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Who are Syria's Alawites?

Alawite doctrine differs in many ways from Sunni and Shiite Islam, but Alawites believe they should be respected and accepted as an independent Muslim sect.

Alawite_falconer.jpg
An Alawite falconer is pictured in Baniyas, Syria, between 1939 and 1945. — National Library of Australia/FRANK HURLEY

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