactics aim to dismiss and discredit people by labelling them with terms like “right-wing fascist” and are used to silence dissenting voices and maintain control over the narrative.

The use of such dirty tactics has become commonplace, and people who refuse to comply with “official” definitions of what is acceptable are often labelled as “far right” or “radical extremists.”  The labelling of certain groups or people as fascists or Nazis to discredit and silence opposing views is a dangerous trend that undermines the importance of words and their meanings.

The concept of democracy is being threatened by the silencing of opposing views, which is a form of fascism that involves suppressing other people’s opinions and then accusing them of being fascist, a trend that is particularly evident in Europe.

It is becoming increasingly chaotic, with the lines between democracy and fascism and between different political ideologies, becoming increasingly blurred and incomprehensible.

Almassian concludes with a warning about Islamists and the Islamic State.

“This is not an exclusive danger for Syria. These people are making the world a more dangerous place,” he said. “And these ideas travel … it encourages people in different places, in Europe in the United States, to adopt this approach because they see that in order to come to power then you have to be part of this movement, part of these ideas, part of these military groups.  They’re encouraging people and showing these groups as … freedom fighters. 

“They dress Julani many times like [inaudible]. Why? Why? Those are all media PR teams working on it so that they show him like he’s some sort of a revolutionary figure. “They are encouraging many many people in the Arab and Islamic world, unfortunately speaking, to see in Julani some sort of an idol.”

“Does this make the world a better place? No.”

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