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Hussein al-Sharaa

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Hussein al-Sharaa
حسين الشرع
Al-Sharaa speaking at the Tuesday Economic Symposium in Damascus in 1992
Born
Hussein Ali al-Sharaa

1946 (age 78–79)
Fiq, Golan Heights, Syrian Republic
Alma materUniversity of Baghdad (Ph.D)
Occupation(s)Academic and economist
MovementNasserism
Children7, including Maher, Hazem, Jamal, Ali, Ahmed, and two daughters
RelativesFarouk al-Sharaa (paternal cousin)[1]

Hussein Ali al-Sharaa[a] (born 1946) is a Syrian economist, researcher, and writer. He is the father of the current President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa.[2][3]

Born in Fiq, Golan Heights, Syrian Republic, he graduated from the University of Baghdad with a degree in Economics and later earned a Ph.D. In 1961, he joined protests against the Baathists following their coup against the United Arab Republic and the Arab Socialist Ba'ath party coups in 1963. His family was displaced during the 1967 Israeli occupation. He was forced to leave Syria due to the worsening political and security situation and fled to Jordan, where he was imprisoned again. He was eventually given the choice to travel to either Saudi Arabia or Iraq, and he chose Iraq, which was then under President Abdul Salam Arif.

Al-Sharaa escaped from prison in 1971 to pursue his higher studies in Iraq. He later went to Jordan to cooperate with the Palestinian fedayeen. After returning to Syria in the 1970s, he served in the ministry of petroleum under Hafez al-Assad before eventually moving to Saudi Arabia with his family. He remained in the Syrian oil sector until 1979, when he was hired by the Saudi Ministry of Petroleum as an economic researcher. He returned to Syria in 1989 with his family and was briefly imprisoned again before serving as an advisor to the ministry of petroleum, a position he eventually left. After the Syrian civil war broke out in March 2011, al-Sharaa resettled to Egypt.

Early life and education

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Hussein Ali al-Sharaa was born in 1946 in Fiq, Golan Heights, Syrian Republic.[4] His father, Ali Mohammed al-Sharaa, was a landowner and his family owned most of the lands of Fiq.[5][6] Hussein al-Sharaa's grandfather, Mohammed Khalid al-Sharaa, and uncles were among the fighters against French colonialism.[7]

He studied in the Kuttab during his childhood and learned arithmetic operations.[5] Ahmed al-Sharaa told PBS in a 2021 interview that his father was influenced by Gamal Abdel Nasser, embraced Arab nationalism, and studied political science with a specialization in oil.[4] He graduated with a degree in Economics from the University of Baghdad, where he later earned his Ph.D.[8][2]

Later years

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Rebellion and Imprisonment

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In 1961, he joined protests against the Baathists after their coup against the United Arab Republic, and he later joined demonstrations against the Arab Socialist Ba'ath party coups in 1963.[2][4] The government soldiers attempted to assassinate al-Sharaa but accidentally shot and killed a girl.[9] He took shelter in a roadside house before managing to flee to the southern part of Fiq, Syria, where he rejoined his colleagues.[9] He and his colleagues joined anti-separatist protests and organized a movement against the “separatist government” in their region.[9] They carried out demonstrations on every possible occasion, such as Arbor Day, the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, and the day commemorating the partition of Palestine, which made him a target for the authorities who responded with gunfire.[9]

After returning to school with his classmates, al-Sharaa was threatened by the principal with severe punishment.[9] He left his classmates, confronted the principal, and urged the other students to suspend classes.[4] Al-Sharaa and other student leaders were arrested and detained in underground military barracks before being moved to Mezzeh prison in Damascus.[9] Local leaders and tribesmen confronted the army and demanded their release.[9] After being freed and warned against further protests, al-Sharaa was forced to leave Syria due to the worsening political and security situation and fled to Jordan, where he was imprisoned again.[9][4] In the 1960s, disagreements between Jordan and Gamal Abdel Nasser prevented an agreement for his release from prison. He was given the choice to travel to either Saudi Arabia or Iraq, and he chose Iraq, which was then led by President Abdul Salam Arif.[5] Then he was influenced by Nasserist thought during the rise of Arab socialist nationalism in the 1960s and by the successive coups sponsored by the Ba'ath Party in Iraq and Syria.[9] The family were displaced in 1967 after the Israeli occupation during the Six-Day War.[10]

