User:Power&Resistance2020/sandbox

-(- This is my sandbox, which I am now using to practice my Wiki editing skills. Bolding usually happens at the beginning of a Wikipedia article. Next step is trying to make wiki links. I will try this with the word bold]])

Article of choice: Sectarianism and Iraq / Sectarianism and Syria (Sectarianism, Sectarianism)

General: Although this is a general, overview article on Wikipedia, the different entries on the Middle East are rather out of balance. There is a rather big section on Lebanon, being more than a quick introduction to the subject, while other entries are very short and lacking historical background. I think this article would benefit from elaborating on certain section like the Iraqi and Syrian one, showing that sectarianism is not only present and an important factor in Lebanon and imbedding the existence of sectarianism in a historical context to show how it came into being and that sectarianism was not always present in its current form. This still has to be done in a quick, general way as it is an article to specifically written on sectarianism in Iraq or Syria, but still doing justice to the "reality."

Iraq: This entry discusses the Sunni-Shii sectarianism after the fall of Saddam Hoessein and during the civil war. In the second paragraph is put in its historical perspective. Should this section not be the beginning of the entry? Maybe this entry should pay more attention to the other sects living in Iraq.

Syria: This entry only discusses the dimension of sectarianism in the Syrian civil war started in 2011, focusing on Alawite, Shii and the Sunni majority. The massacre of Damascus is not mentioned and neither the "starting point" of sectarianism in Syria. Although these events took place in the former Ottoman Empire, the might be of importance to understand contemporary sectarianism and are not mentioned on the section on the Ottoman Empire, which therefore should be added in either of these sections.

- Considering this is a Wikipedia entry on the general concept of sectarianism, I believe an extension on the Syrian entry should also be of a general, overview nature. Giving a brief, compact overview of Syria's experience with sectarianism. This would also mean that the entry needs to be understandable for readers of Wikipedia without any background knowledge on Middle East and should give them a grasp of sectarianism in Syria to include it in their general understanding of sectarianism globally.

- The Ottoman Empire although also having its own subheading, is briefly mentioned in this section as well. This is due to lack of any information on the Syrian case in the Ottoman Empire section. In addition to that the historical background of the Ottoman rule is necessary to understand the further development of sectarianism in Syria and I have therefore added it in here.

- Explaining why sectarianism in Lebanon is much more recognized compared to for example the case of Iraq; In Lebanon sectarianism became entirely embedded in its state structure, due to the different sects institutionalizing and being assigned different roles in the government, where in Iraq sectarianism was not expressed through such official means. (Osman, Khalil, Sectarianism In Iraq: The Making Of State And Nation Since 1920, Abingdon, Oxon; New York, Ny : Routledge (2014): 5)

- How sectarian is the Syrian civil war in fact? Christopher Philips claims in his article that sectarianism is certainly not the only factor in the Syrian civil war and that its relevance depends on the period and space we look at. (Christopher Phillips (2015) Sectarianism and conflict in Syria, Third World Quarterly, 36:2, 357-376, DOI: 10.1080/01436597.2015.1015788, page 358)

Copyedited the Iraq entry

Hi Wikipedia editors, I am working on an assignment to attribute to a Wikipedia entry and think the sections on Iraq and Syria could use some expansion. This would be intended to imbed the existence of sectarianism in a more historical framework, focus on others outings of sectarianism apart from the Syrian and Iraqi civil war and perhaps outbalance the difference between the Lebanese section and other sections. I was wondering if you have any thoughts on elaborating on these entries and for those who have previously worked on this article, if they could tell me why the Iraqi and Syrian entries have not been elaborated before? Thanks a lot!Power&Resistance2020 (talk) 11:25, 21 March 2020 (UTC)

Current article:

Syria[edit]
See also: Sectarianism and minorities in the Syrian civil war Wounded civilians arrive at a hospital in Aleppo Sectarianism has been described as a characteristic feature of the Syrian civil war. The sharpest split is between the ruling minority Alawite sect, a Shiite Muslim offshoot, and the country's Sunni Muslim majority

Draft article:

Section shortly addressing the "beginning" of sectarianism in the Syrian territory under Ottoman rule. (Massacre of Damascus)

As of 2014, the majority of the Syrian population consists of Sunni Muslims, namely around two-thirds of the population and can be found throughout the country. The Alawite are the second largest group, with around 10 percent percent, which makes them a ruling minority. They originally were settled in the highlands of Northwest Syria, but have since spread to places like Latakia, Homs and Damascus. (Among the ruins, Christian Sahner, 81) Other groups constitute the Christians, among which the Maronite Christians, the Druze and Twelver Shi'is. Although sects play a role, the importance of tribal and kinship relationships should not be underestimated, as these can be used to obtain and maintain power and loyalty. (Beyond Sunni and Shia, Frederic Wehrey, 65)

