The toppling of Bashar Assad has raised tentative hopes that Syrians might live peacefully and as equals after a half century of authoritarian rule.

In the Assad clan's former heartland of Latakia, many in the toppled president's Alawite minority are relieved that his iron-clad rule has come to an end.- 'Stealing from us' - After the rebel takeover,

Assad's recent ouster, ethnic Syrian Alawites have found themselves increasingly anxious over the future under HTS rule, while calls for rights protection and inclusive governance continue to rise.Vie