Description
Throughout the turbulent history of the Levant the 'Alawis - a secretive, resilient and ancient Muslim sect - have aroused suspicion and animosity, including accusations of religious heresy. More recently they have been tarred with the brush of political separatism and complicity in the excesses of the Assad regime, claims that have gained greater traction since the onset of the Syrian uprising and subsequent devastating civil war.The contributors to this book provide a complex and nuanced reading of Syria's 'Alawi communities -from loyalist gangs (Shabiha) to outspoken critics of the regime. Drawing upon wide-ranging research that examines the historic, political and social dynamics of the 'Alawi and the Syrian state, the current tensions are scrutinised and fresh insights offered. Among the themes addressed are religious practice, social identities, and relations to the Ba'ath party, the Syrian state and the military apparatus. The analysis also extends to Lebanon with a focus on the embattled 'Alawi community of Jabal Mohsen in Tripoli and state relations with Hizballah amid the current crisis.
Table of Contents
Introduction: For God, Syria, Bashar and nothing else?Michael KerrPart I. Alawis: Secrecy and Survival1. The Genesis of Syria's Alawi MinorityAslam Farouk Alli2. The Alawis in the Ottoman PeriodStefan Winter3. Community, Sect, Nation: Colonial and Social Scientific Discourses on the Alawis in Syria during the Mandate and Early Independence PeriodsMax WeissPart II. Alawis and the Syrian State4. 'Go to Damascus, my son': Alawi Demographic Shifts under Ba'ath Party RuleFabrice Balanche5. Syrian Alawis and the Ba'ath PartyRaymond Hinnebusch6. The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood's Alawis ConundrumRaphaël LefèvrePart III. Alawi Communities, Identities and Power7. Alawi Diversity and Solidarity from the Coast to the InteriorLeon T. Goldsmith8. Patronage and Clientelism in Bashar's Social Market EconomyAlan George9. The Alawis of Tripoli: Identity, violence and urban geopoliticsCraig Larkin and Olivia MidhaPart IV. Alawis in Conflict and Contestation10. Chasing Ghosts, the Shabiha PhenomenonAron Lund11. Alawis in the Syrian OppositionCarsten Wieland12. Repression is not 'a Stupid Thing': Regime Responses to the Syrian Uprising and InsurgencyReinoud Leenders
