Islamist uprising in Syria

Not to be confused with Syrian Civil War.

Islamist uprising in Syria
Part of the Arab Cold War

A destroyed section of Hama's old town, after the 1982 Hama massacre
Date31 May 1976 – 28 February 1982[10]
(6 years, 5 months and 4 weeks)
Location
Damascus, Hama, Aleppo, Palmyra, and Jisr ash-Shugur, Syria
Result

Syrian government victory

Belligerents
Fighting Vanguard[1][2]
Muslim Brotherhood [3][4]
Supported by:
Iraq
 Jordan[5][6]
 West Germany[7]

 Syria

Supported by:
 Soviet Union[8][9]
Commanders and leaders
Casualties and losses
Estimated deaths vary between 10,000 and 40,000[11]

The Islamist uprising in Syria comprised a series of protests, assassinations, bombings, and armed revolts led by Sunni Islamists, mainly members of the Fighting Vanguard and, after 1979, the Muslim Brotherhood, from 1976 until 1982. The uprising aimed to establish an Islamic republic in Syria by overthrowing the Ba'athist government, in what has been described by Ba'ath Party as a "long campaign of terror".[12]

After 1980, the popular resistance to Ba'athist rule expanded, with a coalition of Islamist opposition groups coordinating nation-wide strikes, protests and revolts throughout Syria.[13] During the violent events, resistance militias attacked Syrian Arab Army bases and carried out political assassinations of Ba'ath party cadres, army officials, Soviet military advisors, and bureaucrats linked to Assad family.[14][15][9] Civilians were also killed in retaliatory strikes conducted by security forces.[16] The uprising reached its climax in the 1982 Hama massacre, during which the Syrian government killed over 40,000 civilians.[17][18]

  1. ^ Lefèvre 2013, pp. 100–101.
  2. ^ Conduit 2019, p. 34.
  3. ^ Conduit 2019, p. 35.
  4. ^ Lefèvre 2013, p. 110.
  5. ^ Milton Edwards, Beverly; Hinchcliffe, Peter (2001). "4: International Relations". Jordan: A Hashemite Legacy. New York, USA: Routledge. p. 97. ISBN 0-415-26726-9.
  6. ^ Conduit 2019, pp. 138–141.
  7. ^ Nina Wiedl, Kathrin (2006). The Hama Massacre – reasons, supporters of the rebellion, consequences. GRIN Verlag. pp. 26–31. ISBN 978-3-638-56770-1. Another reason for West Germany to oppose Asad [sic] was his involvement in international terrorism, such as the RAF (Baader Meinhof Gang) clique and the "Movement 2nd of June – Tupamaros West Berlin"... West Germany, as an ally in the anti-Soviet camp, had a reason to support the Brotherhood in Syria and to provide them a safe exile in Germany as a place from where they could continue their attempts to overthrow Asad [sic], in order to weaken the Soviet bloc... Three ways how West Germany supported the Syrian Brotherhood.. It provided asylum and a save haven from where the exile-brotherhood could organise its struggle against Asad [sic], it protected them against attacks of Syrian intelligence, and West German newspapers reported about the Hama incident in a way that supported the aims of the Brotherhood.
  8. ^ Nina Wiedl, Kathrin (2006). The Hama Massacre – reasons, supporters of the rebellion, consequences. GRIN Verlag. pp. 3–34. ISBN 978-3-638-56770-1.
  9. ^ a b "Like Father, Like Son – Tyranny in Syria, A Massacre in Hama". Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. 11 June 2015. Archived from the original on 16 May 2016.
  10. ^ "Timeline: The Syrian revolt". Al Jazeera.
  11. ^ "Hamah (Hama), Syria, 1982". GlobalSecurity.org.
  12. ^ Seale (1989), pp. 336–337.
  13. ^ "Key events in Syria 1946–2010". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 4 August 2016.
  14. ^ Ismael, Quiades (22 December 2009). "The Hama Massacre – February 1982". SciencesPo. Archived from the original on 3 November 2020.
  15. ^ Nina Wiedl, Kathrin (2006). The Hama Massacre – reasons, supporters of the rebellion, consequences. GRIN Verlag. p. 23. ISBN 978-3-638-56770-1.
  16. ^ Lefèvre (2013), p. 59.
  17. ^ Lefèvre (2013), p. [page needed].
  18. ^ "Sufism and Sufi Brotherhoods in Syria and Palestine". ou.edu.