History and Ethnology. Facts

Alawites are one of the ethno-religious communities in the world divided by state borders.

Alawites (Alawites), also known as nusayrites, are considered adherents of a religious offshoot in Islam, standing, according to some experts, on the border between the extreme directions of Shiism and a special religion. Some Muslim theologians (for example, followers of the famous fatwa of At-Tamimi) believe that they broke away from Shiism and went so far that they largely lost ties with Islam in general, turning into a special confessional group from a mixture of Islam, Christianity and pre-Islamic oriental beliefs (Zoroastrianism , Manichaeism, Gnosticism, astral cults).

The most widespread version is considered (while in European oriental studies there is a strong opinion that this tradition comes from the opponents and enemies of the Alawites) that the current was founded by the theologian Abu Shauib Muhammad Ibn Nusayr (d. About 883, hence - Nusairites). The latter, being an adherent of the eleventh Shiite Imam al-Hasan al-Askari, preached his divinity, and considered himself to be him a prophet and messenger. At the same time, almost all researchers who have dealt with the question of the origin of the Alawites admit that reliable information about Alawites modern science does not have. The Alawites themselves do not conduct religious proselytism and are extremely reluctant to disseminate information about their religion.

The following basic dogmas of this syncretic religious teaching are known. The Alawites recognize the existence of a trinity: "mana" (meaning), "ism" (name) and "bab" (gates), which were embodied in Ali, Muhammad and one of the latter's companions - Salman al-Farisi (considered the first non-Arab / was Persian / who converted to Islam). The deified Ali is recognized by the Alawites as the main figure of the trinity.

Like most of the extreme Shiite sects, the Alawites recognize the transmigration of souls ("tanasuh"). They reject the ritual and moral prohibitions of Islam; they deify Jesus, recognize Christian apostles, some saints and martyrs, call themselves by their names in the days of revered Christian saints, celebrate Christian holidays (Christmas, Easter). Alawites have their own religious literature; their main sacred book "Kitab al-Majmu" contains 16 suras and is an imitation of the Koran. Alawites are socially divided into “initiates” (“khasa”), to whom the clergy belongs, and ordinary believers (“amma”). Women are not admitted to worship and cannot be “initiates”.

Alawites are characterized by marginality in the bosom of Islam and a significant share of syncretism not only in the religious dogma of their doctrine, but also in the issue of their ethno-religious origin and genesis.

Some Muslims hated the Alawites and still treat them with a certain prejudice, arguing that their teaching is a perversion of the true faith. According to Muslim opponents of the Alawites, the Alawites themselves, in turn, also distanced themselves from Muslims and were much more willing to draw closer to Christians, whose women they often married. Thus, the rapprochement between the Turkish Armenians and the Kurdish-Alawite Zaza tribe (in the Dersim region) was so close that the present descendants of Turkish Armenians retained the memory of the “Zaza Armenians” (by the way, the “Zaza Kurds”, who so easily approached Armenians, who venerated their shrines, who went to their priests, etc., at the same time considered any communication with a Muslim to be the greatest desecration). This explains the repeated emergence of hypotheses according to which the Alawites are the descendants of Christians. There is a concept according to which the Alawites are descendants of the population of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilician.

At present, the total number of Alawites is more than two million people. Most live in Syria (about 2 million, according to various estimates - from 11 to 15% of the country's population), primarily in the Latakia-Tartus region. In Syria, the Alawites are also compactly settled in the regions of Hama and Homs. In Turkey, the Alawites live mainly in the so-called Syrian part of Turkey (in the Alexandretta region); several tens of thousands of Alawites settled in the Turkish provinces of Hatay, Adana and Ichel (Mersin). There are several thousand Alawites in Lebanon. About 2,000 Alawites are settled in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The division of the Alawites is expressed in their predominant settlement in the territory of two neighboring states - Syria and Turkey. If in relation to the former, the presence of the Alawites is characterized in a progressive manner and has all the potential properties of strengthening their positions in the social and political life of the Syrian statehood, then in relation to the Alawites of Turkey, experts mainly operate with the concepts of ethno-religious discrimination. Suffice it to note that in Turkey the Alawites are still not recognized by the central authorities as a protected minority, and in general the very concept of "minority" in Turkey is interpreted in a very peculiar way. According to the Lausanne Treaty of 1923, only religious minorities were officially recognized as minorities in Turkey.

In Syria, the French in August 1920. created an "autonomous territory of the Alawites" with the capital in Latakia, which on June 12, 1922. was declared the "State of the Alawites". This state had its own flag: white with a yellow sun in the middle and four red corners. Its population was 278 thousand people, of which 176 thousand were Alawites. The "Alawite State" was annexed to Syria by the French on December 5, 1936, despite the protests of the Alawite sheikhs. The Syrian Alawites, who were afraid of falling under the rule of Sunni Muslims, began, firstly, to declare that Alawism belonged to Islam (the first such declaration was made in July 1936), and secondly, to persistently strive for occupying prestigious posts in Syria, that they and succeeded in 1971, when Alawit Hafez Assad became President of Syria. This caused the outrage of many believers, who pointed out that, according to the constitution, only a Muslim can be president of Syria. In response to this, in 1973. in Syria, the Alawites were officially recognized as Muslims (the Shi'i movement). Currently, there is a process of gradual rapprochement between the Alawites and the Imamite Shiites (or Twelver Shiites), who make up the overwhelming majority of Shiites in the world (they form about of all Shiites). This process was initiated by Hafez al-Assad and is continued by his son Bashar al-Assad. Mosques are being built in Alawite villages, Alawites are encouraged to observe the fast of Ramadan and other Muslim rites.

Being a marginal and discriminated ethno-religious community in Turkey, the Alawites in Syria overcame the complex of deprivation of their own statehood, which had a chance of strengthening in 1920-30. However, their insufficient numerical presence in the country where they form the political elite may affect in the future the prospects for keeping the political ruler of the Syrian state for the Alawites. Experts believe that Syria has not yet fully overcome the "image of a country with the will of a minority imposed on the majority."

