Alawite Stronghold in Syria a Haven Amid War
TARTOUS, Syria (AP) -- In this picturesque coastal city fiercely loyal to President Bashar Assad, beaches are dotted with swimmers, cafes are filled with Syrians smoking water pipes, and restaurant bars are packed with late night revelers, seemingly oblivious to the civil war raging in the rest of the country.
The Mediterranean port has emerged as an unusual example of coexistence in this country torn apart by sectarian violence. It is populated mostly by members of Assad's Alawite minority sect, the most diehard supporters of his regime. At the same time, hundreds of thousands have flocked here to escape violence in war-shattered cities such as Homs and Aleppo, many of them Sunnis, some with relatives fighting alongside the rebellion.
Despite a few small incidents of verbal arguments reported by residents, sectarian tensions are minimal. Neither side wants to bring the war here.
"I think we all realized that this is the last safe place in Syria," said Fuad, a Sunni chef in one of the city's restaurants, who arrived with his family from the Damascus suburb of Daraya four months ago. Like others interviewed by The Associated Press here, he spoke on condition he be identified by his first name only, or not at all, for security reasons.
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http://www.tallmadgeexpress.com/ap%20international/2013/08/30/alawite-stronghold-in-syria-a-haven-amid-war
What I find interesting is that in the areas controlled securely by the government, people feel safe and secure, but in rebel controlled areas, people are executed for being "blasphemous," women are told what they can and can't wear, and crime is rampant. Do the "Friends of Syria" hope that these last safe areas will be overrun my Islamist sectarian insurgents?
= new reply since forum marked as read
