This generalised sectarian hate is appalling. If not curbed, it will destroy the lives of Syrians in general, not only Alawis.
So, whilst riots last night primarily broke out in areas where those who served the regime to some extent live, the targets of these vigilante justice mobs are far from restricted solely to ‘regime criminalsʼ. Some targets simply come down to an indiscriminate “alawite = guilty”.
1 of my Alawite friends (never supported the regime, fyi) in Mezzeh texted when news about mobilisation and riots was spreading. She and her family decided to turn off the lights in their home in an attempt to make it appear as if no one was home, because small groups (no larger than 3-4 young men in each) kept showing up, circling the area.
This wasn’t 1 of the main neighbourhoods the mobs were targeting, but it didn’t stop some from venturing over there anyway. 1 group spent 30 minutes attempting to lure them to the front door and let them in by claiming they were security, but they lost patience very quickly and then resorted to hurling slurs, calling them nazi’s, etc.
Eventually they left. No one was hurt, thankfully. This same group allegedly threatened to “kill all of the children”, describing them as ‘pigs’ and ‘defected’ [I assume, because these children would be alawites]… only problem with that, is that they don’t have any children and no children are living in that house…