Sectarian fear rather than ideology kept Assad’s security forces loyal

Evidence

As the protests began to spread, violent elements appeared alongside peaceful demonstrations; some Syrian minorities feared that Sunni militants might impose a totalitarian religious regime if they won or massacre Alawites as they had in the 1970s. Bashar al-Assad was able to convince his security forces to stick with him, as he opted for brutal repression. They did not identify the uprising as “the people,” spontaneously clamoring for the extension of universal rights, but instead viewed these Syrians as representatives of specific, opposing interests. The bloody suppression of the demonstrations led to further radicalization on the part of the rebels. — Vincent Bevins, If We Burn, 247

Categorization

• XREF: Directly parallels the book’s core thesis that mass protests and counter-revolutionary forces read ‘the people’ through competing frame — checks against the Libya and Egypt chapters. — connects to: Fear of civil war paradoxically protected Siyad by paralyzing his enemies — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 611

Broader Connections

• Fear of civil war paradoxically protected Siyad by paralyzing his enemies #exemplifies (0.78) — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 611