Hassoun has been the Grand Mufti of the Republic of Syria since 2004 when he succeeded the late Sheikh Ahmed Kuftaro. He is an advocate of interfaith dialogue and is very vocal in his opinion that states should be ruled on a civil, rather than religious, basis, believing that secularism is not synonymous with atheism, a sentiment that holds great sway in Syria’s religiously diverse society. He has remained loyal to the Syrian regime, calling upon Syrians to remain united and fight against foreign-backed enemies.