Middle East Information Resource
Religions/Belief Systems - Alawis
The Alawis, or Alawites, are an Islamic sect found in the north-western mountains of Syria. The sect is an offshoot of the Twelver Shi’a. They believe that Imam Ali, the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law, was the sole legitimate heir who was deprived of his divine right to succeed Muhammad. The term `Alawis` came into use during the French Mandate, and replaced the term `Nusseiris.`
The Alawis generally follow the Shi’a. Their religious practice seems to be derived from the Isma’iliyya version of Shi’a, but their rituals include festivals of Christian and Zoroastrian origins. It is speculated that the Alawis as descendants of an ancient Canaanite people who remained isolated in the mountains of Syria, and were only marginally influenced by Christianity and Islam until recent times. They have retained many pagan Syrian customs, and they adopted the Arabic language and Isma’ili Islam in the Middle Ages.
They then became a separate sect, and some of their religion is secret, known only to the initiates. They reportedly believe in a holy trinity of Ali, the Prophet Muhammad and Salman al-Farisi i.e., the Persian, one of the Companions of the Prophet. Many Muslims regard them as on the fringes of Islam, or not even part of Islam. In Syria, however, they are for practical purposes considered Shi’i Muslims. The former and long time head of state, Hafez al-Asad, was a Alawi, and the Syrian constitution requires the president to be a Muslim. In 1973 the Lebanese Shi’i leader Mussa al-Sadr recognized the Alawis as Shi’i Muslims. Nevertheless, some Sunni-Muslims regard the Alawis as heretics.
Approximately seventy-five percent of the Alawis live in Syria and most of the rest are in the Alexandretta (Hatay) and Cilicia regions of southern Turkey, and some in northern Lebanon. In Syria, the Alawis are the largest minority group, about ten percent of the population, or about 1.5 million. Most of them live in mountain villages in the Ladhiqiyya district, on the north-western coast, also known as the Mountain of the Nusseiris. They comprise approximately two-thirds of the district’s population, though they are a minority in its capital, Ladhiqiyya.
Under Ottoman rule the Alawis were granted partial autonomy, due to their isolation in remote areas. However, in the mid-nineteenth century, the Ottoman government began tightening its control, and Alawis were tried in Sunni Muslim courts. In the first years of the French Mandaten in Syria, in 1920-1922, the Alawi region was recognized as an autonomous territory under a French governor. The French endeavored to stimulate economic and cultural advancement of the Alawis. In 1936 the Alawi state became part of Syria, with partial autonomy. When Syria became independent between 1944 and 1946, the autonomomy of the Alawis was ended. The Alawi revolted, but they were harshly suppressed.
Since the early 1960’s, the Alawis were disproportionately represented in the officers’ corps and high command of the Syrian military. This was partly due to French recruitment efforts for `Special Forces` they established. Many Alawis chose a military career as a means of social and economic advancement. Since the 1950’s, many Alawi officers have joined the Ba’th Party and its cells in the officers’ corps; they were attracted by the party’s seculat pan-Arab goals. When the Ba’th officers seized power in 1963, more Alawis joined. Since the mid 1960’s, Alawi officers have been a significant force in Syria’s political and military establishment. Salah Jadid, Hafez al-Asad, Ibrahim Makhus, Ali Douba, Ali Haidar, Adnan Makhluf and Muhammad al-Khuli are all Alawis. It is fair to say that Syria is ruled by an Alawi regime, but the Alawis are in economically and culturally the most backward community in Syria.
In northern Lebanon, Alawis are most of the faction that supports Syria. During the Civil War, from 1975 to 1990, they frequently fought Muslim-Sunni fundamentalist groups in Tripoli. Since 1992 they have had a presence in the Lebanese Parliament, with two seats. In Turkey, on the other hand, Alawis do not display strong communal cohesion or aspirations, perhaps because Turkish government is organized on secular principles.