Assad says Syria in identity crisis since Ottoman occupation

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that his country has been experiencing an identity crisis since the occupation of their land by the Ottoman Empire. The president defended the country's ties with Islam and said that Syria doesn't need approval from the West.

Tuesday December 08 2020 01:18 pm

Assad is seen at the Dec. 7 meeting in Damascus.

Duvar English

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that his country has been experiencing an identity crisis since the occupation of their land by the Ottoman Empire.

“There is no connection between secularism and the separation of religion from the state. We have been experiencing a crisis of identity and belonging since the Ottoman occupation," Assad said on Dec. 7, Al-Masdar News reported.

Speaking at a meeting in Damascus for the Syrian Endowments Ministry, the Syrian leader said that "terrorism isn't a byproduct of Islam."

There's an attack on the language of the Quran, Assad said, adding that the holy book is an inseparable part of the Syrian culture.

“We are not looking for a certificate of good behavior from the West," Assad added.