Question: who are alawites in syria?
Answer: The Alawis, or Alawites (Arabic: علوية‎ Alawīyah), are a sect of Shia Islam. The Alawites revere Ali (Ali ibn Abi Talib), considered the first Imam of the Twelver school. ... Alawites form the dominant religious group on the Syrian coast and towns near the coast which are also inhabited by Sunnis, Christians, and Ismailis.