Political geography, in its historical roots, points to the relationship between the political and social structure and place names, known as toponymy. It also entails a detailed topographical description of that place, or etymology, emphasizing the historical connection between the dominant power over a location and the boundaries of that location. However, the concept of boundaries has not always been clearly defined throughout historical empires. There is a distinction between frontiers and borders; the former describes areas of separation and overlap between human groups, defined by distinctive topographies such as rivers, valleys, mountain ranges, or lakes. Modern borders, on the other hand, refer to the demarcated areas between political entities measured with precision. This delineation crystallized with the nation-state since the 17th century, attempting to align the social entity with the political entity within their geography.
Returning to our subject, the name Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which has become a de facto authority in Syria, raises the question of its significance. It is inconceivable for an armed political organization to name itself without a geographical, historical, or political reference. So, what does “Tahrir al-Sham” signify? It is clear that the founders of the organization debated the name, its implications, references, and meanings. Furthermore, why did al-Julani change his name? For instance, Houari Boumediene, one of the key figures of the Algerian revolution, retained his revolutionary name, just as Yasser Arafat kept his name in Palestine. Similarly, notable leaders of the Soviet revolution, like Trotsky, Lenin, and Stalin, became famous under their new names rather than their original ones, among many others.
Let’s discuss the organization’s name, “Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham”:
- Does “Tahrir” imply cleansing “Sham” from a specific political regime, from any external forces not belonging to the place, or from both? The first aspect was realized with the fall of the regime; does this extend to liberation from Russian, American, Turkish, and Israeli presence? Is the Golan, in principle, part of Sham that needs to be liberated?
- What does “Sham” mean? Why not say “Hay’at Tahrir Syria”? Any reader familiar with the term “Sham” finds its connotations carry a religious significance. I won’t delve into the linguistic roots of “Sham” (like the abundance of its villages or because it lies to the north of the Arabian Peninsula, like Yemen to its south), or its administrative origins in terms of ajnad (like districts and governorates), but I will link Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham to its unmistakably Islamic roots and its transformations from ISIS to al-Nusra to the Hay’at. Throughout my research, I found that “Sham” during the Rashidun, Umayyad, Abbasid, and even Fatimid periods referred to a broader area than contemporary Syria; it encompassed Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Lebanon (or Greater Syria, as termed by the contemporary Syrian nationalist party). In some studies, the term “Sham” even extends to Sinai, fringes of the Iraqi desert, and parts of southern Turkey.
- The above indicates that the meaning of “Sham” in the name of the group carries the historical Islamic significance I mentioned. However, recent statements from the group’s leader suggest that “Sham” is merely a name devoid of geopolitical content. Even Herodotus, the fifth-century BCE Greek historian, referred to Palestine as the southern part of Syria, calling it “Syria Palestina.” In the Islamic administration, which Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham considers itself the rightful heir to due to the religious, historical, and emotional affiliation, during the era of Omar ibn al-Khattab, Sham was divided into five military districts or governorates: Jund Damascus, Jund Homs, Jund Jordan, Jund Palestine, and Jund Qinnasrin— the largest of these. Later, in the early Abbasid rule, what was called Jund al-Awasim was added, extending into present-day southern Turkey.
- Historical and linguistic narratives point to what I mentioned above. There are prophetic traditions like, “You must go to Sham,” as well as phrases like, “Indeed, faith will be in Sham when tribulations arise,” and “Sham is the land of resurrection and assembly,” along with “You must go to Sham for it is God’s chosen land on Earth,” and “Allah has guaranteed me Sham and its people.” All of these expressions about Sham encompass a broader concept than what Syria signifies in the entire Islamic heritage.
Here we pause to ask: was the name “Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham” arbitrary, emotionally charged, or a genuine strategic choice linking Sham to its historical Islamic connotation, making Palestine a central component of it? Or is it simply “names you have named yourselves and your forefathers? Allah has not sent down any authority concerning them,” as the Palestinian Liberation Organization, which included “Palestinian liberation,” ultimately ended up with the compound in Ramallah, with entry and exit regulated under Israeli oversight? The evidence is contradictory, and the virtue of doubt remains with me, so do not tell me but let me see, for I am merely questioning, not accusing… perhaps.
