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Introduction --. - 1. IBN KHALDUN'S 'ASABIYYA AND THE CYCLE OF FEAR. A Definition of 'Asabiyya and its Sectarian Dimension; How a Group Develops High 'Asabiyya; The Nature and Influence of a Group with High 'Asabiyya; How a Dynasty Maintains 'Asabiyya; Variables for the Success of a Dynasty; How a Group's 'Asabiyya Declines --. - 2. ORIGINS. Foundations of the Sect; Golden Period; Becoming Ibna' al-Jabal (Sons of the Mountain); Fatwas and Officialdom; Ottoman Rule: Continued Alawite Marginalization --. - 3. INTEGRATION. Saving Alawite 'Souls'; New Horizons; Resistance and Receptivity; Artificial Integration; Genuine Integration?; Independent Syria and the 'Problem' of Pluralism; Suspicions of Sectarianism; Alawites Ascendant --. - 4. APOGEE & DECLINE. Early Asad Rule; The Muslim Brotherhood Rebellion; The Hama Tragedy; The Spoils of Power; Struggle for the Asad Dynasty; The Alawite-Iranian Axis; Preparing for Succession --. - 5. RAPID DESCENT. A Modernising Reformer?; New Challenges; Losing Lebanon; Regime Consolidation and Isolation; Alawite Socio-Economic Conditions under Bashar al-Asad; The 'Precarious' Security of the Lebanese Alawites --. - 6. RUMBLINGS OF REVOLUTION. Regime Restoration; Elite Infighting; A Confident Bashar al-Asad; Rising Internal Challenges; A Rising Islamic Tide?; Integration at Last? --. - Conclusion --

Gaining insight into the past, present and potential future roles and functions of the 'Alawī sect's religious leadership is problematic amidst the ongoing Syrian conflict. The purpose of this short introduction is to shed some light on the subject of 'Alawī religious leadership and highlight the historical importance of 'Alawī religious shaykhs to the preservation of their community. The study applied an inductive, exploratory and qualitative approach based on the reliable secondary literature, field observation and interviews with some key personalities from within the sect. The main discovery highlighted in the article is that the traditional influence and capacity of 'Alawī religious leaders to guide and preserve the community has been drastically impaired since the 1980s. This became a crucial factor in the dilemma 'Alawīs faced at the onset of the Syrian crisis in 2011. This study hopes to contribute to the question of 'Alawī religious and communal identity in the twenty-first century, a subject of importance to efforts to resolve the Syria crisis.

A más de un cambio en los actores, nos enfrentamos a un conflicto social muy fuerte, que rebasa las direcciones de las organizaciones a nivel nacional. La importancia de la protesta o del rechazo es tal, que logra integrar a todos y llega a fuertes movilizaciones locales

Leon T. Hadar, a research fellow in foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute, is a former United Nations bureau chief for the Jerusalem Post.