When present day Syria was formed in 1920, the territory had already witnessed massacres on the Maronite Christians, Christians, Alawites, Shiite and Ismailiya under Ottoman rule, which caused there to be distrustful sentiments between the members of different sects. (The religious roots of the Syrian conflict, Mark Tomass, 151) In an attempt to protect the minority communities against the majority Sunni population France, with the command of Henri Gouraud, created five states for the following groups; Armenians, Alawite, Druze, Maronite Christians and Sunni Muslims. (The religious roots of the Syrian conflict, Mark Tomass, 151-152) The restructuring of the French caused the Alawite community to advance from its marginalized position. Another way in which the Alawite obtained their position of power, was through giving top level positions to family members of the ruling clan or other tribal allies of the Alawite group (Beyond Sunni and Shia, Frederic Wehrey, 65)

The fighting in Aleppo in 1850 and in Damascus in 1860 between Muslims and Christians, had many causes and reflected long standing tensions, however some scholars do claim that the eruptions of violence can also partly be attributed as the result of the modernizing reforms, the Tanzimat taking place within the Ottoman Empire. (Among the ruins, Christian Sahner, 92)

Influence of the Lebanese civil war on sectarianism in Syria.

It should be mentioned here that expressions of sectarianism preceded the Syrian civil war, like for example the Aleppo massacre and the threat of a civil war was being felt already. (The struggle for power in Syria, van Dam, 114)

During the period 1961-1980 Syria was not necessarily ruled by the Alawite sect, instead due to efforts of the Sunni Muslim extremist opponents of the Ba'th regime in Syria it was perceived as such. But the Ba'thist rule in Syria was being dominated by the Alawite community, as well as highly represented in other institutions of power. (The Struggle for power in Syria, van Dam, 115) As a result of this the regime became considered to be sectarian. According to Nikolaos van Dam this caused the Alawite community to cluster together, as they feared for their position. (The struggle for power in Syria, van Dam, 112-113)

Sectarian tensions that later partly gave rise to the Syrian civil war, had already appeared due to events from 1970 onwards. For example, President Hafiz al-Asad involvement in the Lebanese civil war by giving political aid to Maronite Christians in Lebanon, which was viewed by many Christian Sunni Muslims as an act of treason, linking the al-Asad actions to his Alawite identity. (The religious roots of the Syrian conflict, Mark Tomass, 156) The Muslim Brothers, a part of the Sunni Muslims, used that tensions towards the Alawite sect as a means to boost their own political agenda and plans. (The religious roots of the Syrian conflict, Mark Tomass, 156) Several assassinations were also carried out by the Muslim Brothers against mostly Alawite, but also Sunni Muslims, of which the failed assassination attempt on president al-Asad is arguably the most well-known. (The religious roots of the Syrian conflict, Mark Tomass, 156-157)

Part of the anamosity between the Alawite and the Sunni Islamists of the Muslim Brothers, is due to with the secularization of of Syria, which the later holds the Alawite in power to be responsible for.

At the start of the protests against president Bashar al-Assad in 2011, there was no sectarian nature or approach, but quickly after the protests and following the civil war obtained a sectarian identity, rhetoric and perceptions. (Beyond Sunni and Shia, Frederic Wehrey, 61) However, this does not mean that the conflict is solely or primarily a sectarian conflict, as there are also socio-economic factors at play.

Final article:

Syria
Although sectarianism has been described as one of the characteristic features of the Syrian civil war, the narrative of sectarianism already had its origins in Syria’s past.

Ottoman Rule
The hostilities that took place in 1850 in Aleppo and subsequently in 1860 in Damascus, had many causes and reflected long standing tensions. However, scholars have claimed that the eruptions of violence can also be partly attributed to the modernizing reforms, the Tanzimat, taking place within the Ottoman Empire, who had been ruling Syria since 1516. The Tanzimat bring about equality between Muslims and non-Muslims living in the Ottoman Empire. This caused the non-Muslims to gain privileges and influence. In addition to this growing position of non-Muslims through the Tanzimat reforms, the influence of European powers also came mainly to the benefit of the Christians, Druzes and Jews. In the silk trade business, European powers formed ties with local sects. They usually opted for a sect that adhered to a religion similar to the one in their home countries, thus not Muslim. These developments caused new social classes to emerge, consisting of mainly Christians, Druzes and Jews. These social classes stripped the previously existing Muslim classes of their privileges. The involvement of another foreign power, though this time non-European, also had its influence on communal relations in Syria. Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt ruled Syria between 1831 and 1840. His divide-and-rule strategy contributed to the hostilities between the Druze and Maronite community, by arming the Maronite Christians. However, it is noteworthy to mention that different sects did not fought the others out of religious motives, nor did Ibrahim Pasha aim to disrupt society among communal lines. This can also be illustrated by the unification of Druzes and Maronites in their revolts to oust Ibrahim Pasha in 1840. This goes to show the fluidity of communal alliances and animosities and the different, at times non-religious, reasons that may underline sectarianism.

