Syrian Confession: History and Modernity

The Islamic factor has a tangible impact on the internal situation and the foreign policy of many states in the Muslim regions. Recently, it has also acquired an unprecedented significance on the international political arena. Information agencies around the world report hourly about new developments in this or that country of the world, in which Islamic religious-political groups took part.

The hearth, the territorial base of these groupings is Syria. The religion of 90% of the citizens of this country is Islam, which encourages people to associate terrorism and Islamic faith. In the media space, clichés, "Syrian terrorists", "Syrian suicide bombers" and so on, are increasingly observed.

Such associations contribute to the escalation of the conflict and stimulate a sense of "Islamic danger". Suffice it to recall the bloody story of Charlie Ebdo, which was provoked by their religious caricatures, and yet another attack on official, peaceful Islam, the roots of the problem lie in Islamic dogma. Traditional Islam and specifically - the moderate Islamic faith of Syria has long been successfully integrated into the modern world, coexists peacefully with other religions and underlines its rejection of extremism with all its might.

A short excursion into the pre-Islamic period of Syrian history

Syria is located on the contact line of several continents: its continental part is in contact with the Near East, the south of the country borders on the Arabian Peninsula, and the north - with Asia Minor. Since ancient times, Syria is the place of intersection of the largest trade routes and the point of generalization of several religious systems: Palestine, Phenicia, Mesopotamia and Egypt.

The main feature of the organization of the pantheon of the gods in the territory of ancient Syria was its decentralization. Different Syrian cities had their own cults, however, there was also a mandatory, "official" cult: all, without exception, the kingdoms worshiped the gods Baal and Baalat.

Folk cults are mainly associated with gods that favor agriculture: the gods of rain, harvest, harvest, winemaking and so on. One can also note the exceptional cruelty of the ancient Syrian cults: the deities were considered extremely evil and harmful, and as a result they had to be constantly pampered with the help of victims, most often human.

Thus, the confession of Syria in the ancient period can be characterized as a system that unites private communal-agricultural cults with nation-wide cults.

History of the spread of Islam in Syria

In Syria, Islam began to spread in the early seventh century. Its emergence is associated with the development of monotheistic religions - Judaism and Christianity, as well as with the evolution of the religious consciousness of the population of Arabia. By the VII century in Syria, there were many people who believed in one God, yet did not consider themselves to be Jews or Christians. Islam has perfectly fitted into the situation, thereby becoming the factor that united the disparate tribes, "laid" the ideological basis for political, social and economic changes.

Already towards the end of Muhammad's life an Islamic state was formed in which all secular and all religious power was in the hands of Muhammad. After the death of the prophet, a situation arose when a ruler must become a man who will hold in his hands both religious and secular components, in other words, the deputy prophet on earth, the "caliph". There is also a new form of state - the caliphate.

The first four caliphs, according to Arab historiography, were called righteous caliphs. All of them were companions of Muhammad. Only one of the Caliphs - Abu Bakr - dies of his death, the rest were killed. Before his death, Abu Bakr appointed his successor Omar. It was under him that Syria, Iraq, Egypt and part of Libya came under the authority of the Caliphate. The Arabian Muslim state could already be called an empire boldly.

The first task that faced the Caliphate was the leveling of the old tribal cults and redirecting the energy of the Arab tribes from the outdated primitive traditions for a good cause. Words of conquest became wars. After a while, as a result of these wars, a small religious system developed into a world-wide civilization.

The whole territory of Syria was giving up positions practically without a fight. The population was pleasantly surprised by the fact that Omar's troops did not touch the old people and children, did not kill the prisoners and did not rob the local residents. Also, Caliph Omar was ordered not to touch Christians and give the population their own choice of religion. Syria had never known such a soft approach, and therefore the local population willingly converted to Islam.

The reasons for such an eager change of faith can be depicted, remembering which confession in Syria dominated just before the arrival of Omar. Christianity, by that time already quite spread in Syria, was still incomprehensible to the people, only recently departed from tribal cults, Islam was an understandable, consistent monotheism, also respectful of the sacred values and personalities of Christianity (in the Qur'an there are also Isa, and Mariam - Christian Jesus and Mary).

The modern religious palette of Syria

In modern Syria, Muslims make up more than 90% of the population (75% are represented by Sunnis, the rest are Alawites, Shiites and Druze).

The Christian faith of Syria has 10% of its population (of which more than half are Syrian Orthodox, others are Catholics, Orthodox and adherents of the Armenian Apostolic Church).

The most significant national minority of Syria is the Kurds. The Kurdish faith in Syria is extremely diverse: about 80% of all Kurds are Sunnis, as well as many Shiites and Alawites. In addition, there are Kurds professing Christianity and Judaism. The most extraordinary Kurdish religious trend can be called Yezidism.

Religious and political conflicts in the territory of modern Syria

In our time, the phenomenon of mass anti-Islamic psychosis is connected, to a large extent, with the propaganda of terrorists of the "Islamic state". On the Internet, daily evidence of new "PR actions" of extremists of IGIL, Al-Qaida and other transnational organizations based on the ideology of Islamic radicalism appears daily. This ideology represents a decisive interpretation of Islamic doctrine in the context of the idealization of the early Islamic way of life and the political strategy based on it, aimed at the formation of a global caliphate, governed by the laws of the Sharia.

This ideologically justified alternative is precisely the theoretical basis for war against the West and against its fellow citizens who profess Islam of a different kind declared by the terrorists of the "Islamic state". This terrorist group is in strong opposition to the Assad government, which adheres to more moderate religious norms and cooperates with Western countries.

Thus, despite the fact that the true Islamic creed of Syria is now stained with blood, this blood lies on the conscience of terrorists, sponsors and accomplices of terrorism. The causes of these bloody conflicts lie in the field of politics and economy (oil and gas reserves on the territory of Muslim states are of strategic importance for the economies of Western countries), but not in the area of Islamic faith. Islamic doctrine is the ideological lever of extremists, a means of manipulation in its own geopolitical and geo-economic goals.