Are Alawis True Muslims?
Ashora
In response to my article Muslims have A Norway Massacre Every Day, a reader from Melbourne, Australia left this comment:
the Hama massacre was perpetrated by an army following the orders of a secular government. Assad was an Alawite, a tiny offshoot of Shia Islam that the Sunni majority does not recognise as Muslim (mainly because they drink alcohol, the women don't cover their hair, and some also celebrate Easter and Christmas). SO that can hardly be put down to an Islamic massacre. In fact it was a massacre of Islamists: Hama was the site of a revolt led the Muslim Brotherhood which tried to overthrow the Assad regime and install an Islamic state in its stead.
This is a variation of "Do not blame Muslims - it's the Culture" excuse.
Three points are brought up to dispute my argument that the Hama Massacre was particularly brutal because it was perpetrated by Muslims.
- The soldiers were following the orders of a secular government.
- And anyway it was ordered by an Alawite - not a true Muslim.
- And anyway Muslims were killing other Muslims.
As to point 1: The majority of soldiers in the Syrian army are Sunni.
As to point 2 : There are so many sects in Islam that one can excuse any atrocity by blaming it on 'not really true' Muslims.
As to point 3: So what if Muslims were on the receiving end, the giving end were all Muslims.
But let's consider point 2 in more detail. To answer the question, "Are Alawis True Muslims?" we need to ask, "Are Jehovah's Witnesses True Christians?" Let's consider some of their positions:
- They do not believe in the Trinity.
- They do not believe Jesus was crucified.
- They refuse to have blood transfusions.
- They do not believe in an immortal soul.
- They do not believe in hellfire.
- They do not observe Christmas, Easter, or other holidays.
Despite all the above, JWs are considered Christians because they believe in Jesus. In the same manner Alawites are Muslims because they believe in Mohammed.
Excusing an atrocity by blaming it on "not really true Muslims" is really shabby and low and is excuse number 11 in my article If You Knew Islam Like I Know Islam.
