Since the overthrow of Bashar Assad and the ascension of Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, to become the new president of Syria, there have been a series of attacks on, or between, various ethnic and religious groups. Latakia, on the coast, is the stronghold and heartland of the Alawites who formed the backbone of support for the Assad regime, with the army’s leaders, its officer corps, and many of its men, being Alawites like Assad himself. The Alawites are an offshoot of Shi’a Islam, and regarded by many Sunnis as too unorthodox to be considered true Muslims. Thus there are both political and religious reasons for the now-victorious Sunnis in Syria to want to crush the Alawites, to punish them for their long support of Assad, and to make sure that the Alawites understand that in the new Syria they exist not by right but by sufferance.
In Latakia, after Alawites had launched an attack on government forces, Sunni Muslims belonging to various Islamic groups and also, apparently, to the regular army, launched a series of reprisal attacks on Alawites in the region. Those attacks lasted from March 6 to March 17, and at least 1500 Alawites, mostly civilians, were killed. Some Alawites say that “tens of thousands” were killed. In addition, there have been intermittent murderous attacks on Alawites in Damascus and other cities outside the Alawite heartland. President Al-Sharaa claimed that forces under his control had nothing to do with the attacks, and he promised to punish those responsible for attacks on Alawite civilians. But that did not reassure the Alawites, in Latakia and elsewhere, who now live in fear of Sunni attacks. And so far, Al-Sharaa’s promises to see justice done have led to no arrests of Sunnis.
In addition to the Alawites, the Christians of Syria have been subject to attack from Sunni Muslims, mostly in Damascus and Aleppo. On June 22, just outside of Damascus, the ancient church of Mar Elias (St. Elias) was blown up in a suicide bombing by an Islamic jihadi. Twenty-five worshippers were killed and sixty wounded. The top Greek Orthodox religious authority in Syria described the bombing as the “worst attack on Christians in Syria” since 1860.
Al-Sharaa vowed that those behind the bombing would be found and called for national unity against “injustice and crime.” But many Christians in Syria have been angered that their dead were not described as “martyrs,” as Muslim victims of terrorist attacks routinely are, and they do not trust that the government possesses either the will or the ability to protect them from further attacks by Sunni jihadis. There is a fear of a mass exodus of Christians. ISIS sleeper cells still have a presence in the country; Al-Sharaa has not dared to take them on and try to expel them from the new Syria, the country where, according to Al-Sharaa, all minorities will be safe. Instead, no minority has been safe.
At the funeral for the church bombing victims, John Yazigi, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, insisted that “We are a main component in this country and we are staying.” But many of his flock are leaving. At first, they were willing to give the new regime a chance, but they no longer trust Al-Sharaa’s assurances that they will be safe.
Christians made up about 10% of Syria’s prewar population of 23 million, enjoying freedom of worship under the Assad government and holding high government posts. Now the Christian population has decreased from more than 2.2 million at the start of the civil war to 300,000 today. In a nationwide survey conducted in May, 85% of Sunnis said they felt safe under the current authorities, compared with 45% of the Christians, 21% of Alawites and 18% of Druze. who felt safe. Apparently the Kurds, of whom there are 2.5 million in Syria, were not part of the survey. And that survey was taken before the Mar Elias church was blown up; the percentage of Christians who “feel safe” in Syria has plummeted because of that attack.
Now Sunni jihadis, who have previously attacked Alawites in Latakia and elsewhere, and Christians in Damascus and Aleppo, have been attacking the Druze minority. Most recently, the Druze and Bedouin Sunnis have been fighting in southern Syria. The fighting seems to have been set off by the abduction, and possible murder, of a Druze merchant by Bedouin. The Druze are seen by many Sunni Muslims not as being “believers in a version of Islam,” but rather, as not being real Muslims at all.
That’s Syria today: Sunnis killing Alawites, Alawites killing Sunnis, Muslims killing Christians, Sunnis killing Druze, Druze killing Sunni Bedouins, Sunni Bedouins killing Druze, foreign fighters killing Kurds and Christians and Alawites. It’s a kaleidoscope of death, with each new shake leading to a picture of different aggressors and different victims. Maybe Al-Sharaa will in the end be able to stop these endless settling of scores, and of Muslim hardliners attacking those they consider to be insufficiently Muslim. Maybe domestic peace and tranquility will prevail, after the vast sums now being provided to Syria by the rich Arabs of the Gulf improve the country’s economy; the UAE has just promised to provide $800 million to rebuild the port at Tartous, so that it can be better used to bring in the enormous amounts of building material that will be needed for the physical reconstruction of the country. And the American government has now lifted its sanctions on Syria, a big boost to Al-Sharaa, who not so long ago, as a supporter of Al-Qaeda, had a $10 million bounty placed on his head by the American government. Maybe Al-Sharaa will be able to have all sorts of lions lie down with all sorts of lambs in Syria. But don’t bet the farm on it.
Billy says
Syria is another Muslim Terrorist Enterprise like Turkey, Iran, and the 50+ Islamic Countries against Non-Muslims as taught in Islam’s Quran(Quran 9:5, 29, 111, etc.). This is day-to-day life in a Muslim Country for the last 1000+ years.
