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WASHINGTON —Calls are mounting around the world to safeguard Syria's ethnic and religious minorities following the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime by Islamist rebels. Concerns particularly focus on the future of the Alawite community, a sect from which the Assad family originates.
The swift offensive that led to the capture of Damascus was headed by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, and other Turkish-backed Islamist rebels. HTS, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, has pledged to respect the rights of Alawites and other ethnic and religious minorities.
Rights groups note that these promises have largely been upheld so far. However, concerns persist that once the rebels solidify their control over the country, they may turn against the Alawite community because of its perceived ties to the former Syrian regime.
Members of the Alawite minority, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, make up about 10% of Syria's population of 24 million people and are primarily concentrated in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus, but a significant number of Alawites also reside in Damascus and Homs.
Since coming to power in 1970, the Assad dynasty heavily relied on Alawites, who came to fill many high-ranking military and intelligence positions.
Anwar al-Bunni, a prominent Syrian human rights lawyer, told VOA that decades of brutal rule under Bashar's father, Hafez al-Assad, created "severe tensions and even mobilization toward the Alawite community."
Bunni, however, said recent statements by HTS chief Abu Mohammad al-Golani have been well-received among the Alawites. Golani told CNN on Friday, "No one has the right to erase another group. These sects have coexisted in this region for hundreds of years, and no one has the right to eliminate them."
"Alawite community leaders have also said positive things after the fall of the regime, but it is still the beginning," Bunni said. "They might have a different position when the process of accountability and transitional justice starts."
Bunni noted that the real test for the Alawite stance would be when officials of the former regime are brought to justice for their crimes against civilians.
"Whether the Alawite community leadership supports future accountability initiatives could ultimately determine how other Syrians will view them in the context of a democratic and free Syria," he said.
Dozens of prominent figures from Qardaha, Assad's hometown in Latakia province, issued a statement Monday declaring their support for the new rulers in Damascus and pledged full cooperation. Shortly after, videos posted on social media showed statues of Assad being removed from Qardaha.
A resident in Latakia told VOA that a meeting took place Monday in Qardaha between rebel delegates and Alawite community leaders.
An Alawite activist, who requested anonymity for security reasons, confirmed the meeting, noting that it has been received positively among the local community.
"It is important for both sides to keep meeting in order to create an environment of trust," the activist said. "Not all Alawites supported the former regime, and Syrians elsewhere need to understand this."
David Adesnik, vice president of research at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said HTS understands the importance of projecting an image of moderation.
"A key question is whether HTS considers Assad's identity as an Alawite to be a cause of his extreme brutality. If not, there is little reason to blame the Alawite community and take vengeance," he told VOA. "In contrast, HTS and other rebels clearly see Assad's enduring alliances with Russia and Iran as inherently problematic."
Adesnik also noted that "HTS and others may find it difficult to ever trust the Alawite community or individual Alawite leaders, but marginalizing them may be sufficient to address such concerns, rather than resorting to violence."
There have been some voices within the Alawite community calling for the establishment of an autonomous region along Syria's coast. But the Latakia-based activist said such calls were not serious.
Adesnik said autonomy for Alawites was not a likely option, adding, "The coast in particular is strategic terrain because it provides access to the Mediterranean.
"Granting special privileges to the Alawites would also open the door for numerous other minorities to seek special arrangements, which undermine the ability of Damascus to exert control," he said. "Some arrangement with the Kurdish region may be inevitable, but I doubt any Syrian government would want to replicate it elsewhere."