The Issue of Minorities in Syria: From Proscription to Tyrannical Presence


This study investigates minority issues in Syria through the observation of their numbers and geographic locations as well as their economic, political, and social status before and after the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in March 2013, in light of the Syrian authorities’ unwritten proscription of minorities imposed since the country’s independence, and their reluctance to make relevant data accessible to researchers. The research focuses on the impact of the Syrian crisis on minorities both in terms of population presence and political status, as minorities become key players in the country’s political scene following the revolution, and various attitudes including minorities’ stances regarding the crisis and the opposition movement, and the perspectives of the regime, the opposition, and non-Syrian religious authorities towards minorities. The study will also evince the targeting of minorities in the Syrian conflict, and the reactions of these minorities towards the international rhetoric surrounding this issue. Finally, the study will cast a searching glance at the future of minorities in Syria.