Who are the Syrians ?
“They hate one another. The Sunnites excommunicate the Shiahs and both hate the Druzes; all detest the Ansariyyehs (the Alawites) ; the Maronites do not love anybody but themselves and are duly abhorred by all ; the Greek Orthodox abominate the Greek Catholics and the Latins ; all despise the Jews.” Isabel Burton, The Inner Life of Syria, 1875. This was written in the chaotic 19th century when Syria was torn apart by social-religious strife, and communal rioting was commonplace. Syria has a population of 12 million and they are a diverse people. I have seen people with dark, brown and blond hair, as well as people with fair, brown and absolutely dark skin. Some say that the blond girls I saw in the mountains of northern Syria are the descendants of Crusaders and the black men in Damascus those of released African slaves. Not surprising considering the conquests, rapes and loots as plundering foreign armies marched across this land. Arabic is the official language but the Syrians have a
