— Isolated in the mountains near Syria’s Mediterranean coast, Alawites taught that the Koran was to be read allegorically and preferred to pray at home rather than in mosques. Considering their past, which consists of countless massacres against Alawites, made me reconsider who is … “The Alawites do not have mosques,” the man said. I personally don’t like terminologies such as Shia Mosque or Sunni Mosque or Deobandi Mosque or Barelwi Mosque. But unfortunately there are separate mosques for every major sect. The Middle East has multiple religions and sects. “They do not pray like us. The charitable foundation established and run by Jamil Al-Asad (the brother of former President Hafiz Al-Assad) finances hundreds of Alawis to go on Hajj, and the women working for the organization have to wear the hijab. Mosque or Masjid is literally “a place of Prostration to God”.

Alawites do not care how people pray, work, etc. However, most of the population in the region does not know much about them. My grandfather was a modern shaykh who encouraged everyone to pray at the mosque in Jable.