Syria's ex-jihadist president gets the red carpet in Berlin while "Allahu Akbar" videos flood social media
Ahmed al-Scharaa, Syria's transitional president and a man who until recently was better known by his jihadist war name Abu Mohammed al-Julani, touched down in Berlin for his first official state visit.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier welcomed him at Bellevue Palace. Streets were shut down. Thousands of protesters mobilized. Unsurprisingly, people are shocked by the support he received from Syrians in Germany.
On Sunday night, al-Scharaa showed up at Berlin's Ritz-Carlton hotel to address a crowd of supporters. What followed was a scene that immediately tore through X, Telegram, and TikTok: a packed ballroom chanting "Allahu Akbar" with standing ovations for a man who spent years on terror watchlists.
Syria's state news agency SANA published its own footage. Al-Scharaa reportedly told the audience he was proud of Syrians in Germany who maintained their national identity and showed the world an "authentic" picture of their homeland.
Jubilant crowds of Syrian supporters also marched through the streets, celebrating al-Scharaa's visit and waving flags.
Berlin in lockdown mode
The German capital went full security protocol: Roads blocked and temporary assembly bans around government buildings. Over 5,000 demonstrators expected across multiple rallies, some backing al-Scharaa, others furious at what they see as the political rehabilitation of a former extremist accused of targeting minorities in Syria.
A vigil against his "political legitimization" was organized right outside the Federal Chancellery.
Islam expert Ahmad Mansour posted on X what probably a lot of people were thinking: last week Germany was out here invoking international law, and this week Steinmeier is hosting a former terrorist and Islamist at the presidential palace.
So what's the actual agenda?
Al-Scharaa's Berlin trip has a clear transactional angle. Talks with Chancellor Friedrich Merz and a roundtable with German business leaders are on the schedule. The big talking points: getting Syrian refugees to return home and securing investment for rebuilding a country that's been in ruins after 14 years of civil war.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul struck a diplomatic tone at a press conference, calling Germany a partner to Syria and saying Syrians "deserve a chance."
Who is al-Scharaa?
al-Scharaa's HTS militia overthrew dictator Bashar al-Assad at the end of 2024 and he was installed as transitional president shortly after. It was the kind of regime change that rewrites the geopolitical map overnight. But the man at the center of it carries a history that makes Western governments deeply uncomfortable, even as they line up to do business with him.
Germany rolling out the welcome mat for a figure like al-Scharaa says a lot about where realpolitik stands in 2026. The viral chants at the Ritz-Carlton say even more about how these moments now live and spread in the digital space, often shaping public opinion faster than any press conference ever could.