On November 22, seven leading factions united as the “Islamic Front”, one of the most significant re-alignments of the insurgency in Syria’s conflict.
See Syria Analysis: Why and How Insurgent Formation of an Islamic Front Changes the Conflict
The initiative of the seven groups — Suqour al-Sham, Jaish al-Islam, Ahrar al-Sham, Ansar al-Sham, Liwa al-Haq, Liwa al-Tawhid, and the Kurdish Islamic Front — posed not only a military but a political response to the Assad regime, the opposition Syrian National Coalition and Supreme Military Council, and foreign backers of the insurgency.
The founding document of the Front has now been published in English:
Preface
God said, “And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you — when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it.
Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be guided.” And said: “Indeed, Allah loves those who fight in His cause in a row as though they are a [single] structure joined firmly”. And the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) said: “No good will be in you if Al-Sham people were corrupted, and one sect of my nation will still be victorious not harmed by those who let them down, til Judgement day.”
Definition of The Islamic Front
It is a comprehensive Islamic social, political, and military formation. It aims to a complete toppling of the Assad regime in Syria, and the building of an Islamic state in which the lordship will be for the almighty God Sharia (law), which is the sole reference, ruler, instructor, and regulator for the state, society, and individuals’ demeanor.
Intellectual Premises
The Islamic Front derives its approach and its existence legitimacy from Islam. It builds its ideas, perceptions, and visions according to God’s book (Holy Quran) and the norms of the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him). Its reference is formed by faithful Sharia (Islamic Law) in both goals and means. It is arbitrated and guided by it in its path and movement.
Independence and Origin
The Islamic Front is an independent entity originated on the Syrian land, does not adhere to any foreign side, either in it is organization, state, or movement. It was formed from a number of on-the-ground working factions that agreed on vision, goals, and means. They are united by their affiliation to Islam, according to almighty God, for Muslims to hold firmly to his rope, to unify in the battle on the land of al-Sham against the joint enemy, achieving the solid unity as instructed by almighty God in cases of fighting the Muslim nation’s enemies.
The Front’s Nature<
This is a comprehensive front, involved in several life aspects, working on unifying the fighting factions into one body and into an integrated military foundation. It works also for political progress to create unified visions and positions compatible with societal issues. It revives and activates society’s various capacities in preparation for rebuilding the desired new Syria, the state of Islam, justice, and advancement.
Dimension and Identity
The front considers itself to be the servant of the Muslim nation, aiming to fuse all its cadres and capacities in a crucible of one, inviting on-the-ground functioning factions to bind and unify with it concerning the Muslim nation’s desired goal by defeating the enemy and establishing the state in which justice and development will prevail under Islam’s umbrella and Sharia’s dominion.
It does not consider itself as the national alternative nor a monopoly of the Islamic project; rather, it thanks all faithful efforts done by on-the-ground staff and seeks to cooperate with them on the highest levels.
Those who agreed with the front in terms of its premise, target, and means are invited to contribute to its work and development and to take a position in accordance with eligibility.
Membership and Pertinence
The front’s sons are Muslims, loyal to God’s religion, convened by jihad for the sake of God and the refusal of injustice and tyranny. They seek to institute God’s Sharia, are proud of their belonging to the Islamic nation, and consider themselves as a part not a parcel of it; its pain is theirs, and its hope is theirs.
The Front Position in the Syrian Presence
Approved by almighty God, the Islamic Front’s sons were the first to revolt against the Assad regime’s tyranny and protected the people from its injustice. The most prominent military victories over the Assad regime are theirs, so they are part of the Syrian people and interpret Syrians’ aims and hopes.
There is no way to achieve the revolution’s goals except by aligning all national elements in confronting Safavi–Assad aggression. The Islamic Front is not an elite project; rather, it is a project of the Muslim nation where efforts synergize to achieve the nation’s goals.
The Goals
1. To topple the existing regime in its entirety, with all its obscure remnants, to wipe them out of Syrian existence completely, and to defend the underdogs, their honor and wealth. Toppling the regime means detaching and terminating all its judicial, legislative, and executive authorities along with its army and its security institutions, in addition to prosecuting those who are involved in bloodshed along with their supporters in legitimate, equitable trials.
