Syria has the potential to become the heart of the Muslim world if the new rulers respect the Prophet's family which includes his wives, his cousin Ali, his grandchildren, all of the Muhajirun (migrants) from Makkah, all of the Ansar (helpers) of Medinah, and any sincere believer of the time as they are all praised by God in the Quran. Insulting, cursing, or condemning any of them contradicts the Quran. Raising anyone of them to the level or an associate of God contradicts the Quran too. Anyone who contradicts the Quran is not Muslim and out of Islam. We must recognize that all of the sahabas (companions) of the Prophet were not Muslim, as many in Medinah were hypocrites mentioned in the Quran, and obviously there were similar hypocrites from Makkah after the conquest who outwardly claimed to be Muslim, but inwardly were enemy to the Prophet and his family.