The Baath regime combined Arab Socialism with elements of the secular ideology along with an authoritarian political system which also incorporated aspects of Islamic law, with different court systems operating for religious minorities.
(2) The state guarantees the freedom to hold any religious rites, provided they do not disturb the public order.
Article 3 now read: The religion of the President of the Republic is Islam; Islamic jurisprudence shall be a major source of legislation; The State shall respect all religions, and ensure the freedom to perform all the rituals that do not prejudice public order; The personal status of religious communities shall be protected and respected.
[8] After Russian-brokered peace talks between Syrian civil war parties in Astana in January 2017, Russia offered a draft for a future constitution of Syria, which would inter alia turn the "Syrian Arab Republic" into the "Republic of Syria", introduce decentralized authorities as well as elements of federalism like "association areas", strengthen the parliament at the cost of the presidency, and realize secularism by abolishing Islamic jurisprudence as a source of legislation.
[9][10][11][12] In the de facto autonomous Democratic Federation of Northern Syria, secularism was introduced, including civil law in personal status, proclaiming absolute equality of women under the law and a ban on forced marriage as well as polygamy,[13] while underage marriage was outlawed as well.