Alawites - Wikipedia
Alawites, considered disbelievers by classical Sunni and Shi'ite theologians, faced periods of subjugation or persecution under various Muslim empires such as the Ottomans, Abbasids, …
Alawite | Definition, Sect, Syria, & Assad Dynasty | Britannica
Jan 9, 2025 · An Alawite is any member of a minority esoteric sect of Islam living chiefly in Syria. The Assad family that ruled Syria from 1971 to 2024 are Alawites and made the community …
In Syria, a once-privileged Muslim sect is now targeted and afraid
Jan 6, 2025 · Alawites in Syria are facing a violent backlash, stoking fears of wider sectarian instability in a divided Syria after the fall of the Assad regime.
'Syrian above all': The Alawite community refuses to pay for …
2 days ago · The Alawites have been "in the grip of an anxiety crisis since December 8 (the date marking the fall of Assad's regime)," he continued, rejecting the term "minority". “We need a …
Alawites formed Syria’s elite. Now they are terrified - The Economist
Jan 8, 2025 · Alawites make up about 10% of Syria’s population but predominated in his regime and that of his father, Hafez. Alawites filled the ranks of the army and security forces. They …
Alawites Under Threat in Syria? | The Washington Institute
Dec 31, 2024 · Alawites were used to carry out regime campaigns of oppression, including the 1982 Hama massacre in which Assad targeted an uprising led by the Muslim Brotherhood, …
Bashar al-Assad Exploited Alawites’ Fear - The Atlantic
Dec 20, 2024 · For many Alawites, the fear of staying with Assad at last outweighed the fear of leaving him. When the battle of 2024 began, Alawite soldiers fled their positions with a speed …
Alawites and the Fate of Syria - Origins
Alawites are adherents of a syncretistic belief with close affinity to Shi'ite Islam and, importantly, the Assad family is Alawite. But despite their crucial role in the unfolding struggles in Syria, …
The 'secretive sect' in charge of Syria - BBC News
May 17, 2012 · The Alawites, a small Levantine minority, have survived persecution and the Crusades to rise to the top and take over the Syrian establishment. Alawite practices, which …
Syria’s Alawites, Sect of the Assads, Fear for Their Future
3 days ago · Syria’s Alawites, Sect of the Assads, Fear for Their Future Government raids and a string of mysterious killings have put the community on edge