New Posts For Thread: Syria's Alawites, a secretive and persecuted secthttp://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/44011/29171483/Syrias_Alawites,_a_secretive_and_persecuted_sectwww.reuters.com/article/2012/02/02/us-sy...Since this comes from Reuters, I thought it likely to be attempting to be 'objective'. Like most 'Western' posters here, I lack detailed background information on the different tribal, etc groups throughoutAlbert Hourani wrote a monograph on minorities in the Arab World which was published by Oxford University Press in 1947. Keep in mind that once the Assad's came to power it was in their interests to give the Alawis a more Islamic image. This is how Hhttp://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/44011/29171483/Syrias_Alawites,_a_secretive_and_persecuted_sect?post_id=520691065#520691065Albert Hourani wrote a monograph on minorities in the Arab World which was published by Oxford University Press in 1947. Keep in mind that once the Assad's came to power it was in their interests to give the Alawis a more Islamic image. This is how HMon, 11 Jun 2012 01:06:12 -0500I found the accounts of Alawite theology very interesting - they seem to have some ideas in common with the Baha'i, who originated in Iran.I do not understand this business of 'divine' people at all: but I can certainly see where 'mainstream' Islamhttp://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/44011/29171483/Syrias_Alawites,_a_secretive_and_persecuted_sect?post_id=520690875#520690875I found the accounts of Alawite theology very interesting - they seem to have some ideas in common with the Baha'i, who originated in Iran.I do not understand this business of 'divine' people at all: but I can certainly see where 'mainstream' IslamMon, 11 Jun 2012 00:45:34 -0500The Alawi haven't faced persecution to speak of since the Ottomans (most of their history, I suppose is accurate that being the case but not in modern times...)That is not likely to be the case if they maintain solidarity behind assad to the bitter ehttp://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/44011/29171483/Syrias_Alawites,_a_secretive_and_persecuted_sect?post_id=520689851#520689851The Alawi haven't faced persecution to speak of since the Ottomans (most of their history, I suppose is accurate that being the case but not in modern times...)That is not likely to be the case if they maintain solidarity behind assad to the bitter eSun, 10 Jun 2012 23:24:42 -0500www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/02/us-sy...Since this comes from Reuters, I thought it likely to be attempting to be 'objective'. Like most 'Western' posters here, I lack detailed background information on the different tribal, etc groups throughouthttp://community.beliefnet.com/go/thread/view/44011/29171483/Syrias_Alawites,_a_secretive_and_persecuted_sect?post_id=520689613#520689613www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/02/us-sy...Since this comes from Reuters, I thought it likely to be attempting to be 'objective'. Like most 'Western' posters here, I lack detailed background information on the different tribal, etc groups throughoutSun, 10 Jun 2012 23:07:29 -0500