On December 17, the New York Times published an article where Abu Mohammad al-Jolani was compared with Nelson Mandela in the latest whitewashing move by Western mainstream media . Jolani was a member of al-Qaeda in Iraq and was associated with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi before founding Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria. Jabhat al-Nusra later became Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) after Jolani announced a split from al-Qaeda.

After the formal break with al-Qaeda, HTS continued to implement punishments described as Sharia executions in areas under its control. Jolani delivered speeches following the split that included hostile rhetoric towards minorities and praise for individuals who carried out attacks against them. Armed groups under his leadership were active during periods of sectarian violence in Syria and were responsible for numerous atrocities and war crimes.

Since the HTS takeover of Syria last year, Western media outlets began publishing profiles portraying Jolani as a transformed or pragmatic actor, despite his history as a wanted terrorist by the US.