[dfwgator]

My understanding is that the Ba'athist movement at least when it started was in fact...atheist.

[Poohbah]

True.

But I always was under the impression that, culturally, Michel Aoun was Alawite.

[Travis McGee]

My understanding is that the Ba'athist movement at least when it started was in fact...atheist.

So was the communist Soviet govt, but under pressure in WW2 Stalin reopened churches and allowed prayer, icons, etc.