"A broad fatwa issued via Ahrar al-Sham against all Alawites was so
widely condemned by other fighters that it was later diluted to focus on
government figures". Of course, MacFarquhar like almost Western reporters who write on Syria, believes whatever he is told by his opposition contacts. Nothing is ever questioned. Look at the silly remark above. I mean, what does he expect "Rami" to tell him? That yes, we are very sectarian and we hate `Alawites and we cheer when we kill Alawites qua Alawites? If MacFarquhar knows any Arabic he would have surfed the Arabic Syrian opposition groups on FB and seen for himself the blatant anti-`Alawite bigotry. Who are you kidding (outside of the ill-informed Western readership, that is).