Assad is Alaouite, a Persian type ethnic and religious group. Alaouites form the ruling but minority clan of Syria. They are no much better than any other islamic group : violent and totalitarian.
Alouette
Alawites are not properly even Islamic. Alawites are heretical to both Sunni and Shia. They pass as Shia because Assad is a good puppet for Iran and Syria is useful as a buffer state between Iran and the ME Sunni states. Excepting Turkiye, of course, but Turkiye as a secular western ally didn’t count in the calculations of Sunni threat until the last decade.
Their religion is also considered "Shia" but it is a secretive religion that is actually more Christian than Islamic and yet believes in reincarnation.