Alawi

The Alawi are a religious group that formed over a thousand years ago from a faction of Ismaili Shia Islam that was subsequently influenced by Sunni Islam, Christianity, and previous faiths.  While they consider themselves Muslims, many orthodox Muslims do not because their theology is Trinitarian, they believe in reincarnation, and they reject the Qur'an as their holy book, among other divergences; they are noted for their devotion to Ali above Muhammad.

While most Alawis live in Syria, many also reside in Turkey and Lebanon. Alawis were considered heretics by the Ottoman Empire; after the First World War, the French Mandate favored the Alawites in Syria, enabling their rise in society, though the presidency was still reserved for the majority Sunni Muslims. When Hafez al-Assad gained power in a 1970 military coup, the constitution had to be amended to permit his ascendency. His son Bashar is also an Alawi.

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