Syria’s “Sunni Question” Is Here to Stay

Thomas Pierret (1)

1 IREMAM - Institut de Recherches et d'Etudes sur les Mondes Arabes et Musulmans

I contend that those observers who downplay the significance of the Alawite-Sunni divide in Syria understate Alawite domination over the regime, while they overstate the role of identity entrepreneurs in sectarianizing the conflict. In 2021, there is probably only one Sunni among the top 40 officers who head the Syrian army’s five corps, 21 divisions, provincial military-security committees, elite units, intelligence agencies, strategic weapons commands, and paramilitary affiliates. Sunni officers often command the less powerful security agencies attached to the Ministry of Interior, such as State Security and Political Security, but they operate under the close supervision of—formally—lower-ranking Alawite colleagues.

Mots clés: syria; sectarianism; identity

Domaines: Science politique

Thomas Pierret. Syria’s “Sunni Question” Is Here to Stay. 2022. ⟨hal-03509502⟩