Al-Sharaa escaped from prison in 1971 to complete his higher studies in Iraq. During this time, he traveled to Jordan to co-operate with the Palestinian fedayeen.[4] After returning to Syria in the 1970s, which coincided with the Corrective Movement coup led by Hafez al-Assad, he became more committed to unity and opposed to partition.[9] While working in the ministry of petroleum under Assad's rule, he ran for a seat in the Quneitra Provincial Council and won. During this period, he also attempted to secure a seat in the People's Assemblyin 1973 but was unsuccessful.[5] He later moved to Saudi Arabia with his family. He remained in the Syrian oil sector until 1979,[5] when he was hired by the Saudi Ministry of Petroleum as an economic researcher,[10][11] where he wrote extensively on the subject and published several books.[12]

Later Life and Public Affairs

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He returned to Syria in 1989 with his family. After being rejected for a government position, he worked as an English teacher in Daraa and was imprisoned again before later serving as an advisor to the ministry of petroleum, a position he eventually left.[5][4] He moved to the Ministry of Planning and resigned in 1999 to establish a real estate office in Mezzeh, Damascus.[13] It is said that his family owned a shop in the upscale Mezzeh district of Damascus.[2] After Hafez al-Assad died in 2000 and his son Bashar al-Assad succeeded him, there was a brief period known as the Damascus Spring, in which al-Sharaa was a prominent participant and one of the signatories of a document calling for elections.[14][2] In 2005, he was among the signatories of the Damascus Declaration, which called for an end to Assad family's rule and a transition to a democratic system.[15] After the Syrian civil war broke out in March 2011, al-Sharaa settled to Egypt.[2]

In February 2025, al-Sharaa criticized the caretaker government’s plan to privatize public sector institutions. He condemned the initiative as a political strategy to "reshape Syria’s economic landscape," emphasizing that these institutions are "national assets built over decades." He warned against selling them to address inefficiencies, arguing that "the issue is not with the public sector itself, but with the mismanagement that has plagued it."[16] He later defended the caretaker government, saying that they had "a clear vision and a roadmap for Syria’s future, independent of external influence."[16]

In March 2025, al-Sharaa was reportedly at the presidential palace in Damascus during the Eid al-Fitr prayers, where he extended his hand to his son, Ahmed al-Sharaa.[2] In May 2025, al-Sharaa criticized Israel following the attack in Damascus, saying that “The Zionist enemy state threatens and attacks under the pretext of protecting Syrian Druze” and warning that “we will not remain silent. It will come to you from a place you don’t know.” [17] In June 2025, al-Sharaa commented on the Iran–Israel war, saying that “this reckless Benjamin Netanyahu thinks Iran is just Hezbollah and Hamas. He doesn’t understand that Iran is a strong state with tremendous capabilities,” and added that “we’re seeing the scale of destruction in the occupied Palestinian cities.”[2]

Personal life

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He is the father of Ahmed, Maher, and Hazem al-Sharaa.[9] While some reports said that Hussein and Farouk al-Sharaa belongs to the same family,[18][19] the report is denied by MENA Research Center.[20]

Books

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He has published numerous books in Arabic on regional economic development, particularly focusing on natural resources and their potential contribution to education, agriculture, and military advancement.[8][21]

Notes

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  1. ^ Arabic: حسين علي الشرع, romanized: Ḥusayn ʿAlī al-Sharaʿ

