Shi`ite Twelvers and `Alawites

"Hizbollah is a Shi’a organization and the Alawites have been recognised by Ayatollah Khomeini as a branch of the Shi’as."  She got the first part of the sentence right.  Indeed, Hizbullah is a Shi`ite organization and for that she does deserve a blender.  Now for the second part of the sentence.  It is not true that Khomeini ever issued a fatwa considering `Alawites as Shi`ite twelvers. The theological differences between Shi`ite twelvers and Ghulat Ash-Shi`ah (or Ultra-Shi`ites) like `Alawites are too big to ignore or obscure or disregard.  That is why the Shi`ite acceptance of `Alawites fell to a politician, through and through, Imam Musa As-Sadr (who was a client of the Syrian regime in Lebanon, and who died as one of the most faithful clients of the regime in Lebanon).  I also asked my adviser on Shi`ite theological matters to comment on this, and he said:

"I do not recall any fatwa from Khomeini in this regard. But his legal language  - unlike Musa al-Sadr's - is very dry. His sentences would probably read something like "whoever does so and so is not a Muslim" leaving it to the reader's discretion to match the description with actual labels (this is how Khamenei goes about the question of certain sects in Iran).

An important point is worth mentioning: Khomeini was more rigid theologically than others, but did believe that the interests of the Muslim community as a whole justifies playing down theological difficulties.

A famous episode here is when he banned a few volumes of the 110-volume encyclopedia Bihar al-Anwar (Oceans of Light), because these volumes vilify some companions of Muhammad who are respected by Sunnis. It does not mean he disagrees necessarily with the content - at least totally; but that for him, the Muslim cause sets the priorities."