MESOP REPORT : Syrian ‘Alawis Slam Assad Regime For Its Treatment Of ‘Alawi Sect

Memri Dispatch – 2.4.2014 – Since the onset of the uprising and fighting against Bashar Al-Assad’s regime in March 2011, the common belief has been that the ‘Alawi sect, to which Assad belongs, constitutes his major support base. In the three years since the start of the revolution, some ‘Alawi voices did object to Assad’s conduct  but the weight they carried on the Syrian street and within the ‘Alawi sect was unclear. However, recently there have been more reports, mostly in media outlets hostile to the Syrian regime, of increasing displeasure with the regime among the ‘Alawi sect due to the heavy toll ‘Alawis are paying for the association with Assad and also due to the fact that the regime takes their support for granted. This displeasure is also expressed on social media and articles written by ‘Alawis.

According to various estimates, since the outbreak of the war tens of thousands of ‘Alawis have died, which constitutes a significant portion of its population, estimated at two million. Most of the dead were youths fighting in Assad’s defense. In February 2014, the London-based Qatari daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported that families of youths who had been killed were furious, and quoted them as saying: “Assad sends our children to die… Would he send his own children to die? Assad has not lost any family members.”

One of the main reasons for ‘Alawi anger with the regime is its handling of the issue of ‘Alawis captured by opposition forces. According to ‘Alawi sources, the regime does not do enough for them and even refuses to act to release them. This criticism increased following the regime’s recent prisoner swap with opposition forces on March 10, 2014, in which the regime released 150 female prisoners in return for 13 nuns kidnapped in December 2013 by Jabhat Al-Nusra (JN) in the town of Ma’aloula. This was not the first time that the regime agreed to release prisoners in return for people who were not ‘Alawi or even Syrian. In January 2013 the regime released more than 2,000 prisoners in return for 48 Iranians kidnapped by the opposition near Damascus, and in October 2013, it released several dozen female prisoners in return for 9 Lebanese citizens kidnapped in the town of ‘Azaz. In fact, there has never been a swap in which the regime released prisoners in return for opposition forces releasing ‘Alawi hostages.

The following are several expressions of ‘Alawi displeasure with the Assad regime:

Social Media Bloggers: Assad’s Policy Is An Existential Threat To ‘Alawis

One post that was widely quoted on social media was by Naser Alnukari, who identified himself as an ‘Alawi and protested the fact that the regime does nothing to release ‘Alawis kidnapped by opposition groups, even though they were kidnapped because of the policies of the regime, which people associate with the ‘Alawi sect.

Alnukari wrote: “To honorable President Dr. Bashar Hafez Al-Assad: Only today I learned that we ‘Alawis are worthless in your country! I was overjoyed at the release of the nuns and thank the gunmen for not demanding that one thousand ‘Alawis be executed in return for their [release]!! I have no doubt that you [Assad] thought of this. Where are the ‘Alawis of Adra? Where are more than 176 ‘Alawi women and girls [kidnapped] on the coast?! Have we become meaningless in the eyes of your officials? Are we [mere] property of people we do not know? Tell us the truth! Do you own us ‘Alawis? Mr. President, we are those who paid and still pay the price for the lawlessness of your governors and the widespread theft by the officials you appointed, who are not [even] ‘Alawis! Did anyone demanded [to return] the bodies of our dead [held] at the Canadian [hospital in Aleppo] or elsewhere?… Excuse me, Mr. President, but your policy has become a real existential threat to ‘Alawis! Starting today I am committed to doing anything [I can] to defend myself as an ‘Alawi against your lethal policies towards me and towards all ‘Alawis! We are human beings!

We have feelings and we cry too! Believe me, we are like everyone else, and I hope you do not forget that! During the [entire] history of ‘Alawis, from the third century after the Hijra [9th century CE] and until today, they have not faced such extermination. And by whom? By a country whose president is an ‘Alawi!!”

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