The killing of a Bedouin couple south of Homs, Syria’s third-largest city, was expected to cause yet another week of sectarian hostility there.
The couple, who was discovered dead on Sunday, were a well-known Sunni Bani Khaled tribe. Their alleged murderers had scrawled sectarian slogans on the walls next to their bodies.
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Homs, a city known for having a diverse religious makeup, was furious. Tribal members called for the start of shootings at homes with Alawite majority in the neighborhoods where they lived. Additionally, on Tuesday, a religious leader from the Alawite community called for significant demonstrations in Latakia and Tartous, both of which were held in the religious minority’s traditional heartlands.
However, in the almost one year since Bashar al-Assad’s fall, Syria has yet to experience another outbreak of sectarian violence, unlike on a number of occasions, such as in the coastal areas in March and again in Suwayda in July. The Minister of Interior and Defense sent security forces to the area, which helped bring the situation under control. The Syrian government imposed a curfew.
How perilous is Syria’s potential for sectarian violence? What steps is the government taking to stop it? And why are some Syrian minority communities concerned about their future?
What was the government’s response to the violence?
After some violent protests against the killing of some tribal members in Homs’ Alawite neighbourhoods, the government appears to have acted quickly to calm the conflict. Although monitoring organizations claimed dozens of injuries, no casualties were officially reported.
Working with tribal leaders, government security forces eased tensions and detained 120 of the violence’s perpetrators.
In contrast to earlier this year’s incidents along the Syrian coast and in Suwayda, when tribes reportedly affiliated with the government mobilized and reportedly contributed to widespread violence alongside armed fighters from minority groups, reports from the ground indicate that the deployment has had a positive effect in preventing violent clashes.
Even as it opened inquiries, the new Syrian government has received criticism internationally for failing to stop those attacks. The government has taken immediate action to prevent further clashes because international legitimacy is one of President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s top priorities.
The Syrian government, whose Sunni Muslim majority is in charge, has also questioned whether sectarianism was a factor in the killing of the Bedouin couple. Nour al-Din al-Baba, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, claimed that the sectarian messages found next to the bodies were intended to “mislead investigators and incite strife.”
Brigadier General Marhaf al-Naasan, the Homs Internal Security Commander, stated in a statement on Facebook that the government “strongly condemns this heinous crime and affirms that its goal is unmistakable sectarian rhetoric and stir up division within our community.”
What’s happening in Homs right now?
The curfew was lifted by Tuesday morning, but the sectarian tension persists.
Homs was credited by some activists as the savior of the revolution during the Syrian uprising that ultimately ended with al-Assad. The al-Assad regime, which was led by Alawite, had long been a source of oppression for members of its Sunni Muslim community.
Homs still has Sunni, Alawite, and Christian communities, despite being a multifaith, multiethnic and multicultural city.
Alawite in Homs have reported instances of discrimination, violence, and home eviction since al-Assad’s ouster in December 2024. Some Alawite emigrated from Syria to villages in the Akkar region of Lebanon after the coastal violence in March.
Since the Homs violence, what has happened elsewhere in Syria?
Homs was the site of protests along the coast, which is well known for its large Alawite communities, particularly in Latakia, where hundreds of people gathered.
The al-Azhari Roundabout, al-Hammam Square, and the agriculture roundabout in Latakia were the locations of protests. According to Enab Baladi, a local media outlet in Syria, there were also sit-ins in the city of Baniyas’ al-Qusur neighborhood.
Sit-ins in the Latakia or Tartous regions, including those in Jableh, Qardaha, Safita, Dreikish, Sheikh Badr, and others, demanded “the human right to live in safety and dignity” and opposed to the “killing of Alawites,” according to Enab Baladi.
Some protesters chanted “the Syrian people are one,” according to reports, while others called for federalism. Additionally, the new government’s plan to release Alawite prisoners was called.
The Supreme Alawite Islamic Council’s Ghazal Ghazal made the demand on Monday. Ghazal emailed his neighborhood to express his peaceful protests.
In Jableh and Banias, there was also a pro-government counterprotest. Security forces opened up two rival demonstrations, according to a report from Reuters. The government claimed that “unknown assailants also opened fire on security forces and civilians” according to Reuters.
Is Syria’s government at a turning point now?
Although it is still too early to say whether the government has been completely able to stop a new wave of sectarian violence, it is crucial that Homs’ situation do not turn into days of widespread violence in order to regain the trust of many people.
Lina Ghoutouk, a researcher and human rights expert in Syria, told Al Jazeera, “The communication from the government side was good.” It was obvious that this kind of violence, aggression, or sectarianism was completely unacceptable.
Ghoutouk argued that more work must be done to bring the tribes under the control of the state security forces.
She claimed that the root cause is unknown, which is the issue.
