The circle of fear: Syrian Alawites in war and peace

Translation: Dr. Amer Sheikhounis Publication Year: 1437 AH - 2016 Print Edition: 1 Number of Pages: 388 pages Cover: Paper cover Publishing House: Dar Al-Arabi for Science Publishers The Alawite sect has been one of the most persecuted religious minorities in the Middle East for hundreds of years. Therefore, the rise of an Alawite man named Hafez al-Assad and his assumption of the position of President of the Syrian Arab Republic in 1970 was a significant achievement. The Syrian Alawite sect formed a basic popular base relied upon by Hafez al-Assad to support the rule he inherited from his son Bashar after him in 2000. Due to this support, the Alawites were described as the "controlling" or "ruling" sect in Syria, although these descriptions do not apply to the living conditions of many Syrian Alawites, who remained socially and economically backward. They also faced much pressure to suppress their religious beliefs during Assad's rule. Why did the Alawites continue to support the Assad family’s rule? Using a qualitative logical inductive approach based on fieldwork, interviews, and analysis of direct and indirect sources, this research studied the development and nature of Alawite politics. It also used Ibn Khaldun’s principle of "asabiyyah" (group feeling) as a general framework to study the main factors that can explain the Alawites’ support for the Assad family’s rule.