References

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  1. ^ "صديق طفولة الجولاني يروي ما يعرفه عنه" [Al-Julani's childhood friend tells what he knows about him.]. www.wattan.net. 30 July 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Ben Ari, Lior (18 July 2025). "Golan-born father, gynecologist brother and devoted wife: Inside Syrian President al-Sharaa's family". Ynet. Archived from the original on 21 July 2025. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  3. ^ "Hussein al-Sharaa". en.majalla.com. Archived from the original on 22 July 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Abu Mohammad al-Jolani". FRONTLINE. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "باحث اقتصادي، معلومات عن حسين الشرع والد أبو محمد الجولاني" [Economic researcher, information about Hussein al-Sharaa, father of Abu Muhammed al-Julani]. Veto (in Arabic). 7 December 2024. Archived from the original on 9 April 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  6. ^ "HTS seeks 'moderate rebrand' to secure seat in negotiations". The New Arab. 4 June 2020. Archived from the original on 10 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  7. ^ "سيرة والد الجولاني بقلمه" [Biography of Al-Julani's father written by him]. Al-jumhuriya (in Arabic). 10 September 2024. Archived from the original on 13 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Syria war: Inside the world of HTS leader Abu Mohammad al-Jolani". Middle East Eye. 22 June 2021. Archived from the original on 6 December 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "حسين الشرع.. تعرف إلى والد الرئيس السوري" [Hussein al-Sharaa: Meet the father of the Syrian president]. الجزيرة نت (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 23 July 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  10. ^ a b "The Jihadist". PBS. 1 June 2021. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  11. ^ Jalabi, Raya (7 March 2025). "The secret history of Syria's new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa". www.ft.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  12. ^ "والده خبير اقتصادي وكاتب له عدة مؤلفات.. معلومات تنشر لأول مرة عن أسرة أبو محمد الجولاني" [His father is an economist and author of several books.. Information published for the first time about the family of Abu Mohammad al-Julani]. Al-Masdar Online (in Arabic). 1 June 2020. Archived from the original on 9 April 2025. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  13. ^ "Al-Joulani's File at the Palestine Branch in Syria: A Cunning Personality Evades The Regime's Intelligence - Daraj". 26 December 2024. Archived from the original on 22 July 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  14. ^ "The great pretender: how Ahmed al-Sharaa won Syria". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Archived from the original on 6 July 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  15. ^ Alrefaai, Laila; Abazeid, Ahmad (28 February 2025). "The Multiple Identities of Syria's New Leader". New Lines Magazine. Archived from the original on 24 July 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  16. ^ a b "Syrian Transitional President's father warns against privatization". Shafaq News. Archived from the original on 23 July 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  17. ^ Ari, Lior Ben (2 May 2025). "Syrian President's Father Threatens Israel: 'We Won't Stay Silent, It Will Come From Where You Don't Expect'". Ynetnews. Archived from the original on 2 May 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  18. ^ "مصادر: الجولاني قريب فاروق الشرع.. درس الفقه على يد عالم دمشقي في المزة" [Sources: Al-Julani is a relative of Farouk al-Sharaa. He studied jurisprudence at the hands of a Damascene scholar in Mezzeh]. Enab Baladi (in Arabic). 28 July 2016. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
  19. ^ "قائد الإدارة الجديدة في سوريا التقى فاروق الشرع ودعاه لحوار وطني" [The leader of the new administration in Syria met Farouk al-Sharaa and invited him for a national dialogue]. Asharq Al-Awsat (in Arabic). 22 December 2024. Archived from the original on 22 December 2024. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  20. ^ Al-Romoh, Ahmad (14 January 2024). "Jabhat Al-Nusra and Al-Golani, signs of formation". MENA Research Center. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  21. ^ "سيرة ذاتية تفسر التحولات: من داخل عوالم زعيم هيئة تحرير الشام أبي محمد الجولاني" [A Biography Explaining the Transformations: Inside the Worlds of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham Leader Abu Muhammad al-Julani]. Syria TV (in Arabic). 25 June 2021. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
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