A scholar of religious minorities and the Middle East explains the historical persecution and marginalization of the Alawite and Druze communities.

A Syrian-American who was taking care of his ill father was among the eight Druze men kidnapped from their family home and “executed’ in the middle of the street, harrowing video shows.

Turkish officials say Syria’s interim government has requested Turkey’s help to boost its defense capabilities. The request follows two weeks of sectarian violence in Syria, which heightened tensions and saw Israeli intervention.

The agreement comes after intense clashes displaced tens of thousands of people and contributed to a worsening humanitarian crisis in a region still recovering from over a decade of brutal civil war.V

Members of the Syrian American community in Portland are grieving the loss of loved ones following attacks in southern Syria.

Clashes that shook southern Syria this week have killed hundreds of people, including civilians, and drawn in an array of both local and international players, harking back to the dynamics of the country’s nearly 14-year civil war.