Violent jihadists are getting frustrated by the new Syria

The new commander of the old city of Damascus was miffed. Syria’s new de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, had just reversed his order to take over a grand old Ottoman palace. The arthouse within it had been used for “improper behaviour”, the commander insisted. Its resident female artists would sinfully come and go at all hours of the night, so he had posted two armed jihadists to make them remove their books, sketches and sound system by New Year’s Eve—and then get out.