Country: Syria
Group: Alawi
Date Finalized: 4/20/2021
Team: Johanna McCombs (lead), Maya Shrikant, Omer Carrillo, Mahad Alam
The Alawi, also referred to as the Nusayri, originated in Iraq in the eleventh century. The differences between the Alawi and the Islamic groups has led to violence and discrimination (Balanche, 2015). The Alawite comprise less than 20% of the Syrian population, but starting int the 1970s, under the ruling Al-Assad family, Alawites came to dominate politics in the country. Former Syrian president Hafez Al-Assad provided protection to the Alawi from ethnic persecution targeted by the Sunni organization, the Muslim Brotherhood. After the death of Hafez Al-Assad in 2000, his son Bashar became the new president and continued his father’s sympathy for the Alawi (Minority Rights Group, 2018). Many Alawi resided in Aleppo but several fled their homes to Latakia because of attacks carried out by the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1980’s. With the ongoing civil war in Syria, many Alawi continue to migrate out of Aleppo (Balanche, 2015). More recently, Sunni rebels have also targetted the Alawi and in 2011 Sunni rebels tortured and kidnapped many Alawi. Snipers and Mortars targeted Alawi neighborhoods. Hundreds of thousands of Alawi fled to the coastal mountain range from the violence concentrated in urban areas (Balanche, 2015).
The data quality is a 2. There is reliable evidence that the Alawi were forced away in Syria. Although the information is limited, it provides sufficient evidence that the Alawi were forced away.
Sources
- Balanche, F. (2015). The Alawi Community and the Syria Crisis. Middle East Institute.https://www.mei.edu/publications/alawi-community-and-syria-crisis
- Minority Rights Group. (2021). Alawis. Retrieved April 14, 2021, from https://minorityrights.org/minorities/alawis/