Sectarian violence in Syria has been less intense than feared since Assad's ouster
The toppling of Bashar Assad has raised tentative hopes that Syrians might live peacefully and as equals after a half century of authoritarian rule
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The toppling of Bashar Assad has raised tentative hopes that Syrians might live peacefully and as equals after a half century of authoritarian rule.
While there have been bursts of deadly sectarian violence in the days since Assad was ousted, it’s nothing close to what was feared after nearly 14 years of civil war.
Much credit for the relative calm so far is being given to the Islamic militant group that led the insurgency against Assad and is helping to rebuild the country and unite its many factions. The group — Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS — had ties to al-Qaida, but it has vowed not to discriminate against any religion or ethnicity, and it has denounced revenge killings.
In the days since Assad’s fall, dozens of Syrians have been killed in acts of revenge, according to activists and experts who monitor Syria. The vast majority have been from the minority Alawite community, an offshoot of Shia Islam that the Assad family adheres to.