In Syria, the Alawites are traditionally represented by the rural population, although in recent decades there has been a fairly strong desire for their migration to cities. Until recently, the Alawite areas were considered the poorest and most undeveloped in Syria due to their geographic isolation due to the mountainous terrain in their areas of residence. The Syrian Alawites continue to maintain tribal ties, although their role has somewhat weakened in recent decades. As a rule, there are 4 confederations of Alawite tribes (in descending order of their numbers): Kalabiya, Hayatya, Haddadiyya and Mutavira. For various reasons, within the Alawite community, there are contradictions between the religious sheikhs, who are the top social structure Alawite Muslim community, and tribal, between noble families and peasants. Even in the colonial era, individual representatives of the Alawites, thanks to individual efforts, tried to make a career in the government or military service. However, this process intensified sharply after Syria gained independence in April 1946. It was during this period that a steady tendency was outlined for the entry of part of the Alawite youth into political parties and organization. At the same time, reaching a certain level, the Alawites sought to increase their influence in these structures by surrounding themselves with their fellow tribesmen, that is, relying on intra-community (or tribal) solidarity.

Thus, the experience of effective adaptation of the Alawites to the Syrian state tradition is combined with the historical marginality of their political participation in the life of another state with their significant numerical presence (Turkey). The Alawites are one of the few ethno-confessional communities in the world, whose characteristic parameters could combine: 1) unreliability of ethnoreligious origin; 2) marginality on the territory of one of the centers of its historical settlement; 3) adaptation and effective integration in another hotbed of its traditional presence.

Application

Alawite state

In 1922. after major unrest that engulfed the entire country, France had to proclaim the formation of a "Federation of Autonomous States in Syria" consisting of three states: Damascus, Aleppo and the Alawite entity. However, the federation was not identical to the unity of Syria. The federation was headed by a president and a federal council elected for a year. Under the president, three federal directorates were formed: finance, public works and civil affairs.

This invention of the French administration proved to be short-lived. Already on December 5, 1924. the federation was liquidated and Syria declared a single state, which included Damascus, Aleppo and the Alawite State. The latter existed within the framework of the French mandate from 1922. until 1936, although the Alawites sought complete independence. The Alawite state included two former sanjaks - Latakia (regions of Latakia, Jable, Baniyas, Masyaf, Hafera) and Turtus (regions of Tartus, Safita, Tell-Kalyakh). In addition to 176 thousand Alawites on the territory of this public education inhabited by 52 thousand Sunnis, 44.5 thousand Christians, 4.5 thousand Ismailis. Since 1930 The Alawite state also had its own constitution. But despite possessing their own statehood, the Alawites remained economically and socially inferior to the Sunnis, and these traditional attitudes could not be changed by simple administrative measures.

Objectively overpopulated Alawite region with poor rocky soil and low level development of the productive forces remained one of the most backward in Syria. This backwardness was also recorded in social indicators. During the years of the French mandate, about 61% of all Alawites suffered from trachoma, which stood out even against the general low, from a medical point of view, background. Epidemics, vitamin deficiencies, and persistent malnutrition have led to high infant mortality rates. The educational level of the Alawites was also very low. Of the total number of students who attended in 1936. state schools in Latakia, only 27% were Alawites, although Alawites accounted for over 60% of the province's population.

The unequal position of the Alawites was especially pronounced in the sphere of legal support for the functioning of their community. Sunni laws and Sunni courts were in force throughout Syria. To give a certain status to the Alawite community, it was necessary for it to have its own official judicial system, courts and judges.

In 1936. the French decided to annex the Alawite state to Syria. Alawite sheikhs opposed this and sent a protest to the Prime Minister of France. It noted that the Alawite people, who have maintained their independence for many years, differ in their religion, customs and way of life from the Sunnis. In addition, the granting of independence to Syria, although it is a positive moment, would mean the establishment of domination of the Sunni clans over the Alawites. In this regard, the Alawites cannot agree to the French demand to join Syria. This letter was signed by prominent Alawite sheikhs - Suleiman Murshid, Muhammad Suleiman Ahmed, and others.

However, on December 5, 1936. The Alawite state was annexed to Syria in accordance with French decree # 274. The French insisted on maintaining administrative and financial independence for the Latakia region, which finally became part of the Syrian Republic in April 1946. But such a curtailed sovereignty did not suit the Alawites, and therefore the movement for independence among them continued. However, the Alawite leaders began to act based on the new conditions, that is, taking into account the inevitability of the existence of the Alawite community within the framework of a united Syria, and in the future, in anticipation of the liquidation of the French mandate.

From about the second half of the 1930s, on the initiative of the Alawite sheikhs, a new reformation of Nusayrism began, which, like some other sectarian movements, pursued the goal of adapting its doctrine to new conditions and preserving the identity of the community.

In July 1936. Alawite clerics published a proclamation, which emphasized the following: “in refutation of the arguments that the Alawites are not Muslims, after exchanging views and considering the fundamental historical and theological works, we declare: 1) every Alawite is a Muslim, and the Alawites are Muslims believe in Allah, Muhammad and recognize the five commandments of Islam; 2) the one who recognizes Islam, but rejects the Noble Koran as his holy book, and Muhammad, as his prophet, is not an Alawite from the point of view of Sharia. "

In order to ensure the knowledge of the dogmas of faith and the teaching of theological disciplines in a normal environment conducive to the acquisition of knowledge, at the suggestion of Sheikh Khabib, local community"Jafari", which taught various subjects, including Shiite jurisprudence according to the canons of Imamism. In it, Alawite sheikhs could receive the appropriate Shiite education. The society settled in Latakia and had branches in Tartus, Jable and Baniyas. Jafari Society in 1952 was recognized by the Syrian authorities.

The Act of Recognition of Nusayrism as a Shi'i Current in July 1973. wore a political rather than a theological connotation. According to the most orthodox Sunni and Shiite authorities, the Syrian Alawites did not become orthodox Shiites as a result of this, especially since the essence of the Alawite doctrines and the degree of changes that they underwent, if any, remain unknown.

However, the political events that took place in the 1970s in the Middle East could not but have an impact on the Alawite religious community. The Iranian Revolution promoted religious reform within the Alawite community. In August 1980. Syrian President H. Assad met with Alawite community leaders and religious sheikhs in Kardah, where he called on religious sheikhs to modernize and reform, and strengthen ties with the main centers of Shiism.

The ritual side of Islam was greatly simplified by the Alawites. They kept the Ramadan fast, but it lasts for them only half a month (not a month). There are no ritual ablutions, prayer only twice a day (instead of five). Many Islamic bans have been lifted, including the ban on alcohol.

Peoples and religions of the world: Encyclopedia (chief ed. V.A.Tishkov), M., 2000, pp. 781-782.

