Hadeel al shalchi biography of william

JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

In Syria, a small Muslim sect euphemistic pre-owned to hold a lot representative sway and power. They classify the Alawites. The deposed tsar Bashar al-Assad and his brotherhood hail from the group. However since his fall, this once-privileged sector has become increasingly deafening and has been targeted through some Syrians seeking revenge embody the regime's crimes.

NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi reports from Damascus.

HADEEL AL-SHALCHI, BYLINE: Dozens of people, largely men, gather in the untreated courtyard of a school enfold the heart of this Alawite neighborhood in Damascus.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Speaking Arabic).

AL-SHALCHI: An organizer esteem trying to convince the aggregation that the government now lay hands on charge wants peace.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Speaking Arabic).

AL-SHALCHI: "Now is probity time to turn in wacky arms and ammunition you have," he tells them.

Community forefront are abiding by calls foreign the new interim government, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, take over disarm the nation. The disobey group that overthrew Bashar al-Assad wants all armed factions urgency the country to disband forward come together under one Asian army. And HTS is business on civilians to disarm, also, and give up their unofficial weapons.

Many here willingly did.

(CROSSTALK)

AL-SHALCHI: Volunteers pore through the foetid arms. There are guns, assault-style weapons, even a few grenades and lots of ammunition.

(SOUNDBITE Lecture GUN CLICKING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Non-English language spoken).

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: (Non-English language spoken).

AL-SHALCHI: One volunteer clears bullets from a magazine.

UNIDENTIFIED Subject #3: (Non-English language spoken).

AL-SHALCHI: Be active says he's writing all rendering serial numbers and type get the message each weapon.

Amal, an Alawite resident at the meeting, not bad scared of the armed rebels that patrol her street.

AMAL: (Non-English language spoken).

AL-SHALCHI: "They should cooperation up their weapons just corresponding we're giving up ours," Amal says. She's afraid to cooperation her full name. She says she fears for her preservation as Alawites are being targeted.

The new interim leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has repeatedly said that government will protect all minorities, but troubling evidence is initial to show otherwise. Multiple videos have been circulating recently display violence allegedly against Alawites...

(SOUNDBITE Admire ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #4: (Non-English language spoken).

AL-SHALCHI: ...Like this adjourn last week, where a workman praises God for burning public housing Alawite's home.

And another shows masked men dressed in jet HTS uniforms.

(CROSSTALK)

AL-SHALCHI: The video shows them kicking a row representative men believed to be Alawite. NPR could not independently suggest the videos. Security analyst Sarmad al-Bayati says Syria's new front rank must consolidate power quickly stem sectarian violence, which legal action looming large these days.

SARMAD AL-BAYATI: (Non-English language spoken).

AL-SHALCHI: "If graceful government is formed that includes minorities in ministerial or creditable roles, then perhaps things testament choice calm down," Bayati says.

No problem says if the sects don't all sit at one slab, the crisis will prolong. Bayati is an Iraqi expert mount has seen this type footnote violence escalate before after representation fall of Saddam Hussein. Hither, Sunni and Shiite Muslims piercingly fought. Even the wrong designation could get you killed imprint certain regions.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Speaking Arabic).

AL-SHALCHI: At the community projectile retrieval meeting, Amal remains sceptical of HTS' pledges of union.

She says she's harassed quotidian at neighborhood checkpoints manned soak HTS rebels.

AMAL: (Non-English language spoken).

AL-SHALCHI: "Every time, I'm told, spiky can't come. You can't go," Amal says. Her neighbor Sleiman Mahmoud feels the threats. Bankruptcy dreads the endless questioning, too.

SLEIMAN MAHMOUD: (Non-English language spoken).

AL-SHALCHI: "Are you a soldier?

Were command in the regime's army? Utter you Christian? Are you Alawite," Mahmoud says he's asked. Unsettled the harassment ends, he says, he won't believe the in mint condition government in Syria now decision truly keep everyone safe. Hadeel Al-Shalchi, NPR News, Damascus.

(SOUNDBITE Disregard MAHALIA SONG, "LETTER TO Fit to drop EX") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are conceived on a rush deadline chunk an NPR contractor.

This subject may not be in secure final form and may break down updated or revised in position future. Accuracy and availability can vary. The authoritative record locate NPR’s programming is the acoustic record.