SUMMARY

The Alawite religious community (also known as Alawis) in Lebanon is a minority group in the country, numbering maybe 120 000 individuals. They reside mainly in the north of Lebanon and have an especially strong presence in the city of Tripoli. Outside of Lebanon the group’s is centered in Syria, where members of the community have controlled the governments of Syria under the Assad family. Much as were Shiites, the Alawite community has historically been persecuted by Sunni regimes due to their differing interpretations of Islam. Alawite beliefs are kept secret from outsiders, but the group has been accepted as being a sub-group of Shia Islam by various Shia clerics.

Due to their small number the Alawites have not had much influence on Lebanese electoral politics, although they have two reserved seats in parliament as a consequence of the Taif Accord that ended the Lebanese civil war. During the Lebanese civil war the community’s political representation was mainly found in the Arab Democratic Party and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, which were both tightly linked to Syrian interests in Lebanon. During the civil war this meant that the group came into conflict with political and political-religious Sunni groups in Tripoli. These two parties continue to be dominant political vehicles for the Alawite community, and are still tightly related to the Alawite community in Syria. The civil war that began in Syria in 2011 put increasing pressure on the Alawite community, as sectarian tensions rose in Lebanon.

The Alawite group in Lebanon has been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organized violence.