The only way that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad can begin to encourage “a wider range of religions” to end his “pariah” status is to end Islamic supremacy in his country and encourage the freedom of religion, and that’s highly unlikely, because Iran supports Syria financially and “Tehran has continued to use Syrian ports—particularly the port city of Baniyas in Tartus governorates—as the main gateway to supply oil to its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, and its ally, the Assad regime.” However, Syria rejoined the Arab League in May.
Assad was also described as warmly welcoming “the bearded, turban-wearing Islamist cleric-cum-President of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, to Damascus.”
No matter what its intention — in this case an image boost for Assad — Syria cannot act in isolation, so Assad’s attempt to use “non-Muslim religions” to help boost his global reputation is a fallacy. Although Syria’s constitution is secular and Assad promoted himself as the protector of Syria’s minorities prior to the Syrian war, David Lesch, a professor of Middle East History at Trinity University, describes him as descending from “reformer to killer” at the start the war.
Religious minorities in Syria have not been spared. During the Syrian war, it was people of non-Muslim religions who suffered the most. Muslims also left the region in droves. Even after the crisis had ended, many were still entering illegally into Europe. Christians and Yazidis (in Northern Syria) suffered the most from the war itself and from persecution by the Islamic State. They were prevented from leaving and beaten in UN refugee camps. And last year, the National Catholic Reporter stated that jihadist militias “allied with Turkey” were “hunting down religious minorities.”
“Syria’s president wants non-Muslim religions to help end his pariah status,” Economist, July 13, 2023:
In woods, playgrounds and stadiums across Syria, children and adults perform yoga routines. Their palms open in supplication, their arms flung back, they chant “Surya Namaskar “. It sounds like an Arabic blessing for Syria, but means “sun salutation” in Sanskrit. Instructors in Hindu monks’ robes preach the teachings of Shiva, an Indian god said to have founded the practice. “We are offering relief from the stress of real and economic wars,” says a Syrian tutor. Two decades ago a Syrian known as Mazen Isa returned from Rishikesh, a city in the Himalayan foothills known for its yoga studies, and opened a yoga practice in Syria. Scores of meditation centres now operate, free of charge, across the country. A key to their success is that President Bashar al-Assad backs them.
For over a half century the Assad dynasty has allied its own Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shia Islam, with Syria’s myriad religious minorities in order to bolster the regime’s dominance over the country’s Sunni Muslim majority. But lately he has enabled other denominations to spread their roots. As well as encouraging yoga, he has let evangelical Christians open churches in houses where converted Muslims can worship. He has even encouraged Jews of Syrian origin to visit Damascus, the capital. This religious influx, he hopes, will swell the regime’s minority base and end his status as a pariah across the world….
࿗Infidel࿘ says
W/ all due respect, Christine is reading this wrong – by projecting Iranian policies on to Syria. Yeah, Iran backs Syria & Syria backs Hizbullah, but in Syria itself, non-sunnis were given special backing from the Ba’ath regime, be they Alawites, Christians, Druze or anyone else. The Syrian civil war – the “rebels” were the sunni jihadists – backed at the time by the Saudis, Qatar and Turkey, and included the likes of ISIS and Jabhat al Nusra. During the Syrian civil war, Christians, Yazidis and Druze all suffered, but that was at the hands of ISIS as well as those “rebels”, including the “Free Syrian Army”, which was for a while a tool of the Turks before they realized that they were being used, and broke ranks w/ Ankara: it was not the Assad regime that was persecuting them
The reason Syria was allowed back into the Arab League was that the Arabs recognized that Assad had won the war, but that Syria could be lost to Turkey if they didn’t recognize that part of realpolitik. So they got Syria to wind down its links w/ Iran, which was less able to pay them, since they’d prefer an Arab Syria, even if Alawite, to a Turkish Syria, even if sunni
somehistory says
Wasn’t bo funding Jabhat al Nusra.? Maybe both them and the FSA? I seem to recall his support for the “rebels” who were fighting the government.
And he allowed so many mozlums from syria into the U.S., but not the persecuted Christians.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Yeah, BO was one of those who wanted to topple the Assads at the behest of the sunni Arabs, and funded that Free Syrian Army that ended up w/ just 5 trained soldiers. The latter was later taken up by the Turks
It’s amazing how many Western countries have given those Syrians a visa w/o any expiry to move to the West & live there
somehistory says
I believe the nusra group was the one h clinton sent the weapons from Libya.
Some people should be behind bars for all of the death and destruction they caused with their evil greed and evil use of power.
tgusa says
Assad has been around for awhile. He has never struck me as an islamist but he certainly is scared of them. Whatever else he might be he is a survivor in a dangerous part of the world.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
He’s not an islamist. If you recall old articles here from Hugh years ago, where he described the Alawites and the Ba’athist party, the Assads (like Saddam next door) created a coalition of all minority groups in the country. In Saddam’s case, since the majority was shi’a Arab, he made a coalition of sunni Arabs, Christians, but not Kurds. In Assad’s case, since the majority was sunni Arab, he made a coalition of Alawites, Christians, Druze, but again, not Kurds
Also, although Alawite is regarded as shi’a islam thanks to an Iranian fatwa decades ago, there are things that they do that are a clean break from shi’a islam, such as using wine in certain ceremonies – like Christians but unlike muslims, belief in the transmigration of souls – again a concept alien to islam. One thing I do admire about them is how they’ve forcefully prevented Syria from becoming a sunni caliphate, whether it’s w/ the support of Iran or the Russians. When Christians started fleeing Iraq thanks to our “liberation” of that country, it’s Syria that they fled to, and during the Syrian civil war, they moved on to Lebanon
If Syria didn’t have an animus towards Israel, they’d actually be a force for good in the region
stevo says
It must be admitted, Assad is vastly more preferable than anything else on the table
Gurek says
The Western propagandists are fine with dictator Erdogan who openly targets his country’s minorities calling them “kuffar” while they demonise Assad who protects minorities. How pathetic.
somehistory says
As Isaiah wrote, it’s calling ‘bad, good, putting bitter for sweet, and darkness for light.”
It’s on purpose and it’s going to bring those who do it, “woe.”
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Very good point! Syria is a far better place for non-muslims than Turkey