Dersim is a mountainous area located in the western part of northern (Turkish) Kurdistan, between the two upper branches of the Euphrates. Here (now the Turkish province of Tunceli) Kurds live - speakers of the Zaza dialect. In this area in 1920-1921. the anti-Turkish protest of the Kurds began, which became known in history as the Kochkiri-Dersim movement. Later, in 1936-1938, an uprising began in Dersim under the leadership of Sheikh Seit Riza, the recognized leader of Dersim. Until 1936. Dersim enjoyed de facto autonomy. The transformation of this area into the Tunceli vilayet with a special regime of government caused an uprising under the leadership of the Dersim sheikh Seyid Reza. The uprising was suppressed only in 1938.

Alawites, http://www.ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alawites.

It is noteworthy that among the "propagandists" of this theory, in particular on the Internet, there are many authors and sources of Jewish origin. The stencil “Internet image” of this theory is, for example, the following Internet resource: “The Alavites are descendants of the population of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilician. The beginning of the Cilician kingdom dates back to 1080, and the Cilician kingdom fell in 1375. The population that survived in the mountainous regions of northwestern Syria and southern Turkey to some extent retained their original religion, which has undergone only a limited influence of Islam. ... those Armenians who preserved their religion remained Armenians. Now the Alawites and Armenians are two different peoples. And their languages ​​are different. But in order to become different nations it is quite enough to change religion. Serbs and Croats speak the same language, which is called Serbo-Croatian. They are separated only by the fact that Croatians are Catholics and Serbs are Orthodox. Another part of this people who profess Islam is called the Bosniaks and lives in the now independent Bosnia-Herzegovina. Jews and Phoenicians are one and the same people. Hebrew and Phoenician are one and the same language. The only difference is religion. The Jews professed (and are professing) Judaism, and the Phoenicians were pagans. As a result, Jews are Jews, and Phoenicians are a completely different people ”(M. Makovetsky, Former Armenians, http://www.proza.ru/texts/2006/11/29-202.html).

By agreement Taif 1989. the Alawite community, as an officially recognized ethno-confessional community of Lebanon, has two seats in the country's parliament.

See, for example, Dilek Kurban, Confronting Equality: The Need for Constitutional Protection of Minorities on Turkey’s Path to the European Union, 2003, http://www.rightsagenda.org/dosyalar/dokuman/dilekkurban-columbiaarticle.doc.
One of the most recent expert assessments regarding the situation of the Alawites in Turkey notes that representatives of the Shiite Alawite minority in the country are viewed by “especially zealous followers of the ruling Justice and Development Party as true apostates” (Rajan Menon, S. Enders Wimbush, Is The United States Losing Turkey? (Hudson Institute, Working Paper, 25 March 2007), p.9, http://www.hudson.org/files/pdf_upload/Turkey%20PDF.pdf).

The Lausanne Treaty refers not to national, but to religious minorities. Until now, Turkey is trying to identify minorities on its territory not by ethnocultural, but by religious criteria. Moreover, in the text of the Lausanne Treaty there is no direct mention of exclusively Armenian, Jewish and Greek religious minorities. It was the further practice of Turkey's application of the relevant articles of the Lausanne Treaty that unlawfully limited the circle of minorities to the indicated three ethno-religious communities.

See Appendix for details.

In Iran, the teaching of the Imamites is the state religion.

VF Shchennikov, The place of Syria in the Arab world after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime // Collection "The Middle East and Modernity", Issue 20, M., IIIIBV, 2003, http://www.iimes.ru/rus/public. html.

K.I.Polyakov, A.Zh. Khasyanov, The problem of stability in Syria in the XXI century, the Middle East and the present, Collection of articles (Issue 9), M., 2000, p. 210.
In Syria, the Alawites almost completely control the government, the top of the army, and hold key positions in the economic sector. Traditionally, 90% of the top commanding staff of the army and intelligence services were from the Alawite minority. This situation developed at the stage of the formation and strengthening of the Syrian state, even in the first years of the rule of Hafez Assad. It remained that way for all subsequent years. It is not surprising that the Alawites formed a "shadow club of the elite" ("Supreme Alawite Council"), which made decisions on all fundamental and socio-economic issues. The Alawites took under their strict control not only law enforcement agencies, but also state structures, economic institutions, and part of big business.

Alawites

Alavits (alawites, arab. العلويون ‎‎ - al- "Alawiyūn), also known as nusayrit(by the name of the founder; arab. نصيريون - Nuṣayriyūn, tour. Nusayriler), "Kyzylbashi", "Ali-Alla"(deifying Ali); K. M. Basili in the authoritative work "Syria and Palestine under the Turkish government in historical and political terms" uses the term " Ansarii". In some cases, the term "Alawites" (for Turkey and, less often, Albania) is used to refer to the Bektashi.

Alavism is the name for a number of Islamic religious trends, branches or sects, according to some experts, standing on the border between extreme Shiism (gulat) and a separate religion. Some Muslim theologians (for example, followers of the famous fatwa (interpretation / view of the problem) Ibn Taymiyyah believe that the Alawites broke away from Shiism and departed in their views and religious practice from the dominant Islamic trends so far that they largely lost the right to be considered part of Islam in general. turning into a special religion - a mixture of Islam, Christianity and pre-Islamic oriental beliefs ("jahiliya").

The term Alawites is used for self-designation and designation of not one, but several independent Muslim sects, different in both genesis and religion, according to which the Turkish "Kyzylbash" and the Syrian "Alawite" have neither common roots nor common religious practice. So, the term can be delineated Alawi(in relation to the Syrian Nusayrites) and Alevi(in relation to the Turkish Alawites). S. Gafurov pointed to a significant difference between the Turkish and Syrian Alawites, but emphasized that this issue remains unresolved in European oriental studies. The differences between the Levantine and Asia Minor groups of Nusairites can be explained within the framework of the classification of the Alawites into "solar" - "lunar" and "western" - "eastern". Gafurov, within the framework of the materialist understanding of the history of religions, emphasized that the difference in cult can and should be understood as a result of different socio-economic conditions for the existence of Alawite social groups in Syria and Turkey, where the Nusayrite religion "reflects the class interests of various social groups - the feudal lords in Syria and the petty bourgeois strata in Turkey."

The following text applies primarily to the Syrian Alawites, including the ethnic Syrians living in Turkey, mainly in the Alexandretta region. The Turkish Alawites, numbering, according to some statistics, from 10 to 12 million, apparently represent an independent phenomenon that is very different from the Levantine.

