Quotes About Alawites

The regime isn't protecting Christians, it's only protecting itself. Assad isn't protecting Alawites, either. He's exploiting Alawites.

Shabeeha were the only ones armed at that time, apart from the security forces and the army. They were civilian, most likely Alawites, working for somebody connected to the Assad family or other influential families. They did whatever they wanted and nobody dared to stop them.

You know, many Alawites hated the Assad regime, and I think the regime knew that. They also know that the Alawite community is their lifeline, their base for survival.

The regime was basically doing everything possible to put sects against each other and create a toxic environment, where nobody trusts anybody and nobody knows who's in control. Every side had its own enemy. For Alawites, the enemy was extremist radicals. For Sunnis, it was the shabeeha.

While all Alawites fear vengeance against their entire community should Assad fall, there are varying degrees of loyalty to the Assads.