Widespread Strikes Reported in Syria’s Coastal Alawite Communities

Widespread Strikes Reported in Syria’s Coastal Alawite Communities
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Alawite-majority areas along Syria’s coast have witnessed widespread strikes in recent days, following a call for civil action issued by Sheikh Ghazal Ghazal, head of the Alawite Council, according to Shia Waves Persian citing the Middle East News.

Residents in Latakia, Tartous, Jableh, Safita, al-Duraykish, and parts of western Hama, including Masyaf, reportedly closed shops and local markets almost entirely in response to the five-day strike call. Sheikh Ghazal had urged followers to protest what he described as entrenched injustice and authoritarian pressures.

According to the daily al-Akhbar, the near-total closure of commercial areas reflects broad support for the campaign. Alawite community members also circulated messages of solidarity online, framing the strike as a unified stance in defense of dignity and communal rights.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that unidentified actors posted sectarian and inflammatory leaflets in al-Duraykish, an area home to both Alawite and Christian families, raising concerns about heightened communal tensions.

The strike coincides with nationwide commemorations related to past political events and comes amid a volatile political climate in the coastal region. Local analysts say the mobilization signals growing determination within Alawite communities to assert their rights, warning that the movement may carry wider social and political implications for Syria’s internal dynamics.