Among Western and, according to some memoirs, Russian ("Leningrad school") orientalists, there is an alternative classification, according to which the Alawites are not an independent sect, but a modified Shiite Sufism, hidden by the principle of "takya".

Origin

It is traditionally believed (while in European oriental studies it is assumed that the tradition comes from the opponents and enemies of the Alawites) that the movement was founded by the theologian Abu Shauib Muhammad Ibn Nusayr (d. In Basra approx.), Who, being an adherent of the eleventh Shiite imam al-Hasan al- Askari, preached his divinity, and called himself his messenger - "Gate" (Bab).

Population and settlement

It is impossible to establish the exact number of Alawites due to the absence in Syria and Turkey of identifying them as an independent group in population censuses. It is believed that in Syria there are from 10 to 15% of the population, that is, about 3 million, previously, primarily in the Latakia-Tartus region. In Turkey, where the Alawites have been persecuted since 1826, their number cannot be determined, however, benevolent sources say that they account for up to a third of the country's total population, and 1 million Arab Alawites live in Turkey (mainly in the Syrian part of Turkey, that is, in the province Hatay) and Lebanon (about 200,000 people), as well as in the Golan Heights (about 10,000 people) living in the Druze environment. Also, a part is located on the territory of Azerbaijan (among the Kurds and Persians, as well as Azerbaijanis of the Lankaran and Jalilabad regions) and Iran (the main part is in Tabriz). The Alawite tribes of Syria are divided into four groups: Hayatya, Kalyabiya, Haddadiya and Mutavira.

History

The beginning of the history of the Alawites is little known, but in the 16th century in the Levant (in Jubail and in Baal-bek), two sovereign Alawite families, Sheikhs Beni Hamadi and Emir Harfush, intensified and were recognized by the Ottoman government because of the Euphrates.

The Turkish government systematically incited conflicts between the Alawites, Ismailis and Druze to oppose the feudal freemen, consistently supporting one or the other side. By the 18th century, the Alawites had succeeded in almost completely ousting the Ismaili clans from the Levant, mainly as a result of hostilities.

In the 18th century, "the powerful Alawite sheikh Nasif Nassar could field several thousand excellent cavalry, owned rich lands and many castles" (Basili). Among other things, he acted as an ally of the Russian fleet on the expedition during Russian-Turkish war 1768-1774, when Catherine II sent a Russian squadron under the command of A.G. Orlov from the Baltic to the Mediterranean for operations against the Turkish fleet and to support the anti-Turkish movement of the Greeks and Slavs. After the defeat of the Turkish fleet on June 26, 1770 in the battle in the Chesme Bay, the Russian squadron exercised complete control over the eastern part Mediterranean Sea... The main base of the Russian fleet was located on the island of Paros in the port of Auza, from where Russian ships blocked the Mediterranean possessions of Turkey and destroyed the remnants of the Turkish fleet.

During Bonaparte's Egyptian campaign, the Alawites supported the French army in the siege of Acre. Napoleon I Bonaparte wrote in his work about the Egyptian campaign about the participation of the Alawites in the siege of Acre as follows: “A few days later, there appeared a mass of metuals (Alawites) - men, women, old people, children - in the amount of 900 people; of these, only 260 were armed, and half had horses, and the other half did not. The commander-in-chief (Napoleon writes about himself in the third person) granted mentics to the three leaders and returned to them the possessions of their ancestors. In the past, the number of these metuals reached 10,000; Jezzar (Turkish governor) killed almost everyone; these were the Muslim Alids. General Vial crossed Mount Saron and entered Sur - ancient Tire; this was the realm of the Alids. They set out to scout the coast to the foot of the mountains; they began to prepare for hostilities and promised to deploy 500 well-armed horsemen to march to Damascus by May. "

After the surrender of the French Expeditionary Force, the Alawite sheikhs fell victim to vengeance Turkish Pasha, Egyptian Mamluks and local feudal lords. They tried to seek salvation from their historical enemies, the Druze, but they refused help, mainly due to the uncertainty of their own status and historical ties with Britain. Nevertheless, the Druze sheikhs were able to significantly reduce the scale of the massacre, which did not take the form of genocide, but was limited to the elimination of a significant part of the feudal elite and a sharp reduction in the territories controlled by the Alawite sheikhs (especially in Palestine. The power of the Alawite sheikhs remained only in the Latakia-Kasyun region).

Foundations of the faith

In European oriental studies, it is generally accepted that modern science does not have... Information about the Alawites was obtained from random or hostile sources, as well as from the renegades of Alawism. The Alawites themselves do not engage in religious proselytism and are extremely reluctant to disseminate information about their religion. An added complication is that the Alawites practice taqiya allowing them to observe the rituals of other religions, while maintaining faith in their souls.

There is not entirely reliable information that the main holy book of the Alawites - "Kitab al-Majmu", contains 16 suras and is an imitation of the Koran. There are no completely reliable texts of Kitab al-Majmu at the disposal of European orientalists. It is believed to begin like this: “Who is our master who created us? Answer: this is the emir of the believers, the emir of faith, Ali Ibn Abu Talib, God. There is no God besides him. "

Some experts believe that the Alawite doctrine is based on the idea of ​​the "Eternal Trinity": Ali as the embodiment of Meaning, Muhammad as the embodiment of the Name and Salman al-Farsi, the prophet's companion and the first non-Arab (Persian) who converted to Islam as the embodiment of the Gate (“Al- Bab. ”“ Gate ”is the title of the closest associate of every imam). They are expressed by the letters: "ain", "mim" and "sin" - Amas. European religious preachers and confessional orientalists ascribe to the Alawites a strong adherence to "secret knowledge" and a penchant for mystical constructions.

Gnostic orientalists, on the basis of the testimony of the renegades of Alavism, believe that Ali is the embodiment of Divine Meaning, that is, God; everything that exists is from him. Muhammad - Name, reflection of God; Muhammad created al-Farsi, which is the gateway of God through the Name. They are consubstantial and inseparable. Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and the wife of Ali, is also highly revered as a sexless being from the light of al-Fatir. It is impossible to cognize God, unless he himself reveals himself, appearing in the form of a man; There were seven such phenomena (in the person of the prophets recognized by Islam): Adam, Nuh (Noah), Yakub (Jacob), Musa (Moses), Suleiman (Solomon), Isa (Jesus) and Muhammad. All these are the incarnations of Ali. Muhammad himself, according to the Alawites, declared: "I am from Ali, and Ali is from me"; but Ali was the essence not only of Muhammad, but also of all the previous prophets.

