Jamal al-Sharaa

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Jamal al-Sharaa
جمال الشرع
Personal details
Relations Maher al-Sharaa (brother)
Hazem al-Sharaa (brother)
Ahmed al-Sharaa (brother)
Parent

Jamal al-Sharaa [a] is an older brother of Ahmed al-Sharaa, the current President of Syria.

Contents

Early life and education

Little is known about Jamal al-Sharaa, except that he once worked in the IT education field and moved to Egypt around 2013. [1]

Controversies

Al-Marsoumi's guesthouse

The first public appearance of al-Sharaa was on 17 April 2025, when he appeared alongside Minister of Culture Mohammed Yassin Saleh at the guesthouse of Sheikh Farhan al-Marsoumi in Deir ez-Zor Governorate. The visit triggered significant controversy due to al-Marsoumi's reputation as a staunch loyalist to Iranian-backed militias and his alleged involvement in drug trafficking and serious human rights abuses against the local population. Al-Marsoumi was widely regarded as a central figure linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in eastern Syria. He played a major role in recruiting youth into the 47th Regiment, an Iranian-backed unit, and in solidifying Tehran’s influence over both the military and social structures in the area. Furthermore, al-Marsoumi has reportedly overseen large-scale arms and narcotics smuggling networks, operating under the protection of the 4th Armoured Division and leveraging close ties with Maher al-Assad. [2] [3]

On 20 April 2025, the Syrian Presidency released a statement addressing the controversy surrounding the gathering at al-Marsoumi’s guesthouse. In response to widespread discussion about the presence of government figures at the event, the presidency clarified that Jamal al-Sharaa does not hold any official government position or title and does not enjoy any formal privileges. [4] [5] Notably, the statement made no mention of Saleh, focusing exclusively on clarifying that Jamal al-Sharaa holds no official government position and attended the event in a personal capacity as a private citizen invited by the organizers. [6]

References

  1. Oweis, Khaled Yacoub (21 April 2025). "Damage control for Ahmad Al Shara after brother's links to pro-Assad tribal figure condemned". The National . Archived from the original on 21 April 2025. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  2. "لقاء مع "المرسومي" يُحرج "وزير الثقافة" ويفتح ملف دور ونفوذ أشقاء الرئيس "الشرع"" [Meeting with "al-Marsoumi" embarrasses the Minister of Culture and reopens the file on the role and influence of President al-Sharaa’s brothers]. Shaam News Network (in Arabic). 18 April 2025. Archived from the original on 18 April 2025. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  3. "وزير الثقافة السوري يعتذر عن صورة أثارت غضبًا.. مطالب باستقالته.. وتساؤلات حول شقيق الرئيس - (فيديو وتدوينات)" [Syrian Minister of Culture's apology for controversial photo.. calls for his resignation.. questions about the president’s brother – (Video and posts)]. Al-Quds Al-Arabi (in Arabic). 18 April 2025. Archived from the original on 18 April 2025. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  4. "رئاسة الجمهورية تنشر تصريحاً توضيحياً حول فعالية جرت في مضافة المرسومي" [The Presidency issues a clarification regarding an event held at al-Marsoumi's guesthouse]. Syrian Arab News Agency (in Arabic). 20 April 2025. Archived from the original on 20 April 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  5. "رئاسة الجمهورية: جمال الشرع لا يشغل أي صفة وظيفية في الدولة ولا يتمتع بأي امتياز" [Presidency of the Republic: Jamal al-Sharaa holds no official position in the state and enjoys no privileges]. Syria TV (in Arabic). 20 April 2025. Archived from the original on 20 April 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
  6. "Public Outcry After Jamal al-Sharaa Appears with Minister of Culture in Deir ez-Zor". The Syrian Observer. 20 April 2025. Archived from the original on 21 April 2025. Retrieved 21 April 2025.

Notes

  1. Arabic: جمال الشرع