TEHRAN - That violence has returned to some parts of Syria is extremely annoying. If calm is not restored to Syria’s western coastal cities and villages, the entire country may burn in flames again.

The Syrian people have suffered greatly in more than a decade of civil war and Takfiri terrorism.

The HTS, under the leadership of Abu Mohammad al-Julani, took control of Syria in December 2024 in just a few weeks as the army refused to resist. 

Julani, now called Ahmed al-Sharaa, asked his loyalists not to act violently when its militiamen first took control of Syria. This created hope among people, especially Syrians, that a new page was opening up in Syrian history.

It was reported that the HTS had said goodbye to its violent and terrorist past. But the massacre of Alawites, a minority group who were loyal to the Assad regime, is sending shivers into the hearts of the countries in the region and beyond.

Forbes reported on Saturday that security forces and pro-government militiamen backed by armor and artillery killed at least 38 Alawites execution-style in the town of al-Mukhtareyah. Eyewitnesses also said security forces were indiscriminately targeting civilians.

Terrorists, including those from the Turkistan Islamic Party, who poured into Syria during the civil war and, unfortunately, some of them have been appointed to top military posts in the country, are now enjoying a free hand to vent their anger on the Alawites and Christians.

Before it is too late, Sharaa must declare general amnesty. He must abdicate his dark past in action and not just words. He must avoid making the mistakes that Bashar al-Assad made when he crushed protests triggered under the influence of the Arab Spring and pushed the country toward anarchy.

Again, Syria will degenerate into a new cycle of violence if all Syrians, with different religious and ethnic backgrounds, are not seen equally.