Allah’s hateful-totalitarian Islam, a Criminal-Terrorist Enterprise and a Murderous-Demonic Cult of Believers, Muslim Soldiers for Allah, continually fund, promote, and practice ideological subversion, propaganda, bigotry, discrimination, deceit, mass murder, intimidation, supremacy, segregation, hatred, incitement to violence, genocide, and terrorism as taught in Islamic Law, Sharia, and in Islam’s Quran(Quran 9:41, 88; 5:35, etc.).
Allah’s Islamic ideology in Qur’an 8:39 commands Muslims to fight Non-Muslims until they surrender to Muslim rule when it says, “And engage in war with them[Non-Muslims] until there will not be sedition and the religion will be completely to Allah…” Hence, Muslim actions should be legally challenged with a multi-faceted force of Western Laws like Muslims wield against Americans and Westerners via Tax Exempt Organizations, the Media and Hollywood, Foreign Funding, etc. because Islam violates and is incompatible with Western Laws(Quran 9:5,29, 111; 47:4; 49:15; 60:4 etc.).
Like a Foreign Terrorist Organization(FTO) designated by the USA Secretary of State, Islam functions as a MUSLIM TERRORIST ORGANIZATION(MTO) fighting against Non-Muslims and NOT A PEACEFUL religion under Western Law because Islam funds, teaches, and promotes Terrorist Criminal Organizations with Muslims as Terrorists for Allah(Quran 9:5,29, 111; 49:15 etc.).
Allah’s Islam, a hateful Antichrist Ideology, is using Western Freedoms and Laws against Non-Muslims to conquer Non-Muslims under Islamic Rule. Non-Muslims should legally designate Islam as a Muslim Terrorist Organization(MTO) where Mosques, Muslim Schools, Islamic Centers, Sharia Courts, and Muslim Organizations are banned because of their incitement of segregation and discrimination to fight back against ISLAMIZATION, Muslim subjugation, and tyrannical violence(Quran 4:65; 9:5,29,111; 60:4; 98:6-7 and more).
Sahih Bukhari 3126 says, “… the Prophet said, He who fights so that Allah’s Word(ie. Islam) should be superior, fights for Allah’s Cause.” Allah, the Accuser, in Quran 9:111 says, “Surely Allah has purchased from the believers[Muslims] their souls and their money so that they may have the garden[Heavenly Paradise]. They engage in war for the sake of Allah[ie. Allah’s Cause), so they kill and are killed…”.
Under Islam and Islamic Law, Muslims have the Legal Right and the Quranic Duty to terrorize Non-Muslims because neglecting this QURANIC DUTY is a CRIME of Blasphemy, Unbelief, and Infidelity against tyrannical Allah. Jihad means warfare against Non-Muslims to ESTABLISH ISLAM’S RELIGION AS SUPREME(Quran 3:115, 151; 9:5, 29, 111; Muslim Law Manual: “Reliance of the Traveller”, o9.0 and more).
More specifically, Islam, a terroristic-totalitarian way of life, is a Muslim Terrorist Ideology and Murderous, Criminal Enterprise of: incitement, intolerance, continuous war, discrimination, segregation, slavery, supremacy, genocide, polygamy, propaganda, deceit, hatred, sedition, terrorism, and violence against all Non-Muslims as taught in the Quran(Quran 2:191, 208,216; 4:65, 89,91, 95, 115; 5:14,64; 8:12,39,60, 74; 9:5,21,29,36, 41,49, 73,88, 111,123; 21:92; 47:4; 49:15; 60:4; 61:9-11; 62:6; 89:14; etc.).
Wellington says
Muslims killing other Muslims. Nothing new but at least better than Muslims killing non-Muslims.
The curse of Islam continues. You bet it does.
somehistory says
Since my kiddom, I have liked kaleidoscopes. I gave two to my little granddaughters. They make great gifts for kids.
This one from what is happening in Syria….a place written about in the Bible….is nothing like a great gift unless the recipient is satan the devil. That demon is the “one having the means to cause death.”
somehistory says
“Netanyahu bombs Syrian troops after tribal bloodbath leaves 100 dead in Druze city”
“Israel claimed that they bombed Syrian government forces around the predominantly Druze city of Suweida after the two days of deadly wars between the Druze and the Bedouin tribes. The fights erupted in the Syrian region on Sunday, killing nearly 100 people.
In December, Israeli forces seized a United Nations-patrolled buffer zone along the occupied Golan Heights border and launched airstrikes across Syrian military sites.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/netanyahu-bombs-syrian-troops-after-tribal-bloodbath-leaves-100-dead-in-druze-city/ar-AA1IEhyJ?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=fa0bb417d60e40a2b2793679a7aec29f&ei=25
Gurek says
Increasingly the non-Muslims have no place in Muslim majority countries. In these nations, the forces that defend their rights are non existent. All because of the intolerant quran that claims Infidels are the worst. And since there are millions who take it seriously, don’t ecpect any change for good. It’s pure demonizing those outside your community.
Even Muhammad got scared when he received his first revelation. What do you expect from such a religion based on fear? But Muslims don’t like to talk about that.
Islam exploits people’s fears and feelings of guilt. At times many people would ask what did they do to deserve such mistreatment. Its source must be a human-hating and destroying force. If it wasn’t so, I don’t think people would naturally harm others; there must be some force tempting them.
Stephen Brown says
Wherever Islam is, death , hatred and evil accompany it. I hate islam.