As preparations were being made to entomb former Syrian president Hafez al-Assad in a mausoleum nearby, a young Imam sat on the steps of the mosque and sighed, before confessing a dangerous theological and political truth.
“As Alawites we’re not Shi’a Muslim you know? We’re not strictly speaking very Muslim really. Under Assad we just subscribed to all that to create a power block with Shi’a in Lebanon, and in Iran, to support our minority rule.
