Former Al-Qaeda leader accused of Christian genocide is applauded at the UN
Syrian President Abu Mohammad al-Julani received enthusiastic applause at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.
Al-Julani, also known as Ahmad al-Sharaa, seized power in December 2024, ousting Bashar al-Assad. Until recently, the United States was offering a $10 million reward for information about al-Julani, who ran Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, the al-Nusra Front. Under his leadership, al-Nusra carried out massacres of Syria's Christian, Alawite, and Druze minorities. Those massacres have continued under al-Julani’s presidency.
In July, al-Julani’s Syrian forces executed hundreds of Christian and Druze civilians with the aid of Bedouin tribes in the Sweida province. The attacks came just weeks after Islamic jihadists massacred Christians at the Greek Orthodox Mar Elias Church in Damascus on June 22nd. The suicide bombing and shooting attack killed at least 25 Christian worshippers and wounded 63 others.
Last week, footage reportedly showing the burning of a Christian village in Syria circulated on social media, triggering more accusations of genocide. Over the past 20 years, Syria’s Christian population has fallen from 1.5 million to about 300,000—an 80% drop.
‘Guess how many Diplomats stormed out of his UN speech?’
Nevertheless, al-Julani’s presence at the UN was celebrated by attendees and the legacy media, which pointed out that it was the first time a Syrian president addressed the General Assembly in almost 60 years.
Al-Julani spent much of his nearly 10-minute speech criticizing Israel, whose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was treated to a drastically different reception by General Assembly attendees. When Netanyahu got up to speak, over 100 diplomats walked out in protest.
“Syrian President Mohammad al-Julani: Former head of Al Qaeda Syria. Previously had $10M U.S. bounty for terrorism. His forces accused of massacring Druze, Alawites and Christians. Guess how many Diplomats stormed out of his UN speech in protest? Zero,” commented Oli London.
Dr. Maalouf, another influencer, wrote: “While the Syrian president, former Al-Qaeda/ISIS leader Julani, is currently in New York invited by the UN, his regime is setting fire to entire Christian villages in Syria. It’s crazy how little the world cares about Middle Eastern Christians!”
