In Western media (and even in sectarian Wahhabi Qatari and Saudi media) there is a mantra that sectarianism was created by the Syrian regime. I believe that Ba`thist rule is a ruthless dictatorial rule that does not discriminate in murder and repression (and even in the rewards of obedience). I am yet to see one evidence of sectarian discourse in lousy Asad regime media. In fact, you won't see it, but you are told that it exists mostly by people in Western media (who can't read Arabic) and who rely for their every word on Syria on "activists". I say that because I just looked around some Syrian opposition websites on FB:the level of sleazy disgusting sectarian discourse against `Alawites and Shi`ites is like nothing I have seen. It is very Goebbels like in the mixture of sexual violence with sectarian bigotry. I don't recall I read one article in the Western press about this level of disgusting hostility to `Alawites ever. To be sure, Wahhabi media always carries sectarian hatred but this is a very high level even by House of Saud's media standards. In Saddam's media there was a not-to-subtle sectarian tone in articles about Shu`ubiyyah and Safawiyyah and such but I don't see such tone in Syrian regime media, as repulsive as it is at all levels.