Alawite community says it is "under threat" from Sunni refugees скачать в хорошем качестве

Alawite community says it is "under threat" from Sunni refugees

(1 Jul 2016) LEAD IN: Members of Turkey's Alawite community say they feel under threat by the influx of Sunni refugees from Syria. The religious sect has links to Bashar al-Assad's regime which has been fighting the Sunni opposition for more than five years. STORY-LINE: The Tomb of Prophet el Arabi in Antakya is a sacred site for the Turkish Alawite community. They are a religious minority in the country, but make up 30 percent of Hatay's population. Alawites have been living in the border province for centuries, remaining here after the French mandate gave what was previously Syrian territory to Turkey. The religion is an offshoot of Shiite Islam but this community lives side by side with Sunnis, Armenians and Christians. Seventy-year-old Meryem Duba claims Alawites like her do not "hurt their neighbours or anyone else". But some members of the community feel that harmony is under threat. The Syrian war has triggered concerns about sectarian tensions. Syria's ruling regime is dominated by Alawites which has been fighting the country's Sunni opposition for more than five years, While not everyone here supports Bashar al-Assad, the influx of more than 200,000 Sunni refugees into Hatay has made them feel vulnerable. "Having the Syrians coming here has increased these fears, the danger that maybe something will happen," says Alawite housewife Avatif Bedir. "Especially since in our history we had massacres before, we've always been a minority so this makes us worry about what will happen to us in a future." Cars pass the Tomb of the Prophet Hizir in Samandag as a form of pilgrimage. At dusk, Alawites drive around the tomb three times as part of the ritual. Duba's grandson Sezgin Sultanoglu is among the worshippers. He says Alawite concerns are about security rather than objections to the refugees. "This threat is not actually about Sunnis coming here, it is about the Islamic State group entering and leaving the country without proper records," he explains. IS has carried out violent attacks in Turkey in the last year against minorities such the Kurds and liberal leftists, together with some tourist areas. And on Tuesday, three suicide bombers carried out a deadly attack on Istanbul's Ataturk Airport. But Sultanoglu is hopeful for the future. "We want to live in peace with other minorities and also the largest Turkish community. It has always been this way and we want to continue," he says. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...