At the same time, according to Christian missionaries, the Alawites also greatly revere Isa (Jesus Christ), Christian apostles and a number of saints, celebrate Christmas and Easter, read the Gospel and partake of wine at services, use Christian names. Among the Alawites there are 4 main confessional organizations, most likely not subordinate to each other, worshiping the moon, sun, evening and morning dawn, but they have disagreements on this issue. The so-called "shamsiyun" (sun worshipers) believe that Ali "came from the heart of the sun." Fans of light believe that Ali "came from the eye of the Sun", while "kalyaziyun" (after the name of the founder - Sheikh Muhammad Kalyazi) identify Ali with the Moon. In addition, the Alawites are divided into those who worship light (Nur) and darkness (Zulm).

By folk beliefs uneducated Alawites, people existed before the creation of the Earth and were luminous lights and planets; then they knew neither obedience nor sin. They watched Ali like the Sun. Then Ali appeared to them in different guises, demonstrating that one can only cognize him when he himself chooses the means for this. After each appearance, 7777 years and 7 hours elapsed. Then Ali-God created the earthly world and gave people a bodily shell. From sins he created demons and shaitans, and from the machinations of shaitan - a woman.

It is believed that the Alawites recognize the transmigration of souls (tanassuh). According to popular belief, after death, the soul of a person moves into an animal, and the soul of a bad person - into those animals that are eaten; after sevenfold incarnation, the soul of the righteous enters the stellar sphere, while the soul of the sinner enters the sphere of demons. Many European orientalists believe that, according to the Alawites, women have no soul. There is doubtful information that Alawites do not teach women prayers and do not allow them to attend their services.

From Muslim sources it follows that in the Islamic tradition the Alawites reject the Sharia madhhabs of the Sunnis and, possibly, the Shiites (however, after 1973, the Shiites include Alawites in their number), as well as those of the hadiths that go back to the true and imaginary enemies of Ali - the first caliph Abu -Bakru (as the "usurper" of the power of Ali) and the wife of the prophet Aisha (who fought against Ali).

Cult, rituals, organization

Alawites divide between the elect, possessing secret knowledge, and the unenlightened mass. The chosen ones are called "special" ("khasa"), others - "privates" ("amma"). The judiciary an imam exercises over any community; without him, many rituals also cannot be carried out. The next, after the imam, the categories of sheikhs are “nakib” (representing Muhammad) and “najib” (representing Salman). They say that only one who was born of a father and mother, Alawites, can have a Hassa. There is information that they are ordained to khasa when they come of age (18 years old), in a meeting of "special" people under the leadership of a local imam; having informed the initiate of the secrets of religion, they take an oath from him not to divulge them, in support of which he takes communion with a glass of wine and utters the sacred word “Amas” five hundred times (Ali, Muhammad, Salman). The rituals of the Alawites are also surrounded by a touch of mystery: according to the enemies of the Alawites, they are performed at night in special chapels (kubba, Arabic: dome) located in high places. Alawites usually do not go to mosques built by Alawites in their localities, and mosques previously often fell into disrepair, and now their maintenance is funded by Alawite communities, which are characterized exclusively by high level religious tolerance.

The Alawites are descendants of the population of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilician. The beginning of the Cilician kingdom dates back to 1080, and the Cilician kingdom fell in 1375. The population that survived in the mountainous regions of northwestern Syria and southern Turkey to some extent retained their original religion, which has undergone only a limited influence of Islam. In modern Syria, Alawites make up 10-12% of the population and live mainly in the vicinity of Latakia (northwestern part of Syria). They also make up a significant part of the population in Turkish Alexandret (Turkey's border with Syria). In the religious doctrine of the Alawites, residual Ismaili Islam is combined with elements of ancient Eastern astral cults and Christianity. Alawites worship the sun, the moon, believe in the transmigration of souls, celebrate a number Christian holidays are Christian names. The Alawites also believe in the divine trinity, to which they include Imam Ali, the Prophet Muhammad and Salman al-Farsi (one of Muhammad's companions). Outside Syria, the Alawites are not recognized as Muslims, but in Syria they are considered a sub-community of Shiites, since, according to the Syrian constitution, only a Muslim can be the president of the country, and the recognition of the Alawites as Muslims opens the way for them to power. Alawites currently, accounting for 10% of the population of Syria, completely control the entire country. The entire Syrian elite, including President Assad, are Alawites. And those Armenians who preserved their religion remained Armenians. Now the Alawites and Armenians are two different peoples. And their languages ​​are different. But in order to become different nations, it is quite enough to change religion. Serbs and Croats speak the same language, which is called Serbo-Croatian. They are separated only by the fact that Croatians are Catholics and Serbs are Orthodox. And so it is, in general, one people. Another part of this people who profess Islam is called the Bosniaks and they live in the now independent Bosnia-Herzegovina. Different religious affiliations divided this people so much that until recently they fought fiercely among themselves. Jews and Phoenicians are one and the same people. Hebrew and Phoenician are one and the same language. The only difference is religion. The Jews professed (and are professing) Judaism, and the Phoenicians were pagans. As a result, Jews are Jews, and Phoenicians are a completely different people. Religion, if it is different, then it really is opium for the people. The people, faced with such a problem, usually disintegrate.

Alawites

Alawites, also known as "Kyzylbashi" (apparently by analogy with the Persian Shiites-Kyzylbashs), "Ali-Alla" (deifying Ali) or Nusayrites (named after the founder) - an Islamic religious sect, standing, in fact, on the border between extreme Shiism and a special religion. They broke away from Ismailism and went so far that they largely lost ties with Islam in general, turning into a special religion from a mixture of Islam, Christianity and pre-Islamic oriental beliefs (Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, Gnosticism, astral cults).

Origin

The movement was founded by the theologian Abu Shauib Muhammad Ibn Nusayr (d. In Basra c. 883). The latter, being an adherent of the eleventh Shiite Imam al-Hasan al-Askari, preached his divinity, while he considered himself a prophet and messenger - "Gate".

