ABSTRACT
From the start of the conflict, Alawites drew a lot of attention for their role in the survival of the Syrian regime, with their support being a key factor in the latter’s resilience against the revolution since 2011. However, Alawites’ relationships with the regime are more complicated than one might assume. Alawites have been involved in anti-regime activities for decades. They, however, faced an existential threat as they saw themselves surrounded by extreme jihadi groups, ISIS being the latest of an already-long list. The chapter discusses the historical, as well as current relevance of Alawite opposition to the regime in Syria, focusing on the salient effect of the rise of Islamic extremists amongst the ranks of the Syrian rebels, and the extent to which this rise has undermined the existing streams of Alawite opposition and made it ever more difficult for Alawites to identify with the overarching rebellion; voicing sympathy to an increasingly extreme Islamised revolution became unthinkable to most Alawites who might identify with the opposition.
