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RELIGIOUS POLICY OF HAFEZ AL-ASSAD IN SYRIA (1970–2000)

https://doi.org/10.22311/2074-1529-2019-15-1-199-210

Abstract

The article deals with the interaction between the secular nationalist regime of Hafez al-Assad and his Ba‘ath party and various Muslim communities of the country. The main attention is paid to the government’s policy towards the Sunni community, which makes up the majority of the Syrian population. Both measures to combat radical movements and support ‘moderate’ (pro-government and neutral) directions of Syrian Islam are highlighted. The second part of the article examines the policy of the country’s leadership towards the two main Muslim communities in Syria besides the Sunnis, which are the Alawites and Druze. The author argues that the main goal of the government was to reduce the level of separatism and communalism of these communities by combating traditional institutions of self-organization and mindset for faster integration into Syrian society.

About the Author

N. S. Kozhemyak
Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University) of the MFA of Russian Federation.
Russian Federation

postgraduate student (History).

76, Vernadskogo Av., Moscow, 119454, Russian Federation.



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Review

For citations:


Kozhemyak N.S. RELIGIOUS POLICY OF HAFEZ AL-ASSAD IN SYRIA (1970–2000). Islam in the modern world. 2019;15(1):199-210. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22311/2074-1529-2019-15-1-199-210

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ISSN 2074-1529 (Print)
ISSN 2618-7221 (Online)