State and Islam in Baathist Syria

For the past two years Syria has barely been out of the news. Each day brings with it a rising toll of casualties twined with a continuous exodus of displaced people fleeing from a conflict that seems to have no end in sight. Syria has always been a key strategic country, rich in culture, history and civilisation. One would imagine that the vast majority of people wonder how religion and the ruling Baath party politics play a role in this conflict. For any querying mind this book is the answer. It consists of three essays that clarify the relationship between the state and Islam. The first essay is written by Raphaël Lefèvre and discusses the perceptions of the Muslim Brotherhood leaders regarding the origins of the conflict in 1976-82, which led to the Hama fight between the Muslim Brotherhood and the state. Lefèvre’s essay draws on interviews with many top leading members of the Brotherhood. He discusses the history of the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria and its relation with the regime and the ensuing split in the Brotherhood due to a change in leadership and policy, from violence to non-violent engagement, to promote their political views of Islam. From their point of view, the Baathist repression gave rise to the emergence of radical members who provoked a showdown with the military. As a result of this, the entire Muslims Brotherhood was banned, even to the extent that being a member of the Brotherhood become a capital offense.