Syria’s Alawites Under Siege View of buildings damaged by what activists said was shelling by Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in Erbeen, near Damascus, on Dec. 31, 2012. (photo by REUTERS/Bassam Al-Erbeeni/Shaam News Network) Having dinner in one of Damascus' trendy restaurants might give the feeling that Syria is calm, and all the news circulating here and there are baseless rumors. Tables are fully booked, people from different areas and various sectarian backgrounds are sitting together and sharing the same food; smiley faces refute all claims that Syria is in the midst of a bloody civil war, till the sound of artillery shakes the place and uproots all feelings of safety and peace. Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/01/alawites-syria-siege-sunni-druze.html#ixzz2H3JOtwYH