Rebel fighters enter Salimiya, in the Hama region, on Dec. 7, 2024, on the eve of the regime's fall. (Credit: Bilal al-Hammoud/AFP)
Numbering only a few tens of thousands in a country of over 20 million, the Ismailis — a religious community mainly based in central Syria — have long been known for their discretion, which is a necessity given their status as a tiny minority.But a year after Bashar al-Assad’s fall, this community appears to have emerged stronger from the regime change. Despite ongoing sectarian tensions across the country, particularly in the northeast, in Hassakeh and along the coast, the Ismaili stronghold of Salamiya (in Hama Governorate) has remained largely calm, maintaining a stable relationship with the new authorities under President Ahmad al-Sharaa. A wider perspective The Umayyads' (anachronistic) comeback in Syria Who are the Ismailis?Ismailism is a branch of Shia Islam. Unlike Sunnis, Shiites believe that Prophet Muhammad’s successors —...
Numbering only a few tens of thousands in a country of over 20 million, the Ismailis — a religious community mainly based in central Syria — have long been known for their discretion, which is a necessity given their status as a tiny minority.But a year after Bashar al-Assad’s fall, this community appears to have emerged stronger from the regime change. Despite ongoing sectarian tensions across the country, particularly in the northeast, in Hassakeh and along the coast, the Ismaili stronghold of Salamiya (in Hama Governorate) has remained largely calm, maintaining a stable relationship with the new authorities under President Ahmad al-Sharaa. A wider perspective The Umayyads' (anachronistic) comeback in Syria Who are the Ismailis?Ismailism is a branch of Shia Islam. Unlike Sunnis, Shiites believe that Prophet Muhammad’s...
