Abu Mohammad al-Jolani is a name that's part of my history.

I am from the Golan Heights; this lineage is not something I'm ashamed of. It is part of my history in every circumstance.

I wasn't born a president from the very beginning but rather through a series of many actions over more than 23 years of arduous work.

The history I carry is full of burdens, much bloodshed, many martyrs, and the cries and suffering of many people.

I am not at all ashamed of my history; on the contrary, I cherish it and am proud of it, and it has become part of the Syrian heritage in one way or another.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, al-Sharaa cited events such as the Second Palestinian Intifada and the killing of 12-year-old Muhammad al-Durrah as having a profound impact on him.

He said Islam itself was never an issue, but many contemporary Islamist movements failed to offer effective solutions, relying too heavily on historical narratives rather than addressing present-day realities, leading many of those movements to defeat and failure.