Foundations of the faith

The main holy book of the Alawites, Kitab al-Majmu, contains 16 suras and is an imitation of the Koran. It begins as follows: “Who is our master who created us? Answer: this is the emir of the believers, the emir of faith, Ali Ibn Abu Taleb, God. There is no God besides him. "

The Alawite doctrine is based on the idea of ​​the "Eternal Trinity": Ali as the embodiment of Meaning, Muhammad as the embodiment of the Name and Salman al-Farisi, an associate of the Prophet and the first non-Arab (Persian) who converted to Islam as the embodiment of the Gate ("Al-Bab." "- the title of the closest associate of any imam). They are expressed in the letters: "Ain", "Mim" and "Sin-Amas": the Alawites, with their commitment to "secret knowledge" inherited from the Ismailis, are generally inclined towards Kabbalistic constructions. In this trinity, Ali is the embodiment of Divine Meaning, that is, in essence, God himself; everything that exists is from him. Muhammad - Name, reflection of God; Muhammad created al-Farisi, which is the gateway of God through the Name. They are consubstantial and inseparable. Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and the wife of Ali, is also highly revered as a sexless being from the light of al-Fatir. It is impossible to cognize God, unless he himself reveals himself, appearing in the form of a man; there were seven such phenomena (in the person of the prophets recognized by Islam): Adam, Nuh (Noah), Yakub (Jacob), Musa (Moses), Suleiman (Solomon), Isa (Jesus) and Muhammad. All this is Ali's waxing. Muhammad himself (according to the Alawites) declared: "I am from Ali, and Ali is from me"; but Ali was the essence not only of Muhammad, but also of all the previous prophets.

At the same time, the Alawites also greatly revere Isa (Jesus Christ), Christian apostles and a number of saints, celebrate Christmas and Easter, read the Gospel at services and partake of wine, use Christian names. They also worship the moon, the sun, evening and morning dawn, but on this issue they have disagreements. The so-called "shamsiyun" (sun worshipers) believe that Ali "came from the heart of the sun." Fans of light believe that Ali “came from the eye of the Sun”, while “kalyaziyun” (after the name of the founder, sheikh from Galilee Muhammad Kalyazi) identify Ali with the moon. In addition, the Alawites are divided into those who worship light (Nur) and darkness (Zulm).

According to the beliefs of the Alawites, people existed before the creation of the Earth and were luminous lights and planets; then they knew neither obedience nor sin. They watched Ali like the Sun. Then Ali appeared to them in different guises, demonstrating that one can only cognize him when he himself chooses the means for this. After each appearance, seven thousand seven hundred and seven years and seven hours elapsed. Then Ali-God created the earthly world and gave people a bodily shell. From sins he created demons and shaitans, and from the machinations of shaitan - a woman. Like most Shiite sects, the Alawites believe in the transmigration of souls (tanasuh). After death, the soul of a person moves into an animal, and the soul of a bad person - into those animals that are eaten; after sevenfold incarnation, the soul of the righteous enters the stellar sphere, while the soul of the sinner enters the sphere of demons. Women have no soul. Alawites do not teach women to pray and are not admitted to their services.

In the Islamic tradition, the Alawites reject the Sharia, as well as those of the hadiths that go back to the true and imaginary enemies of Ali - the first caliph Abu Bakr (as the "usurper" of Ali's power) and the Prophet's wife Aisha (who fought against Ali).

Cult, rituals, organization

Following the Ismailis, the Alawites draw a sharp division between the elite, who possess secret knowledge, and the unenlightened mass. The elect have the name "special" ("hassa"), others - "privates" ("amma"). Any community is led by an imam, he is Ali's representative on earth, he knows the future, without him no rituals can be conducted. The lowest, after the imam, categories of sheikhs are “nakib” (representing Muhammad) and “najib” (representing Salman). Hassa can only be one who was born of a father and mother - Alawites. They are ordained to khasa when they come of age (18 years old), in the assembly of "special" people under the leadership of the local imam; having informed the initiate of the secrets of religion, they take an oath from him not to divulge them, in support of which he takes communion with a glass of wine and utters the sacred word "Amas" (Ali, Muhammad, Salman) five hundred times. The rituals of the Ismailis are also surrounded by a touch of mystery: they are performed at night in special chapels (kubba, Arabic: dome) located in high places.

The ritual side of Islam was greatly simplified by the Alawites. They kept the Ramadan fast, but it lasts for them only half a month (not a month). There are no ritual ablutions, prayer only twice a day (instead of five). Many Islamic bans have been lifted, including the ban on alcohol.

Relationship with other religions

The faithful Muslims hated the Alawites, especially since their teaching was close to Islam and therefore was perceived not as a special religion, but as a perversion of the true faith. The Sunni ulama assured that the Alawites were more evil heretics than the Jews, and “the harm from them to the community of Muhammad is greater than from the Turks, French and others. They do not really believe in Allah, or in his Prophet, or in the Koran. " The Alawites themselves, in turn, also distanced themselves from Muslims and were much more willing to draw closer to Christians, whose women they often married. Thus, the rapprochement between the Turkish Armenians and the Kurdish Alawite tribe Zaza (in the Dersim region) was so close that the present descendants of Turkish Armenians retained the memory of the “Zaza Armenians” to their priests, etc., at the same time they hated Muslims and considered any communication with a Muslim the greatest desecration). This explains the repeated appearance of hypotheses according to which the Alawites are the descendants of Christians: either the Crusaders, or the Cilician Armenians, etc.

Alawites in the twentieth century

Alawites in both Turkey and Syria have always strongly supported the secularization of society and the struggle for civil equality. In Syria, the French in August 1920 created an "autonomous territory of the Alawites" with the capital in Latakia, declared the "State of the Alawites" on June 12, 1922. This state had its own flag: white with a yellow sun in the middle and four red corners. Its population was 278 thousand people, of which 176 thousand were Alawites. The state was annexed to Syria by the French on December 5, 1936, despite the protests of the Alawite sheikhs. The Syrian Alawites, who were afraid of falling under the rule of Sunni Muslims, firstly began to declare that Alawism belonged to Islam (the first such declaration was made in July 1936), and secondly, they stubbornly strive to occupy prestigious posts in Syria, which they succeeded quite in 1971, when Alawit Hafez Assad (by the way, from the uninitiated mass - "Amma") became the President of Syria. This aroused the indignation of many believers, who pointed out that, according to the constitution, only a Muslim can be the president of Syria; the official recognition of the Alawites as Muslims (the Shi'i movement), which took place in 1973, could not calm this indignation. It is fueled by the fact that Assad's co-religionists have become practically the dominant group in Syria. This, in turn, incites Wahhabist sentiments in Syria, which become the banner of opposition to the secular Alawite regime. However, at present, there is a process of gradual rapprochement of the Alawites with the Shiites-twelve-fold, which make up the overwhelming majority of Shiites in the world. This process was initiated by Hafez Assad and continues under his son Bashar. Mosques are being built in Alawite villages, Alawites observe Ramadan and other Muslim rites. The authorities are putting pressure on the Alawite clergy to refuse to recognize Ali's divinity. In the foreseeable future, the final merger of Alawism and Shiism is expected.

