Abstract:
The civil war that started in Syria in 2011 began as a series of political disputes between
government forces and opposition groups. Tension mounted when citizens of Syria called for
their president, Bashar al-Assad, to step down from power. When government forces resisted
the will of the people, and instead used force against them, the country descended into all-out
war.
Two distinct groups surfaced in opposition to one another, with opposition rebels fighting
against the Syrian regime. But as the war progressed these two groups began to display
religious characteristics. Opposition groups began to represent a Sunnī Muslim rebel force,
while regime forces where represented by the Alawite sect, and as the war continued
elements of jihādism began to surface within the fighting.
Syria’s sectarian rifts began to reveal themselves as religious factions became more involved
in the fighting. These rifts are a result of centuries of violence and tension between Sunnī
Muslim and Alawites in the country. Their theological beliefs differ extensively from one
another, and over the course of history these differences have led to clashes between the two
groups.
The study looks at the historical interactions between Sunnī Muslims and the Alawites in
Syria, and identifies the theological differences between the two groups. The study then uses
these two elements to understand the religious violence that Syria is experiencing, and why
such intolerance is happening between the religious factions of the country.
