In the last few days, in Syria There has been a serious escalation of violence that saw the killing of about 800 civilians AlawitiShiite minority present in the Latakia and Tartus region to which the family belongs to Bashar al-Assadformer president of Syria deposited on 8 December from the opposition forces to the regime currently refugee in Moscow, the historic ally of the dictator. Among the opponents of the regime there was also the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) of which he was a leader Ahmad al-Sharaacurrently president to interim of the country. Shortly after overturning the regime, the Al-Sharaa government had published a Edict to guarantee freedom of worship to religious minorities of the country – including Alawiti – but despite this declaration with apparent pacifists, the clashes Among the security forces of Damascus and Alawiti militants faithful to Assad led to indiscriminate massacres also of civiliansconcentrated above all in the province of Latakia, in the west of Syria.
Who are the Alawiti
Alawiti are a religious group of the Middle East and Arab ethnicity. They have spread mainly in Syria, Türkiye and Lebanon, and are Shiite. In reality, in the Syrian territory they are a minority (only 6-7% of the population), but their roots are profound and their history is very complex. There Assad familywho ruled Syria for decades, belongs precisely to this current of Sciism, and for this reason the Alawites have always had a central role in the Syrian political framework. Their ascent to power dates back to the period of French mandate (1920 – 1946), when the Alawita majority region – located between Tripoli and Latakia – was established as an autonomous entity with the name of Alawita state In 1922. This choice was not a coincidence: the French in fact hoped that giving more control to local minorities would oppose the Sunni majority and better managed ethnic and religious divisions.
With the end of the French mandate in 1946the Syria He obtained independence, and the political class decided to reincorand the Alawita state with the aim of uniting all its territories. The Alawiti (concentrated in particular in the coastal regions of Latakia and Tartus, which are sometimes defined in a derogatory “taste”), which over the years had been included in state institutions, in the police forces and in the army by the French distinguishing themselves by order and discipline compared to other communities, and since then they have continued to maintain these strategic roles.
Because they are so hated in the Islamic world and what Assad has to do with
To understand why Alawites are so badly seen in the Islamic world, you need to see two aspects: the perception that the majority of the Islamics has of their creed and their ascent, dotted with violence.
Alawiti practice a form of Islam considered “heretica” from many Orthodox Muslims: this is because their beliefs mix Shiite elements with mystical influences (In the Alawita tradition, it is believed that some “caliphs” or religious figures are equipped with supernatural powers, and that for this reason they can access a much deeper level of knowledge and spirituality than the other ordinary mortals) and syncretic. Just this last aspect is perhaps what for the Sunnis makes this minority A suspicious and deviated sectbecause elements that belong to other religions are incorporated in syncretism. The Alawiti, for example, have made them some aspects of Christianity, such as the concept of Trinity – even with small differences – and the figures of Jesus and the Madonna are venerated (the Sunnis recognize and respect both, but for them they are not the object of worship and are not perceived as divine.
In 1963 in Syria he went to power The Ba’Ag partywho tried to build one lay state based on nationalism and overcoming religious divisions. Soon it was the party’s Alawita component who dominated, and with theAscent to the power of Hafez al-Assad In the 1970the Alawites monopolized the key positions of the army and the state, causing the resentment of the Sunni majority. The discontent of the Sunnis has grown over the years, fueled by multiple repressions that ended up in the bloodlike the Hama massacre from 1982in which the Assad regime killed thousands of Islamist opponents.
What is happening to Alawiti in recent weeks
Many Syrians erroneously see Alawites as one with the old Assad regime and they consider them collectively responsible for the crimes of the pastand this thought grew further with the liberation of political prisoners last December, feeding the desire for revenge towards them. But it’s not just a matter of history: some extremist groups openly declare they want “clean up the coast of Alawites“Because they consider they are unbelievers like Christians (in traditional Islam, Christians are considered “People of the book“, Ahl al-Kitab, therefore not unbelieving; but there are jihadist extremist groups, such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda, who have often labeled Christians as unbelievers, Kuffar, or polytheists, Mushrikun, justifying persecutions and violence against them).
Between December and January, all this hatred has translated into tensions and disorders in various places by majority Alawita (Tartus, Latakia and Qardaha), which have intensified above all in the last few days.
The escalation, however, arrived on March 6, but in the province of Latakia a group of Alawiti texted an ambush to the government security forces, killing 16 men. The conflict has extended very quickly in the area, and in just two days the radicalized Sunnis groups (including foreign jihadists) have taken revenge with summary executions e Targeted attacks against the Alawiti civilians. According to theSyrian Observatory for Human Rightsonly between the 6 el ‘March 8, 2025would have been killed beyond 1,000 peopleof which 745 civiliansmainly in the coastal regions of Latakia and Tartus, where most of the Alawita population resides.
Regarding this situation, Al-Sharaa expressed its oppositionand asking the security forces to protect civilians and prevent attacks:
When we compromise our ethics we put ourselves at the same level as our enemies. What remains of the old regime is looking for a provocation that leads to violations behind which they can hide.
The head of government concluded by stating that the government will commit himself to protect national unity and peace, and that soon A commission of inquiry will be established To investigate the crimes committed in recent days, punishing “without indulgence” those responsible for the incident.