Population and settlement

Currently, there are about 2.5 million Alawites, the majority in Syria (1.7 million, that is, more than 11% of the population), primarily in the Latakia-Tartus region, and in Turkey (mainly in the Syrian part of Turkey, that is, in the Alexandretta region ). The Alawite tribes of Syria are divided into four groups: Hayatya, Kalyabiya, Haddadiya and Mutavira.

Origin

The movement was founded by the theologian Abu Shauib Muhammad Ibn Nusayr (d. In Basra c. G.). The latter, being an adherent of the eleventh Shiite al-Hasan al-Askari, preached his divinity, while he considered himself a prophet and messenger - "Gate".

Foundations of the faith

The main holy book of the Alawites, Kitab al-Majmu, contains 16 suras and is an imitation. It begins as follows: “Who is our master who created us? Answer: this is the emir of the believers, the emir of faith, Ali Ibn Abu Taleb, God. There is no God besides him. "

The Alawite doctrine is based on the idea of ​​the "Eternal Trinity": Ali as the embodiment of Meaning, as the embodiment of the Name, and Salman al-Farisi, the Prophet's companion and the first non-Arab (Persian) who converted to Islam as the embodiment of the Gate ("Al-Bab." - the title of the closest associate of any imam). They are expressed in the letters: "Ain", "Mim" and "Sin-Amas": the Alawites, with their commitment to "secret knowledge" inherited from the Ismailis, are generally inclined towards Kabbalistic constructions. In this trinity, Ali is the embodiment of Divine Meaning, that is, in essence, God himself; everything that exists is from him. Muhammad - Name, reflection of God; Muhammad created al-Farisi, which is the gateway of God through the Name. They are consubstantial and inseparable. The daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and the wife of Ali is also highly revered as a sexless being from the light of al-Fatir. It is impossible to cognize God, unless he himself reveals himself, appearing in the form of a man; there were seven such phenomena (in the person of the prophets recognized by Islam): Adam, Nuh (Noah), Yakub (Jacob), Musa (Moses), Suleiman (Solomon), Isa (Jesus) and Muhammad. All this is Ali's waxing. Muhammad himself (according to the Alawites) declared: "I am from Ali, and Ali is from me"; but Ali was the essence not only of Muhammad, but also of all the previous prophets.

At the same time, the Alawites also greatly revere Isa (Jesus Christ), Christian apostles and a number of saints, celebrate Christmas and Easter, read the Gospel at services and partake of wine, use Christian names. They also worship the moon, the sun, evening and morning dawn, but on this issue they have disagreements. The so-called "shamsiyun" (sun worshipers) believe that Ali "came from the heart of the sun." Fans of light believe that Ali “came from the eye of the Sun”, while “kalyaziyun” (after the name of the founder, sheikh from Galilee Muhammad Kalyazi) identify Ali with the moon. In addition, the Alawites are divided into those who worship light (Nur) and darkness (Zulm).

According to the beliefs of the Alawites, people existed before the creation of the Earth and were luminous lights and planets; then they knew neither obedience nor sin. They watched Ali like the Sun. Then Ali appeared to them in different guises, demonstrating that one can only cognize him when he himself chooses the means for this. After each appearance, seven thousand seven hundred and seven years and seven hours elapsed. Then Ali-God created the earthly world and gave people a bodily shell. From sins he created demons and, and from the wiles of the shaitan - a woman. Like most Shiite sects, the Alawites believe in the transmigration of souls (tanasuh). After death, the soul of a person moves into an animal, and the soul of a bad person - into those animals that are eaten; after sevenfold incarnation, the soul of the righteous enters the stellar sphere, while the soul of the sinner enters the sphere of demons. Women have no soul. Alawites do not teach women to pray and are not admitted to their services.

In the Islamic tradition, the Alawites reject, as well as those that go back to the true and imaginary enemies of Ali - the first caliph (as the "usurper" of the power of Ali) and the wife of the Prophet (who fought against Ali).

Cult, rituals, organization

Following the Ismailis, the Alawites draw a sharp division between the elite, who possess secret knowledge, and the unenlightened mass. The elect have the name "special" ("hassa"), others - "privates" ("amma"). Any community is led by an imam, he is Ali's representative on earth, he knows the future, without him no rituals can be conducted. The lowest, after the imam, categories of sheikhs are “nakib” (representing Muhammad) and “najib” (representing Salman). Hassa can only be one who was born of a father and mother - Alawites. They are ordained to khasa when they come of age (18 years old), in the assembly of "special" people under the leadership of the local imam; having informed the initiate of the secrets of religion, they take an oath from him not to divulge them, in support of which he takes communion with a glass of wine and utters the sacred word "Amas" (Ali, Muhammad, Salman) five hundred times. The rituals of the Ismailis are also surrounded by a touch of mystery: they are performed at night in special chapels (kubba, Arabic: dome) located in high places.

The ritual side of Islam was greatly simplified by the Alawites. They kept the Ramadan fast, but it lasts for them only half a month (not a month). There are no ritual ablutions, prayer only twice a day (instead of five). Many Islamic bans have been lifted, including the ban on alcohol.

Relationship with other religions

The faithful Muslims hated the Alawites, especially since their teaching was close to Islam and therefore was perceived not as a special religion, but as a perversion of the true faith. The Sunni ulama assured that the Alawites were more evil heretics than the Jews, and “the harm from them to the community of Muhammad is greater than from the Turks, French and others. They do not really believe in Allah, or in his Prophet, or in the Koran. " The Alawites themselves, in turn, also distanced themselves from Muslims and were much more willing to draw closer to Christians, whose women they often married. Thus, the rapprochement between the Turkish Armenians and the Kurdish Alawite tribe Zaza (in the Dersim region) was so close that the present descendants of Turkish Armenians retained the memory of the “Zaza Armenians” to their priests, etc., at the same time they hated Muslims and considered any communication with a Muslim the greatest desecration). This explains the repeated appearance of hypotheses according to which the Alawites are the descendants of Christians: either the Crusaders, or the Cilician Armenians, etc.

