From the latest issue of the excellent newsletter Syria in Transition, The New Umayyads, on Ahmed Sharaa’s vision of a kayan sunni or “sunni entity” as a governing principle:

There is one principal problem: the 25 per cent of Syria that is not Sunni (or Arab). Alawites, Kurds, Druze, Christians, Turkmans, Circassians and Ismailis would be unlikely to accept being bit-players in a state whose identity, strategic posture, and socio-economic interests ran counter to theirs. A solution, from Sharaa’s perspective, could be a form of soft federalism – a loosely decentralised arrangement that accommodated minority demands while allowing the Sunni core to assert political and ideological dominance.

While official talk of the kayan sunni remains muted due to its politically charged connotations, a more palatable alternative has been offered to the Syrian public: “Umayyadism.” Promoted by Sharaa’s close advisers and amplified by loyal social media influencers, this nostalgic concept draws on the legacy of the early Islamic Umayyad caliphate as a vision of national revival, prosperity, and restored grandeur. 

During its 89-year reign, the Umayyad dynasty ruled an empire stretching from North Africa to the Caucasus and Central Asia, with Damascus as its imperial capital. It later established itself in Spain where it ruled from Cordoba for 275 years. A worldly and pragmatic dynasty, the Umayyads adapted and refined Byzantine models of political administration and were generally tolerant of Jews and Christians. But the symbolism runs deeper: the Umayyads were historic adversaries of the Shia. Their second caliph was responsible for the killing of the Prophet’s grandson, Hussein, and their policies heavily discriminated against Persians. In resurrecting the Umayyads, Sharaa’s circle invokes not only imperial grandeur but also a pointed reminder of Sunni supremacy over Persia and Shia Islam. 

Pro-government media personality Musa al-Omar (685,000 followers on X) posted on his socials on 19 February a video of Sharaa riding a horse to a song whose opening line was: “The Umayyads are of golden lineage / their name sent fear in Persian kings / books cannot praise them enough.” 

When Sharaa visited King Abdullah II in Jordan on 26 February, “The Umayyads meet the Hashemites” was the main tag line of HTS-run social media accounts.