Blog Post: S. Fazal Daoud Firdausi
Who are Alawites (Alawis)?
Alawis are also called as Nusayri-Alawis. The Nusayri-Alawis belongs to a Muslim Shia sect that split off from the major stream of the Shia Islam toward the end of the ninth century. The Alawis were one of the last Ghulat (exaggerators) sects of Iraq. These groups of mystics were nicknamed Ghulat by their rivals because they were seen by their contemporaries as extremist admirers of Hazrat Ali (PBUH) and his descendants.
Nusyari-Alawi sect can be traced back to the Ghulat of Kufa in the eighth century. These mystics attributed their doctrines to the famous sixth Imam of Shias Jaffar-Al-Sadiq. Many scholars also consider that Alawis are preserving and developing the doctrines of Ghali Abu-I-Khattab, leader of the Mukhammisa (admirers of the five). This sect deified the Ahl-al-Bayt (the close family of Prophet Mohammad - PBUH). It includes Hazrat Ali (PBUH), his uncle, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Fatima, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Ali's wife, and their two sons Hassan and Husain.
Alawi doctrine started in the ninth century A.D. It is derived from the 'Twelver' or Imami branch of Shia Islam (the sect that dominates Iran). In about 859, Ibn Nusyr declared himself the bab (gateway to truth), a key figure in Shiite theology. Ibn Nusyr and his doctrines made Alawism a religion with a distinct identity from the Shia Islam practiced in Iran. Sunni Muslims believe that 'There is no god, but Allah and Muhammad (PBUH) is His Prophet.' Alawis believe in the 'Holy Trinity' comprising Hazrat Ali, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and one of the Prophet's cousins, Salman-Al-Farisi. Alawis asserted,'
There is no deity but Hazrat Ali, no veil but Muhammad (PBUH), and no bab (gate) but Salman. Hence, Alawis reject the main tenets of Sunni Islam.
Many Alawi doctrines have been borrowed from Paganism, Mazadakism, and Manichaeism. Alawis have great similarities to Christianity. Alawi ceremonies involve bread and wine. Alawis hold Hazrat Ali in the same manner as Jesus Christ (incarnation of divinity) in Christianity. Alawi faith is most hidden in appearance, not only from outsiders but also from most Alawis. They maintain strict religious secrecy. Anyone in the past who has tried to unearth the doctrines has been brutally eliminated. Alawi women are never inducted into the mysteries. They are not veiled and enjoy much more freedom and liberty than Sunni Muslim women.
Where do Alawis live in Syria?
Alawis are the largest Muslim minority in Syria (12.5%). Most of the Alawi population in Syria is concentrated along the Mediterranean coast. A smaller number is concentrated in the Alexandretta and Cilicia regions of Turkey and the Akkar region of Lebanon. The Alawis of Syria are concentrated in the Latakia region, with a significant number in the neighboring plains of the provinces of Homs and Hama. They constitute the majority in the Latakia region but a minority in the capital of Latakia. Most live in numerous small mountain villages and are engaged in agriculture. Rural Latakia is dominated by Alawis. However, coastal towns are dominated by Sunni Muslims and Christians.
Economic and Social Condition of Alawis in Pre-Assad Syria
In pre-Hafiz-Al-Assad Syria, the Alawi community was very poor and among the least educated in the society of Syria. Most Syrian families, especially urban Sunnis, used to have Alawi maidservants. Even small Alawi girls work in the houses of urban Sunni Muslims. The practice indicated extreme poverty and low status of Alawis in Syria. The bulk of Syrian Alawis in mountain villages were exceptionally poor, and the region was underdeveloped. The urban Sunni and Christian were landowners, and rural Alawis were landless sharecroppers. The pathetic economic conditions of Alawis, the wide class divide, the rural-urban dichotomy, and sectarian divisions led to the development of deep-rooted antagonism, distrust, and resentment among the Alawis against majority Sunni oppressors.
Rise of Alawi Political Power
When the French mandate ended in Syria in 1946, the power went into the hands of urban Sunni elites. Alawi community showed great resistance to integrating the Latakia region with Sunni Syria. On the other hand, Sunni rulers in Damascus spared no effort to integrate Latakia into Syria (because this region offered them only access to the sea). After 1954, Alawis changed their outlook towards integration with Syria, which ushered a new era in Syria's political life, i.e., the political rise of Alawis. Once the Alawis recognized their future was permanently tied to Syria, they rapidly rose to power.
