# Alawites

Alawites
*ʿAlawīyyah*
علوية| Zulfiqar, a stylisit representation o the swuird o Ali, is an important seembol for Alawites |
| Tot population |
| 3 million |
| Foonder |
| Ibn Nuṣayr |
| Regions wi signeeficant populations |
|  Sirie | 2.6 million |
|  Turkey | Aboot 700,000-750,000 |
|  Lebanon | An estimatit 100,000-120,000 |
| Lebanon/Golan Hichts | 2,100 live in Ghajar |
|  Australie | Alawites comprise 2% o Lebanese born fowk in Australie |
| Releegions |
| Shia Islam |
| Scripturs |
| Qur'an, Nahj al-Balagha, Kitab al Majmu |
| Leids |
| Arabic, Turkis |

The **Alawites**, kent as **Alawi**, **Nusayris** an **Ansaris** an aw (*‘Alawīyyah* Arabic: علوية‎, *Nuṣayrī* Arabic: نصيريون‎, an *al-Anṣāriyyah)* are a prominent mistical an syncretic releegious group that follae a brainch o the Twaler schuil o Shia Islam.

## Etymologie

The Alawites tak their name frae ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib cuzzin an son-in-law o Muḥammad, that wis the first Shi'a Imam an the fowert an last "Richtly Guidit Caliph" o Sunni Islam.

Till recently Alawites wur referred tae as "Nusairis", cried efter Abu Shu'ayb Muhammad ibn Nusayr (d. ca 270 h, 863 AD) that is reportit tae hae attendit the circles o the last three Imams o the prophet Muhammad's line. This name is considered derogatory, an thay refer tae thairsels as Alawites. In September 1920, French occupational forces institutit the policy o referrin tae them bi the term "'Alawi".

In aulder soorces thay are aften referred tae as Ansaris, as this is hou thay referred tae thairsels, accordin tae the Reverend Samuel Lyde, who livit amang Alawites in the mid-19t century. Anither soorce states that "Ansari", as referrin tae Alawites, is simply a Wastren mistransliteration o Nosairi.

Alawites are destinct frae the Turkis-based *Alevi* releegious sect, awtho the terms share seemilar etymologies.

## Population

Cairt showin the current distribution o Alawites in the Levant.
### Sirie

Tradeetionally Alawites hae livit in the An-Nusayriyah muntains alang the Mediterranean coast o Sirie. Latakia an Tartus are the region's principal ceeties. The day Alawites are concentratit in the plains aroond Hama an Homs an aw. Alawites live in aw major ceeties o Sirie an aw. Thay hae been estimatit tae constitute aboot 11-12% o Sirie's population- 2.1 million fowk.

Thare are fower Alawite confederations – Kalbiyah, Khaiyatin, Haddadin, an Matawirah – each dividit intae tribes. Alawites are concentratit in the Latakia region o Sirie, extendin north tae Antioch (Antakya), Turkey, an in an aroond Homs an Hama.

Afore 1953 thay held reservit seats in the Sirie Pairlament, lik aw ither releegious commonties. Efter that, includin for the 1960 census, thare wur anerlie general Muslim an Christian categories, athout mention o subgroups in order tae reduce "communalism" (*taïfiyya*).

Thare are aboot 2000 Alawites livin in the veelage o Ghajar, split atween Lebanon an the Golan Hichts an aw. In 1932, the residents o Ghajar wur gien the option o chuisin thair naitionality an owerwhelmingly chose tae be a pairt o Sirie, which haes a sizable Alawite minority. Prior tae the Sax-Day War, the residents o Ghajar wur coontit in the 1960 Sirie census. Whan Israel captured the Golan Hichts frae Sirie in 1967, Ghajar remained a nae-man's laund for twa an a hauf months.

### Lebanon

Alawite mosque in Jabal Mohsen, Lebanon
Thare are an estimatit 100,000 tae 120,000 Alawites in Lebanon, whaur thay hae livit syne at least the 16t century. Thay are recognizit as ane o the 18 offeecial Lebanese sects, an due tae the efforts o thair leader Ali Eid, the Taif Greement o 1989 gae thaim twa reservit seats in the Pairlament. Lebanese Alawites live maistly in the Jabal Mohsen neebourheid o Tripoli, an in 15 veelages in the Akkar Destrict , an are mainly representit bi the Arab Democratic Pairty. Bab al-Tabbaneh, Jabal Mohsen clashes atween pro-Sirie Alawites an anti-Sirie Sunnis hae hauntit Tripoli for decades.

### Turkey

In order tae avoid confusion wi Alevis, thay prefer the sel-appellation *Arap Alevileri* ("Arab Alevis") in Turkis. The term *Nusayrī*, which uised tae exist in (aften polemical) theological texts is revivit in recent studies an aw. In Çukurova, thay are namit as *Fellah* an *Arabuşağı*, the latter considered heichlie offensive bi Alawites, bi the Sunni population. A quasi-offeecial name uised pairticularly in 1930s bi Turkis authorities wis *Eti Türkleri* ("Hittite Turks"), in order tae conceal thair Arab oreegins. The day, this term is amaist obsolete but it is still uised bi some fowk o aulder generations as a euphemism.

The exact nummer o Alawites in Turkey is unkent, but thare wur 185 000 in 1970 (this nummer suggest ca 400 000 in 2009). As Muslims, thay are no recordit separately frae Sunnis in ID registration. In the 1965 census (the last Turkis census whaur informants wur asked thair mither tongue), 180,000 fowk in the three provinces declared thair mither tongue as Arabic. Housomeivver, Arabic-speakin Sunni an Christian fowk are includit in this figur an aw.

Alawites tradeetionally speak the same dialect o Levantine Arabic wi Sirie Alawites. Arabic is best preservit in landwart commonties an Samandağ. Younger fowk in Çukurova ceeties an (tae a lesser extent) in İskenderun tend tae speak Turkis. Turkis spoken bi Alawis is distinguished bi Alawi an nan-Alawi alike wi its pairticular accents an vocabulary. Knowledge o Arabic alphabet is confined tae releegious leaders an men who haed wirkit or studiet in Arab kintras.

Alawites show a considerable pattern o social mobility. Till 1960s, thay uised tae wirk bund tae Sunni aghas aroond Antakya an thay wur amang the poorest fowk in Çukurova. The day, Alawis are prominent in economic sectors sic as transportation an commerce. A lairge professional middle-class haed emergit an aw.

In recent years, thare haes been a tendency o exogamy, pairticularly amang males who haed attendit varsities an/or haed livit in ither pairts o Turkey. Thir marriages are heichlie toleratit but exogamy o weemen, as in ither patrilineal groups, is uisually disfavoured.

Alawites, lik Alevis, mainly hae strang leftist poleetical preferences. Housomeivver, some fowk in landwart auries (uisually members o notable Alawite faimilies) mey be foond supportin secularist conservative pairties sic as True Path Pairty. Maist Alawis feel discriminatit bi the policies o Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı.

## See an aw

* Al-Khaṣībī, foonder o the sect

Notes
## Freemit airtins

* بيان عقيدة العلويين Archived 2011-12-14 at the Wayback Machine