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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Lebanon
Index
Several thousand Alawis were scattered throughout northern
Lebanon in 1987. Lebanese Alawis have assumed more significance
since the rise to power of the Alawi faction in Syria in 1966, and
especially since the Syrians established a military presence in
Lebanon in 1976.
The Alawis are also known as "Nusayris" because of their
concentration in the Nusayriyah Mountains in western Syria. They
appear to be descendants of people who lived in this region at the
time of Alexander the Great. When Christianity flourished in the
Fertile Crescent, the Alawis, isolated in their little communities,
clung to their own pre-Islamic religion. After hundreds of years of
Ismaili influence, however, the Alawis moved closer to Islam.
Furthermore, contacts with the Byzantines and the Crusaders added
Christian elements to the Alawis' new creeds and practices. For
example, Alawis celebrate Christmas, Easter, and the Epiphany, and
use sacramental wine in some ceremonies. For several centuries, the
Alawis enjoyed autonomy within the Ottoman Empire, but, in the midnineteenth century, the Ottomans imposed direct rule. Regarding the
Alawis as infidels, the Ottomans consistently persecuted them and
imposed heavy taxation. During the French Mandate, the Alawis
briefly gained territorial autonomy, but direct rule was reimposed
in 1936.
Alawis claim they are Muslims, but conservative Sunnis do not
recognize them as such. In the early 1970s, however, Imam Musa as
Sadr declared the Alawi sect a branch of Shia Islam. Like Ismaili
Shias, Alawis believe in a system of divine incarnation. Unlike
Ismailis, Alawis regard Ali as the incarnation of God. Because many
of the tenets of the faith are secret, Alawis have refused to
discuss their faith with outsiders. Only an elect few learn the
religion after a lengthy initiation process; youths are initiated
into the secrets of the faith in stages. Alawis study the Quran and
recognize the five pillars of Islam.
Alawis do not set aside a particular building for worship. In
the past, Sunni government officials forced them to build mosques,
but these were invariably abandoned. Only the men take part in
worship.
Data as of December 1987
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