Syrian Coast: Takfiri Rhetoric Leads to Genocide

By Ali Abadi

The events that unfolded in Syria last Thursday, March 6, have exposed horrific massacres committed by armed forces affiliated with the newly established illegitimate authority, resulting in a staggering number of casualties, ranging from hundreds to several thousand. The authority attempted to distance itself from these events, claiming they were carried out by "forces without any assigned tasks." However, multiple video recordings have shown that security forces were directly involved in the operation, which included the execution of civilians.

These events highlight the immense challenges facing Syria after the collapse of the previous regime. While the new authority attributes the root of these confrontations to "remnants of the previous regime," many indications suggest that the fundamental issue lies in two critical factors: political exclusion and sectarian revenge.

The Absence of Political Dialogue

The recent events did not emerge in a vacuum. They were preceded by a series of actions targeting the Alawite community, which has been held collectively responsible for the former regime's failures. Following the regime’s downfall, thousands of civilian employees were dismissed from public sector jobs, and security and military agencies—including those composed of Alawite personnel—were disbanded, creating a serious social crisis. Furthermore, armed groups aligned with the new authority have repeatedly provoked Alawite-majority areas.

A broader issue stems from the insistence of the interim authority, led by Ahmed Al-Sharaa [Ahmed Al-Julani, leader of the former terrorist group Jabhat Al-Nusra], on unilaterally shaping Syria’s future. Last month, the "Syrian National Dialogue Conference" was hastily convened in Damascus in an attempt to lend a national character to the meetings controlled by the interim authority. However, its preparatory committee lacked representation from the Druze and Alawite communities—two of Syria's largest minorities—as well as from the "Syrian Democratic Council," which represents the Kurdish autonomous administration. Several other invited guests declined to attend due to the last-minute invitations. Notably, five out of the seven members of the preparatory committee were affiliated with "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham" [HTS], formerly Jabhat al-Nusra or the Nusra Front.

Massacre

The security developments on Thursday marked the peak of political tension, revealing the fragility of the interim authority’s security structure. Hours after images of slain security personnel affiliated with the authority circulated on social media, discussions began about sending reinforcements from various factions across multiple provinces. These factions, which are part of the authority’s military coalition, view the Alawite community through a sectarian lens, collectively blaming them for the past decades of governance.

In video recordings distributed by these factions before heading to battle, fighters explicitly vowed to target Alawites without distinguishing between combatants and civilians or between those who cooperated with the new authority and those who opposed it. As a result, it was unsurprising that these groups carried out extrajudicial executions of Alawites in the countryside of Latakia and Hama, as well as in the city of Homs. They went door to door, interrogating residents about their identities before killing them in cold blood. However, what shocked observers was the systematic execution of young men and adult males, with several armed groups also targeting women. Additionally, widespread looting occurred, with women’s jewelry, cars, homes, and businesses being seized.

The new security forces [General Security] played no significant role in halting the massacre. Instead, the killers themselves recorded videos boasting about their revenge, allowing the slaughter to continue for at least three consecutive days. Ground reports indicate that the initial civilian death toll stands at around one thousand, with estimates suggesting it could reach four thousand due to the large number of missing individuals. Meanwhile, authorities rushed to remove the bodies strewn across the streets using bulldozers, as shown in images circulating on social media.

Political Maneuvering and International Repercussions

As horrifying images of the massacres spread internationally, Western nations called for an independent investigation into the events. In response, the head of Syria’s transitional authority, Ahmed al-Sharaa, attempted to contain the situation by announcing the formation of an "independent national committee" to investigate the "events on the Syrian coast." In a statement, he promised that the committee would "reveal the causes, circumstances, and details that led to these events, investigate violations against civilians, identify those responsible, and examine attacks on public institutions, security personnel, and military forces." Acknowledging violations committed by official elements, al-Sharaa pledged to hold accountable anyone "involved in the bloodshed of civilians or those who exceeded state authority or exploited power for personal gain."

However, reducing these massacres to mere "excesses" does not accurately reflect the reality on the ground, given the scale of the atrocities, their geographical spread, and the high number of victims. The fallout from these events is expected to have significant repercussions on the relationship between the interim authority and other communities that have so far refrained from pledging allegiance to it. The crisis of trust has deepened, particularly as the interim authority has failed to offer political assurances to these groups, limit HTS’s dominance over the political landscape, or purge extremist elements responsible for undermining Syria’s social diversity.

These grave violations may strengthen calls for international protection of minorities, particularly given the dominance of Takfiri rhetoric among extremist factions and their explicit threats against religious minorities. The Alawite community, in particular, is being held collectively responsible for the previous regime’s rule, with sectarian narratives resurfacing that deny their right to coexist. This fragmentation not only threatens Syria’s social fabric but also provides justification for increased "Israeli" interference in the country—under the guise of "protecting" minorities, alongside other security pretexts.