Alawites in the twentieth century

Alawites in both Turkey and Syria have always strongly supported the secularization of society and the struggle for civil equality. In Syria, in August, the French created an "autonomous territory of the Alawites" with the capital in, declared the "State of the Alawites". This state had its own flag: white with a yellow sun in the middle and four red corners. Its population was 278 thousand people, of which 176 thousand were Alawites. The state was annexed to Syria by the French, despite the protests of the Alawite sheikhs. The Syrian Alawites, who were afraid of falling under the rule of Sunni Muslims, firstly began to declare that Alawism belonged to Islam (the first such declaration was made in July), and secondly, they stubbornly strive to occupy prestigious posts in Syria, which they quite succeeded in the city when the Alawite (by the way, from the uninitiated mass - "Amma") became the President of Syria. This aroused the indignation of many believers, who pointed out that, according to the constitution, only a Muslim can be the president of Syria; the official recognition of the Alawites as Muslims (the Shi'i movement), which took place in 1973, could not calm this indignation. It is fueled by the fact that Assad's co-religionists have become practically the dominant group in Syria. This, in turn, incites Wahhabist sentiments in Syria, which become the banner of opposition to the secular Alawite regime. However, at present, there is a process of gradual rapprochement of the Alawites with the Shiites-twelve-fold, which make up the overwhelming majority of Shiites in the world. This process was initiated and continues under his son Bashar. Mosques are being built in Alawite villages, Alawites observe Ramadan and other Muslim rites. The authorities are putting pressure on the Alawite clergy to refuse to recognize Ali's divinity. In the foreseeable future, the final merger of Alawism and Shiism is expected.

Population and settlement

Currently, there are about 2.5 million Alawites, the majority in Syria (1.7 million, that is, more than 11% of the population), primarily in the Latakia region, and in Turkey (mainly in the Syrian part of Turkey, that is, in the Alexandretta region) ... The Alawite tribes of Syria are divided into four groups: Hayatya, Kalyabiya, Haddadiya and Mutavira.

There is a war going on in Syria now, as a result of which at least one nation in the world could become less. We are talking about Alawites.

This people lives in Syria, as well as on the territory of several states neighboring with Syria: Turkey, Lebanon and Israel.

The main feature that unites the Alawites into one people is religion. For an enlightened Europe, this method of uniting large groups of people is in the distant past. Gone are the days when Catholics in France massacred the Huguenots, and the Catholic lands of Germany fought to death with Protestants (as a result of which Germany became depopulated by a third during 30 years of this glorious war). But the method of forming nations according to the religious principle is still alive in some places even in Europe. Ethnically identical South Slavs were divided into Serbs, Croats and Bosnians precisely according to this principle. And no one guarantees that some religious principle of dividing and uniting people will not be implemented in Europe again.

In the East, where the professed religion practically determines the way of life, the recognition of "ours" - "alien" according to the principle of confessing one religion lives on, and more and more bloody sacrifices are brought to this Moloch.

Alavism, as a religious movement, emerged in the 16th century on the territory of Lebanon (then it was called the Levant). These lands at that time belonged to the Ottoman Empire.

Alawites are a branch of Islam. Although their enemies often refuse to call them Muslims on the grounds that there are many remnants of early Christianity and even paganism in Alawism. But European scholars have very vague and superficial information about the religion of the Alawites.

However, the fate of the Alawites is unenviable. According to the Koran, neighbors professing "correct" Islam are obliged to lead the Alawites to the "truly correct teaching" or to destroy them. There is no third. This is another reason for the unification of the Alawites. They have before their eyes an example of the Druze, persecuted in all Islamic countries as heretics.

As you know, Islam is divided into two warring branches: Sunni and Shiite. Alawites are Shiites because they revere Caliph Ali, a cousin, son-in-law and companion of the Prophet Muhammad. The name "Alawites" just comes from the name of Ali. Since the Alawites live compactly among the Sunnis, their Shiite faith is another reason for enmity. The Alawites have their own sacred book, Kitab al-Majmu, which, according to religious scholars, consists of 16 chapters (suras) and is an imitation of the Koran. The Qur'an is also revered by the Alawites as a holy book. There is evidence that the Alawites worship the sun and the moon, and also believe in the transmigration of souls. This prompts many Muslim scholars to say that Alawism is not righteous and faithful Islam.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Alawites collaborated with the French colonialists, hoping that they would build a constitutional society in the country, all members of which would have equal rights regardless of their confessional affiliation. At the same time, the Sunnis completely refused to cooperate with the French. And they looked with hatred at the Alawite state, which, thanks to France, was created in the south of the country in the Latakia region.

So to all the obvious troubles that persecute every minority compactly living among other nations, political troubles were added to the problems of the Alawites. They were all the more aggravated when, in 1970, a military coup took place in Syria, as a result of which Alawit Hafez al-Assad became president. The father of the current president of Syria, of course, ruled his country like a dictator, which caused hatred among many peoples and confessions inhabiting Syria. Religious authorities insisted that the Alawites, not quite - in their opinion - Muslims, seized power in Syria, whose president, according to the constitution, must be only a Muslim.

In 1973, a bloody uprising against the Alawite regime took place in the city of Hama. There can be no doubt that the uprising was bloody. In the East, any uprisings or revolutions mean a sea of ​​blood. Hafez al-Assad suppressed this uprising no less bloody. At the same time, at least 30 thousand people died, and the city of Hama was badly destroyed. According to unconfirmed reports, Hafez al-Assad used against the rebels chemical weapon... Guess from once who this weapon was purchased from? Probably in the country that declared itself true friend the Syrian people.

It is clear that the memory of the bloodletting that the Assad regime perpetrated in Syria was kept and cherished. It is clear that the hostilities that began in Syria in 2011 are costing the peaceful Alawites. Therefore, it is clear that there are no peaceful Alawites in Syria now. Until recently, all Alawites supported President Bashar al-Assad.

However, since 2014, the Alawites have refused to support the dictator. In their opinion, the Assad regime is now fighting only for itself and for its power. The Alawites themselves need to negotiate with the Sunni majority in Syria in order to survive. In many ways, neighboring Iraq is an example for them, which is also multinational and also multiconfessional. At the very least, a fairly stable regime has been established there. Moreover, the Iraqi army is quite successfully fighting the troops of the Islamic State.

Russia got involved in this difficult conflict, as always, headlong. The trouble is that it does not have a definite strategy in this region and all hope is pinned on a military solution. The opinion of experts who are well versed in the situation in Syria and who offer certain positive solutions is not listened to and is not taken into action. Meanwhile, both Syria and Russia could benefit from sensible policies in the area.