Alawis focused on two main forces in Syria – the Military and the Ba'ath Party. Sunni rich and landowning community despised the army as a profession. It regarded Homs (the Military Academy) as a place of social undistinguishment. However, the Alawis considered Homs as a place of opportunity and flooded the Syrian army with people from its community. By 1949, Alawis constituted two-thirds of the high-ranking officers in the Syrian army. Alawis also joined the Ba'ath party in very large numbers. Those Alawis who migrated from rural to urban areas became permanent and active members of the Ba'ath party. In fact, one of the founder members of the Ba'ath party was an Alawi, Zaki-Al-Arsizi. He brought rural peasants and laborers (mostly Alawis) in huge numbers. The doctrine of Ba'ath party Socialism and Secularism attracted the Alawis. They were more inclined towards secularism, as it promised less prejudice and withdrawal of the state from religion. When the Ba'ath party came to power in a coup by a group of Ba'athist army officers in 1963, Alawis were able to increase their strength. They controlled key party and government positions in less than three years. Alawi power consolidated after Alawi General Hafiz-Al-Assad (Father of Bashar-Al-Assad) became the president in 1971.
Alawis under Hafiz Assad Rule
Under the rule of Hafiz Assad, the power of Alawis grew by leaps and bounds. Members of other religious groups, including Sunni high-ranking army officers, were in no position to mount a challenge to the Alawi-dominated establishment. Sunni officers were usually dispersed in peripheral units away from urban areas. As a group, Alawis' favor and support further strengthened their position in Syrian society. The Hafiz regime diverted many government investments to the dominated Latakia region. Soon, Alawis became a millionaire, got maximum government contracts, and reached the upper class of Syrian society. Hafiz faced several uprisings and revolts, but he was able to suppress it. Under his rule, those who used slogans such as 'Allah Akbar' were harshly punished. Despite the government's harsh countermeasures, the anti-regime violence continued in Syria.
Syrian Civil War and Basher-Al-Assad
The bloody civil war in Syria has been going on for the last twelve years. More than 4,65,000 Syrians have lost their lives in the fighting. Around one million are injured, and over 12 million population in Syria have been displaced. In 2011, the protest that started in Syria was not sectarian but against the oppressive and corrupt regime of Assad. The protest was brutally crushed by Basher-Al-Assad and Syria's security regime, which has long been dominated by the members of the Alawi sect, of which Assad is a member. In July 2011, defectors from the military announced the formation of the Free Syrian Army to overthrow the government. Since 2015, Assad and Russian forces have been fighting with the Sunni rebels in Syria. Assad blames that Sunni rebels are being covertly and overtly supported by the United States of America and its allies in the region. Due to the civil war, about 5.6 million people, most of them women and children, have fled from Syria to Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey. Many Syrian refugees have gotten asylum in European countries as well. The entire infrastructure of Syria has been devastated. There is an acute scarcity of food and clean drinking water. Horrific tales of death and survival come every day from different corners of Syria.
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Several Islamic fundamentalists have been able to exploit the bloody suppression of Sunni Muslims by the Assad-Alawi regime. It has allowed the Jihadist groups in Syria, such as Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra Front, which controls a large part of north-west Syria, and the Islamic State (ISIS) to capture large tracts of north-eastern Syria. These Jihadist groups have incited emotions in Sunni Muslim youths by calling Alawis a greater evil and their complete disregard for Islamic duties. Under the influence of Jihadist propaganda, many disoriented youths have joined their ranks, ignoring the larger geopolitical connotations and its impact on humanity and world peace.
Recent Developments
In April 2023, the Arab nations started deliberations to bring Syria back into the folds of the Arab League. The thaw in relations between the Arab League and Damascus came due to Saudi Arabia's policy of rapprochement towards Iran and Syria to establish peace and stability in West Asia. As a result, in May 2023, Assad visited Saudi Arabia to attend the Arab League Summit in Jeddah, ending the 12-year suspension of Syria. Bashar-al-Assad also attended an emergency meeting called by the OIC and Arab League to discuss the Gaza-Israel conflict and the associated humanitarian issues. Syria may again come to focus after the ongoing crisis in Gaza and the USA Elections scheduled in November 2024.
References:
- The Nuṣayrī-ʿAlawīs: An Introduction to the Religion, History and Identity of the Leading Minority in Syria. By Yaron Friedman. Islamic History and Civilization, vol. 77. Leiden: Brill, 2010. Pp. xxii+325.
- Mahmud A. Faksh (1984) The Alawi community of Syria: a new dominant political force, Middle Eastern Studies, 20:2, 133-153, DOI: 10.1080/00263208408700577
- https://wDaniel Pipes (1989) The Alawi capture of power in Syria, Middle Eastern Studies, 25:4, 429-450, DOI: 10.1080/00263208908700793
- ww.aljazeera.com/news/2016/05/syria-civil-war-explained-160505084119966.html