🕯 Who Are the Alawites – and Why Are They Being Exterminated?
The Forgotten Community of Syria
You rarely hear about them in the news. In most churches, they’re virtually unknown. And yet, for centuries they have existed as a deeply spiritual minority in the Middle East. The Alawites, a private religious community rooted in ancient tradition, are being systematically eradicated in Syria.
Why?
Not because of what they do — but simply because of who they are.
And the world stays silent.
📖 Where Do the Alawites Come From?
The Alawites (also known as Nusayris) are a religious minority living primarily in Syria’s coastal regions such as Latakia, Tartous, and parts of Hama and Homs. Smaller communities also exist in Lebanon and Turkey.
Their beliefs trace back to the 9th century and blend elements of Shiite Islam, Gnosticism, and Christianity. Alawites venerate Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, as a divine manifestation. Their faith is mystical, symbolic, and traditionally kept secret from outsiders.
They believe in:
- Reincarnation
- A divine Trinity of God, the Word, and the Gate (similar in structure to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
- Celebrations of Christmas and Easter
- Fasting and prayer — though on different dates than mainstream Islam
Because of these unique beliefs, extremists have long viewed them as heretics or apostates.
🏡 How Do Alawites Live?
Alawites tend to live simple, peaceful lives in mountain villages or coastal towns. They are family-centered, hospitable, and deeply spiritual. They do not build large temples; prayer takes place in the home. Men and women have relatively equal roles.
They seek no conflict. No conquest.
Only peace, community, and the right to exist.
🔥 Why Are They Being Persecuted?
Today in Syria, Alawites are once again the target of a brutal cleansing campaign.
Since the rise of new militant groups posing as “freedom fighters,” the violence against Alawites has escalated into outright massacres. In places like Latakia, tens of thousands have been killed — often in horrifying ways. Children. Women. Elders. Entire villages have been wiped out.
The perpetrators? Extremist factions, funded or tolerated by foreign powers, who aim to eliminate everything that does not conform to their radical ideology.
To them, Alawites — like many Syrian Christians — are an obstacle to the reshaping of Syria into a new ideological state.
🤐 Why Is No One Talking About This?
There are no trending hashtags. No world leaders speaking out. No media crews on the ground. Why? Because Alawites don’t fit the accepted narrative.
They are not like mainstream Muslims. They are not quite like traditional Christians.
They don’t “belong” anywhere — except in the long history of persecution.
The West barely knows who they are.
And as long as that remains true, their extermination can continue silently.
🕊 What Can We Do?
Now that you’ve read this, you know who the Alawites are. You know what they believe. How they live. And why they’re dying.
Now you also know that your silence is a choice — but your voice can make a difference.
✅ Sign the petition demanding urgent international action to stop this genocide
👉 Sign the petition to spread the truth about Syria
💝 Donate if you can — we work directly with trusted local contacts, and every euro reaches those who truly need it
👉 Donate to our Syria project where all finances directly go to the people who need it in Syria.
🙏 Most importantly: pray. Pray for the Alawites. For the Christians. For every innocent soul living in fear and suffering in Syria today.
