Who are the Alawites in Syria and why are they being attacked?

Clashes between Islamist Jihadist fighters affiliated with the new Syrian regime of Ahmad al-Sharaa (Abu Mohammed al-Jolani) and members of the Alawite community in the coastal cities of Latakia, Jableh, and Baniyas, erupted last Thursday, 6 March, with initial reports claiming an attack by Alawite gunmen on security forces from the new regime. 

Since Thursday, there have been various reports of armed gunmen, mostly coming from former Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham forces, or other related militias, roaming the streets in predominantly Alawite communities, shooting people indiscriminately in apparent revenge killings. 

The outbreak of violence drew attention once more to the precarious situation for Syria’s non-Sunni Muslim minorities, including the Alawites, the Shia Muslims, and the Christians under the new regime which is based on jihadist groups, many of which were branded as terror organizations by Western nations until the surprise collapse of the former Assad regime. 

The conflict has once more brought the obscure Alawite group into focus, with many wondering who this community is, and what role they played in Syria’s history. 

Who Are the Alawites?

The Alawites are a minority ethno-religious sect, who originated and mostly live in Syria. Their history is one of persecution due to theological and religious distinctions which led them to be branded as heretics by most branches of Islam. 

Historically known as Nusayris, the Alawites are similar to the Druze in that their distinct beliefs and practices have led them to only marry within their communities, creating an ethnoreligious identity. They primarily live in the Latakia and Tartus governorates of Syria, with smaller communities in Homs, Hama, and extending into Lebanon and Turkey. 

While their faith is often described as an offshoot of Shia Islam, the break with Shia groups happened around the 9th century, based on the teachings of Muhammad ibn Nusayr, for whom they were originally named.

Alawite beliefs are esoteric and syncretic, blending Islamic, Christian, and Gnostic elements. They venerate Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, as a kind of divine figure, although many still profess to believe in the Islamic principle of tawhid (the unity of God’s nature).

Their adoption of symbolic interpretations of the Five Pillars of Islam, along with beliefs such as reincarnation and the syncretistic adoption of some non-Islamic practices caused them to be rejected by mainstream Sunni and Shia Islam. 

Similar to the Druze, Alawites refrain from proselytizing, and their doctrines are only taught to initiated members of the community. 

History in Syria 

The Alawites were exiled to the Syrian coastal mountainous region during the Hamdanid dynasty, which ruled much of what is now called Syria, during the 9th-10th centuries. They were marginalized by various ruling Sunni dynasties, from the Umayyads to the Ottomans, often serving as laborers. 

The fortunes of the Alawites finally changed following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire by the Western allies of France and Britain, when the Ottoman territories were divided in the Sykes-Picot Agreement. Following that agreement, which saw the British receive the lands of Israel and Jordan, as well as Iraq, the territories now known as Syria and Lebanon were under the French Mandate. 

The French, in an attempt to prevent a Sunni rebellion, elevated various minority groups, including Christians, Druze, and Alawites, to positions of power in a strategy of “divide and rule.” The French also established an autonomous Alawite state along Syria’s coast, centered in Latakia, granting them political and legal autonomy from Sunni control. 

The French also promoted the renaming of the Alawites, who had largely been called Nusayris, from the name of the founder, Muhammad ibn Nusayr, instead calling them Alawites to emphasize their link to Ali and their distant Shiite history. 

However, the most impressive change in their fortunes came under the rise to power of Hafez al-Assad, an Alawite Air Force officer and Baath party leader from the small town of Qardaha, in the mountains overlooking Latakia.

The bloodless coup he led in 1970 ended a chaotic period of Syrian history that saw 17 attempted coups within a 20-year period. The Assad dynasty lasted over five decades, and further increased the influence of the Alawite community in Syria. 

As part of his “Corrective Movement”, Hafez al-Assad placed trusted Alawites in key positions within the army, intelligence services, and the government. He also used a system of patronage to further cultivate loyalty from Syria’s Alawite community. This system was continued by his son, Bashar al-Assad when he assumed rule in 2000. 

Bashar al-Assad further increased his dependence on the Alawites following the start of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, putting most important military roles in the hands of Alawite commanders. This strategy led to heavy losses among the Alawites during the war, while further increasing resentment towards the Alawites. 

Reversal and Reprisal 

Following the collapse of the Assad regime, there were fears of reprisal killings at the hands of HTS and other jihadist groups, however, interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa promised to grant amnesty to Syrian army members and vowed to preserve rights for minority communities, declaring a government for all Syrians. 

However, the violent clashes in March 2025, with reports of thousands of people being killed, including many civilians, indicates that fears of a Sunni revenge spree were not unfounded.

Many world leaders had rushed to meet the new Syrian president, hoping that the entry of his government to power, despite its jihadist past, finally represented a chance for peace. Now, as gunmen from the very militias which rapidly overthrew the Assad regime have carried out killings within the Alawite areas, few of those same leaders have spoken out. 

In fact, sensing a clear danger, reports over the past few days indicate that the Alawites may be reaching out to an old enemy, Israel, for help. On Friday and Saturday, there were unverified reports that Alawite leaders had reached out to the Israeli government asking for help.

While Israeli leaders have condemned the violence, it is not yet clear whether the government will be willing to offer aid. 

As of Monday, March 10, President al-Sharaa pledged to investigate the attacks and restore calm. It is not certain that al-Sharaa has the ability to impose control on the militias, and if not, the future of Syria’s minority communities lies under a shadow.