ABSTRACT
The Syrian , or the Alawites (‘Alawīūn), as they are presently called, are an ethnic and religious minority group of great interest today, not least politically. The majority of the Syrian people are Sunni Muslims, but the leading stratum of the Ba’th party and the politically important corps of officers consists of Alawites, among them the most powerful men in Syria, such as the president of the Republic, al-Asad, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Members of his family have played, and play, a prominent role in the political life of the country, such as his brother Rif‘at, who has been the Commander of Sarāyā d-Difā‘, the Defence Units that surround Damascus and control its access routes; further his brother Jamīl al-Asad, who has had another leading position within the defence forces that are responsible for the security of the Alawites, and his cousin ‘Adnān al-Asad, who has been Commander of the Struggle Units, Sarāyā .
