In December 2024, a coalition of rebel forces overthrew President Bashar al-Assad, ending over 50 years of repressive rule by the Assad family. Ahmed al-Sharaa – the leader of now-dissolved Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and Syria’s newly appointed president – has promised to form an inclusive transitional government that will rebuild state institutions and run the country until it can hold free and fair elections.

For many Syrians, the new leadership brings hope for a better future. However, challenges remain. With transitional justice looming large over the heads of the new rulers, reports of violence against some minority communities, and HTS’ past links to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, there are concerns about what a ‘new Syria’ could look like.

In this webinar, our panellists will share insights from their research surveying and interviewing hundreds of former and active rebel fighters in Syria – including members of HTS and the SNA – in the months leading up to the overthrow of al-Assad and in its aftermath. They will discuss the rebels’ motivations for joining the revolution, their willingness to fight and die for their cause, the cohesiveness of the rebel alliance, and how the international community can support a stable future for Syrians.

Register to attend: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_g-Jfh6hhSXe90m-d9n7qwQ

This webinar is presented by the XCEPT research programme, in the ICSR.

Speakers

Dr Rahaf Aldoughli is a Lecturer in Middle East and North African Studies at Lancaster University and an award-winning scholar specialising in nationalism, sectarianism, gender, and political attitudes in authoritarian contexts. Her interdisciplinary research has been recognised by prestigious institutions, including Women in International Security (WIIS) in Washington, DC, the Kroc Institute Fellowship, XCEPT, and the Arab Center for Graduate Studies. Dr. Aldoughli’s work explores the intersection of identity, conflict, and governance in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Syria’s evolving political and military landscape. Her latest research delves into fighters' motivations in the Syrian Civil War, shedding light on the complex drivers of violent mobilization, military integration, and post-war reconciliation in Syria’s ongoing transition.

Dr Nafees Hamid is the Co-PI/Research and Policy Director of the XCEPT project at King’s College London. His research includes ethnographic interviews, survey studies, social network analysis, and psychology and neuroscience experiments with members of armed groups and their supporters. His publications have appeared in several peer-reviewed academic journals, and he holds bylines at The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, the New York Review of Books, Foreign Affairs, and others.

Nils Mallock is a Research Fellow at the XCEPT project at King’s College London and the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR), and behavioural scientist at the London School of Economics and Political Science. His work examines the psychology of political violence and peace. He has lived and conducted fieldwork throughout the Middle East, involving large-scale quantitative surveys, experimental studies and interviews with activists and members of armed groups. His research has been featured in various publications, documentaries and policy briefings.

Broderick McDonald is a conflict researcher at the University of Oxford and an Associate Fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at King’s College London. Prior to this, he served as an Advisor to the Government of Canada and was a Fellow with the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC). He previously lived in the Middle East and has conducted extensive fieldwork interviews with armed combatants from ISIS, HTS, and other non-state actors. Alongside his research, he serves on the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT)'s Independent Advisory Committee and the GLOCA Board of Advisors.