After Ottoman Rule
Before the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the French Mandate in Syria, the Syrian territory had already witnessed massacres on the Maronite Christians, other Christians, Alawites, Shias and Ismailiyas, which had resulted in distrustful sentiments between the members of different sects. In an attempt to protect the minority communities against the majority Sunni population, France, with the command of Henri Gouraud, created five states for the following sects: Armenians, Alawites, Druzes, Maronite Christians and Sunni Muslims. This focus on minorities was new and part of a divide-and-rule strategy of the French, which enhanced and politicized differences between sects. The restructuring by the French caused the Alawite community to advance itself from their marginalized position. In addition to that, the Alawites were also able to obtain a position of power through granting top level positions to family members of the ruling clan or other tribal allies of the Alawite community.

During the period 1961-1980, Syria was not necessarily exclusively ruled by the Alawite sect, but due to efforts of the Sunni Muslim extremist opponents of the Ba’th regime in Syria, it was perceived as such. The Ba’ath regime was being dominated by the Alawite community, as well as were other institutions of power. As a result of this, the regime was considered to be sectarian, which caused the Alawite community to cluster together, as they feared for their position. This period is actually contradictory as Hafez al-Assad tried to create a Syrian Arab nationalism, but the regime was still regarded as sectarian and sectarian identities were reproduced and politicized.

Sectarian tensions that later gave rise to the Syrian civil war, had already appeared in society due to events preceding 1970. For example, President Hafiz al-Assad’s involvement in the Lebanese civil war by giving political aid to Maronite Christians in Lebanon. This was viewed by many Sunny Muslims as an act of treason, which made them link al-Assad’s actions to his Alawite identity. The Muslim Brothers, a part of the Sunni Muslims, used those tensions towards the Alawites as a tool to boost their political agenda and plans. Several assassinations were carried out by the Muslim Brothers, mostly against Alawites, but also against some Sunni Muslims. The failed assassination attempt on President Hafez al-Assad is arguably the most well-known. Part of the animosity between the Alawites and the Sunni Islamists of the Muslim Brothers is due to the secularization of Syria, which the later holds the Alawites in power to be responsible for.

Syrian Civil War
As of 2015, the majority of the Syrian population consisted of Sunni Muslims, namely two-thirds of the population, which can be found throughout the country. The Alawites are the second largest group, which make up around 10 percent of the population. This makes them a ruling minority. The Alawites were originally settled in the highlands of Northwest Syria, but since the twentieth century have spread to places like Latakia, Homs and Damascus. Other groups that can be found in Syria are Christians, among which the Maronite Christians, Druzes and Twelver Shias. Although sectarian identities play a role in the unfolding of events of the Syrian Civil War, the importance of tribal and kinship relationships should not be underestimated, as they can be used to obtain and maintain power and loyalty.

At the start of the protests against President Basher al-Assad in March 2011, there was no sectarian nature or approach involved. The opposition had national, inclusive goals and spoke in the name of a collective Syria, although consisting of mainly Sunni Muslims. This changed after the protests and the following civil war began to be portrayed in sectarian terms by the regime, as a result of which people started to mobilize along ethnic lines. However, this does not mean that the conflict is solely or primarily a sectarian conflict, as there were also socio-economic factors at play. These socio-economic factors were mainly the result of Basher al-Assad's mismanaged economic restructuring. The conflict has therefore been described as being semi-sectarian, making sectarianism a factor at play in the civil war, but certainly does not stand alone in causing the war and has varied in importance throughout time and place.

In addition to local forces, the role of external actors in the conflict in general as well as the sectarian aspect of the conflict should not be overlooked. Although foreign regimes were first in support of the Free Syrian Army, they eventually ended up supporting sectarian militias with money and arms. However, it has to be said that their sectarian nature did not only attract these flows of support, but they also adopted a more sectarian and Islamic appearance in order to attract this support.