Stalled Reconciliation Leaves Hama’s Alawites in Limbo

Stalled Reconciliation Leaves Hama’s Alawites in Limbo

As one drives from Hama to Idlib in northwestern Syria up the M5 highway, the village of Morek comes into view, followed by Maan to the east — idyllic places once known for their blossoming pistachio orchards. Prior to 2011, Syria’s multimillion-dollar pistachio industry ranked fourth in the world. Today, dozens of villages like Maan and Morek in northeastern Hama are in ruins, and vast stretches of land are barren, their pistachio trees uproote…