2. To close ranks and unifying the functioning powers in the blessed revolution, to spreading integrity, and to rebuild Syria on an intact basis of justice, unity, and solidarity.
3. To establish an independent state in which God’s faithful Sharia will reign sovereign, where its individuals are blessed with justice and a decent life.
4. To maintain the Islamic identity of society and build the integrated Islamic personality.
5. To work to manage resources and wealth and then use them in favor of the individual and society and meet the basic needs of the people in terms of food, health, and education.
6. To actively participate in social development and advancement and prepare active leaderships in different life aspects.
Islamic Front Strategy
Syrian land does not accept any divisional project or exotic entity to be built on its soil.
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Under the Assad regime’s tyranny and despotism, along with international abandonment of the equitable Syrian people’s cause, the Islamic Front believes that the way to achieve its targets cannot be realized unless the armed military movement actively undertakes the toppling of Assad regime.
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This is in addition to the civilian movement that enhances the cohesive condition between mujahedeen and their society, maintains their fabric, ensures their coherence, and finally, defends our equitable causes and fulfils our people’s hope in a state that protects them and conserves their independence and dignity.
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To achieve its goals, the Islamic Front uses all means provided that they are legitimate, possible, and useful. It welcomes any means or support that assists in regime-toppling unless it is politicized, aims to deviate the revolution’s path, or contains external dictates that interfere with its autonomous decisions.
It does not participate in any political process that infringes religion or takes sovereignty out of almighty God’s Sharia. Every political process that does not admit that legislation is solely God’s right with no partner contradicts religion and is illicit. The Front cannot participate in it, or admit it, or reconcile with it. Religion without policy is a kind of monasticism that is forbidden and policy without religion is rejected secularization.
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Groups, factions, and brigades that work to fight the Assad regime and topple it are our allies with whom we agree in terms of goals and cooperate and coordinate for the sake of achieving it.
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Muslims in Syria are part of the Islamic nation, correlated by religious brotherhood. Almighty God said, “Believers Are Brothers.”
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Muslims’ equitable causes are the Syrian Muslims’ causes; their cause is also all Muslims’ cause.
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The Islamic Front is keen to have good global relationship with all states that did not show hostility by whatever fulfills its interests and according to legitimate standards.
Our Position Towards Other Ideas and Issues
Secularism: This is the separation of religion and both life and society and limits it in rituals, habits, and traditions. This contradicts Islam which regulates the individual, society, and state affairs.
Democracy and its Parliaments: It is based upon the saying that legislation is the people’s right through its representative establishments while in Islam “Command is for none but God”. This does not mean we want arbitrary and authoritarian regime, but national matters cannot be rectified except by consultation in principle and application.
The Civil State: A description of indefinite significance, popularized by public speaking. It is a rejected term due to its misleading nature and the loss of rights caused by it.
The Kurdish Cause: Kurds are a genuine people in Syria, exposed to injustice and persecution carried out by the regime that deprived them of the simplest human and cultural rights, driven by Arab nationalism’s lie.
When the blessed revolution erupted, the Kurds participated in fighting the Assad regime.
Kurdish brothers will gain their rights under the Islamic rule that the Islamic Front seeks, so it refuses any projects aimed at dividing Syrian soil on a racial or national basis.
The Emigrants: Our brothers who supported us in Jihad, their Jihad is appreciated and laudable, and that requires us to safeguard them, their pride, and their Jihad. Almighty God says, “Is there any Reward for Good — other than Good?” Our duties and rights are common.
Minorities: Syrian soil combines a diverse fabric of ethnic and religious minorities who shared it with Muslims for hundreds of years under the exalted Sharia by which their rights were maintained.
Conclusion
This pact is a human effort and, through it, we intended to clarify the way we move while striving to be consistent with the two great sources, The Book and the Sunna (the Quran and Prophet Mohammad’s instructions).
So what goes together with them is related to God and what contradicts with them, we are guiltless of it.
We thank and appreciate every faithful adviser.
Almighty God said: “Say thou: ‘This is my way: I do invite unto Allah — on evidence as clear as seeing with one’s eyes — I and whoever follows me. Glory to Allah! And never will I join gods with Allah!’”
