Now, many Alawites insist they too were victims of the ... The “I Love Tartous” sign was repainted in the colors of the new Syrian flag, as shown in this photo taken in Tartus, Syria, on ...

The feeling is a new one for the Alawites, a group that was powerful and influential during the dictator's rule. The Alawites are a minority sect which follows an esoteric offshoot of Shiite Islam.

Syria's Alawites are living in fear following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime, according to the Washington Post this week. During his rule, Assad recruited many Alawites as military ...