Click to see full-size image. (Telegram)
A general strike by the Alawite community on the Syrian coast and nearby areas entered its fifth and final day on December 12, amid rising tensions with the country’s Islamist-led Interim Government.
The strike began on December 8, the first anniversary of the fall of the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad, a member of the community himself.
It was called by Sheikh Ghazal Ghazal, head of the Supreme Islamic Alawite Council in Syria and Abroad, who denounced attempts by the government to force Alawites to celebrate the occasion despite facing discrimination and violence since the fall of the Assad regime.
“They arrested, killed, slaughtered, kidnapped, and burned, and now they threaten our livelihoods… and force us to participate in celebration,” the prominent Alawite leader said in a statement on December 6.
Ghazal rose to prominence within the community after successfully organizing large protests across the coast and nearby areas in Homs and Hama on November 25. Thousands took to the streets at the time demanding a federal system in Syria.
The protests marked the first time Alawites took to the street to protest since March, when government forces cracked down on an armed uprising by members of the community and ended up killing over 1,400 civilians in a series of massacres.
The general strike, dubbed Al-Karamah [Arabic for dignity] Strike, has now proven to be another success for the Alawite council.
For the last five days, shops and businesses owned by Alawites have closed in Latakia, Tartus, Jablebla, Baniyas, some neighborhoods of Homs and many towns in Hama.
The impact of the strike was especially clear on the coast, where Alawites make up the majority of the population. Commercial life has virtually come to a standstill there.
Click to see full-size image. (Telegram)
Educational institutions and government agencies on the coast received orders from the government to tighten attendance controls. Officials were also required to stay at their workplaces full-time under threat of disciplinary sanctions, including dismissal.
In addition, on the very first day of the strike an Alawite young man was killed in latakia in another sectarian-fueled crime. Just before succumbing to his wounds, the man, Murad Mehriz, said that he was stopped by gunmen who asked him if he was an Alawite then opened fire at him when he answered with yes.
Despite all of these counter-measures, the government failed to turn the situation around, and the Al-Karamah Strike went on.
Throughout the strike, Alawites shared messages showing support to Ghazal and the Alawite council. The messages included phrases such as: “We are all with Sheikh Ghazal Ghazal,” “Striking is a right and a dignity,” and “The blood of the Alawites is not cheap.”
The success of the strike caused more tension with the government, which tightened security measures on the coast in particular.
The latest development, from the protests last month to the general strike, shows that the government has failed to subdue the Alawites by force, and that the community is planning to escalate its civil rights movement in a peaceful manner.
Despite this, the government has not yet engaged the Alawites, who remain largely excluded from all of its institutions, in any meaningful way.
The government continues to rely on a media-focused approach with no real substance in dealing with this sensitive issue. In the latest such stunt, it has been reported that President Ahmad al-Sharaa is planning to meet with a delegation from the community.
The Alawite council has already decried the legitimacy of any member of the community who would attend the meeting, and renewed calls for federalism.
“While the de facto authority seeks to form a delegation of individuals, purportedly representing the Alawites, to meet with the head of the interim authority, the Supreme Alawite Islamic Council categorically rejects this approach and any attempt to usurp the legitimacy of Alawite representation through groups negotiating service-related demands that fall far short of addressing our political and legal rights,” the council’s media office said in a statement released on December 11.
“The council’s demands reflect the clear sentiments expressed by the Alawite community during their street protests, following a full year of neglect, abuses, and violations against Alawites in the Syrian coast, Homs, and the Hama countryside. These demands are embodied in the political right to establish a federal system and political decentralization, as these are essential for restoring our rights and ensuring a just future for our community,” it added.
The government approach towards the Alawites is similar to that with Druze and even Kurds. It is yet to engage with the Druze de-facto authorities in al-Suwayad in any meaningful way, or advance the March integration agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in northern and eastern Syria.
Attempting to subdue and marginalize the minorities could eventually spark a new civil war in Syria, one that could end the existence of the already fragmented country.
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a nova guerra na síria:
turquia e governo sírio x curdos
alauítas x governo sírio
israel e drusos x governo sírio
portanto vão ser 3 guerras dentro da síria com estes atores uns contra os outros.
i wish them all the best! i cannot imagine how difficult their lives must be under isis/al nusra ultra-terrorist mossad occupation!
mas não é culpa do povo sírio, é culpa de putin que deu a síria aos eua em troca da ucrânia. o irã também devia ter superarmado a defesa aérea da síria e nada aconteceu para ela ser forte.