Sulayman al-Murshid

Sulaiman Murshid (Arabic سليمان المرشد Sulaimān al - Murshid, also Salmān murshid; * 1907 in Dschaubat al - burghal in Alawitengebirge; † 16 December 1946 in Damascus ) was a religious and political leader in the Syrian Alawites during the French Mandate.

Sulaiman Murshid grew up in his village in the upper, more remote part of the Syrian coastal mountains in poor circumstances and initially worked as a shepherd. His religious career began in September 1923, when he became ill, was ecstatic seizures and was henceforth regarded in its environment as an envoy of Khidr. It grew around him sensed a religious revival movement that large parts of the Alawite community. Murshid was revered by his followers after a certain time as a prophet, and later even as "Lord " ( rabb ) with divine qualities.

Since villages that belonged Murschids movement, refused to pay taxes and has also been blamed for the massacre in the village of al - ʿ Āliyāt, the French mandate authorities initially made ​​various attempts to crush the movement. However, in 1929 there was a rapprochement between the two sides, and there began a period of political cooperation. Murshid himself retired in November 1937 after an election as an MP in the Syrian parliament.

At the same time murshid closed his followers, who came mainly from the Alawite tribes of ʿ Amāmira, Mahāliba and Darāwisa to a new strain together, which was named after the model of the ancient Arab tribe of the Ghassanids as Banū Ghassan or Ghasāsina, and declared himself its head (ra ʾ īs ).

After July 1939, the French government had the mandate Alawitengebiet removed again from the Syrian government, intensified murshid his collaboration with the French and could thereby greatly expand its position of power in the region and was promoted to major landowners in the region.

After the reintegration of Alawitengebietes in the Syrian (1942 ) there were repeated armed clashes between supporters and Murschids the Syrian police. In December 1946, after the withdrawal of French troops from Syria, Murshid was sentenced to death for high treason and hanged in Damascus on the Merdsche Square.

In the 1950s, have two sons Murschids, Mujib and Sādschī, revitalized, founded by her father, a religious movement under the name Murschidīya. As a religious grouping of the Alawites with 100,000 to 200,000 followers this community continues to exist until today.