In February 1982, the Syrian city of Hama became well-known worldwide as the place of the “Hama massacre”. After a large and long-planned uprising of Muslim rebels against Asad and the Ba’th party, mainly organised by the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, Syrian government forces crushed the rebellion with brutal force. An estimated number of 20.000 to 40.000 citizens were killed by Syrian army units under the control of General Ali Haydar, 15.000 missing persons have not been found until today.
This incident evoked heavy condemnation of the so-called 'pro-Moscow military regime' of Asad in the German press. It was accused of “beeing one of the bloodiest regimes in the Middle East, shaken from fear of espionage and with pro-soviet declarations and refusal of any peace policy overbidding itself every day anew.” (Ranke, P.M., „Nur noch mit Gewalt“, Die Welt, 12.2.1982). The Asad regime was portrayed in West German newspapers in exactly the same way as in the writings of the Muslim Brotherhood, as a sectarian minority regime, and little distinction was made between the goals of the Brotherhood and the goals of the Syrian people in general.
This paper analyses the reasons, supporters and consequences of the Hama massacre, focussing on the triangle between Asad, the Muslim Brotherhood and West Germany. I will analyse, why the Muslim Brotherhood in exile acted mainly from West Germany in its fight against Asad, and why West Germany supported or tolerated those actions. I will furthermore analyse the interests of different groups and countries, internal, regional and international, involved in the Hama incident – and elaborate why they were interested in a destabilisation of Syria. On a global level, I will consider the Hama incident in terms of cold war and the involvement of the Superpowers USA and USSR in the Middle East in the early 1980s.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 The Hama Massacre and its forerunners
3 Stage A: Syria - Internal supporters of the Hama revolt:
3.1 Excursus:The Alawis/Nusairis (Sources: Seale, Asad, pp. 252/253; Kramer., Syria’s Alawis and Shi‘ism)
4 Stage B: The Middle East - Regional supporters of the Hama revolt
5 Stage C: The international level: The interests of the superpowers and its allies in the Hama Revolt
6 Stage D: West Germany
6.1 Three ways how West Germany supported the Syrian Brotherhood
6.2 West German media coverage of the Hama rebellion
6.3 The roots of the Muslim Brotherhood in West Germany
7 Conclusion
8 NOTES:
Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the reasons, supporters, and consequences of the 1982 Hama massacre, focusing on the geopolitical and ideological triangle involving Hafiz al-Asad’s regime, the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, and the Federal Republic of Germany. It seeks to understand why the Brotherhood operated primarily from West Germany and how German political and media interests influenced their support or tolerance of the rebellion within the context of the Cold War.
- The internal dynamics of Syrian opposition and the role of the Muslim Brotherhood.
- Regional geopolitical tensions involving the PLO, Iran, Iraq, and Jordan.
- The influence of Cold War superpowers and their allies on the Syrian conflict.
- West Germany's legal and political stance regarding asylum for the Muslim Brotherhood.
- The role of German media coverage in shaping perceptions of the Hama uprising.
Excerpt from the Book
1 Introduction
In February 1982 the Syrian city of Hama became well known worldwide as the place of the “Hama massacre”. After an uprising of Muslim rebels, mainly consisting of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, Syrian government forces crushed the rebellion “with brutal force” ii .“Select Syrian army units…under the control of General Ali Haydar besieged the city for 27 days, bombarding it with heavy artillery and tank (fire) before invading it and killing 30.000 to 40.000 of the city´s citizens in addition to 15.000 missing who have not been found to this day….”iii “Many civilians were slaughtered, whole districts razed and numerous act of savagery reported…(and) a third of the inner city was demolished”.iv Preceding the fighting was an ambush against government army units in the night between 2nd to 3rd of February, who searched for dissidents in Hama. Snipers of the guerrilla commander Abu Bakrv killed some of the soldiers and Bakr gave the command for a general uprising. The call of Jihad against the Ba´th was called in the city. ”At this signal hundreds of Islamic fighters rose from their hiding places. Killing and looting, they burst into the homes of officials and party leaders, overran police posts and ransacked armouries in a bid to seize power in the city.” vi On February 3rd, Hama was declared a “liberated city”, some 70 leading Ba´thists were killed by the terrorists and Asad was faced with the largest urban insurrection in the history of his reign.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the Hama massacre and introduces the research focus on the roles of the Syrian government, the Muslim Brotherhood, and West Germany.
2 The Hama Massacre and its forerunners: Details the historical opposition in Hama and the increasing tensions and violent clashes between the Syrian regime and Islamist insurgents leading up to 1982.
3 Stage A: Syria - Internal supporters of the Hama revolt: Analyzes the internal political motivations and religious factions opposing Asad, including the Muslim Brotherhood and various other Islamic groups.
4 Stage B: The Middle East - Regional supporters of the Hama revolt: Examines how regional actors like the PLO, Iran, Iraq, and Jordan were involved in the dynamics surrounding the Syrian internal conflict.
5 Stage C: The international level: The interests of the superpowers and its allies in the Hama Revolt: Discusses the global Cold War context and the interests of the USA and the Soviet Union regarding Syria.
6 Stage D: West Germany: Investigates the specific role of West Germany in providing asylum, media support, and the historical connections of the Brotherhood in German territory.
7 Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, confirming that the Hama massacre was a zero-sum conflict and that West German involvement was driven by Cold War foreign policy objectives rather than humanitarian concerns alone.
Keywords
Hama Massacre, Syria, Muslim Brotherhood, Hafiz al-Asad, West Germany, Cold War, Islamic Fundamentalism, Political Asylum, Media Coverage, Middle East, Geopolitics, Jihad, Ba'th Party, Alawis, State Terrorism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper examines the 1982 Hama massacre in Syria, focusing on the conflict between Hafiz al-Asad's regime and the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, and how this conflict intersected with the interests of West Germany during the Cold War.
What are the central thematic fields addressed?
The main themes include political violence in Syria, the role of Islamist organizations in exile, international geopolitical alignments, and the analysis of media coverage as a tool of political influence.
What is the primary research goal?
The primary goal is to determine why the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood operated extensively from West Germany and to uncover the strategic reasons for West Germany's support or tolerance of these activities during the Cold War era.
Which scientific methods were employed?
The author uses historical analysis, review of academic literature on Middle Eastern politics, and a critical content analysis of West German newspaper articles and media reports from the early 1980s.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section analyzes internal Syrian politics, the regional interests of neighboring Middle Eastern states, the involvement of superpowers (USA and USSR), and the specific diplomatic and legal role of West Germany.
What are the characterizing keywords for this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as Hama Massacre, Muslim Brotherhood, West Germany, Cold War, Political Asylum, and Geopolitics.
How does the author explain the German support for the Brotherhood?
The author argues that German support was not primarily humanitarian, but was driven by Cold War foreign policy alignment with the USA, anti-communist propaganda efforts, and the strategic desire to weaken the Soviet-aligned Syrian regime.
What role did the "Alawis" play in the Brotherhood's discourse?
The Brotherhood used sectarian rhetoric, labeling the Alawi minority as heretical and an illegitimate, corrupt ruling sect, to mobilize Sunni sentiment and justify their rebellion against the Asad regime.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Dipl. Paed. Kathrin Nina Wiedl (Autor:in), 2006, The Hama Massacre – reasons, supporters of the rebellion, consequences, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/63819
