The Syrian regime, led by President Bashar al-Assad, is at
war with activists who are fighting for more political freedom, economic prosperity,
and civil rights. Estimated by the United Nations, 17,000 lives have been lost,
mostly civilians, and more than 170,000 people have fled the Middle East nation
to seek refuge. This crisis started in Daraa, Syria in March of 2011, when a
group of children and teenagers were arrested for writing political graffiti.
This childish crime matured in to a violent outbreak causing dozens of people
killed when security forces cracked down on protesters. After, Al-Assad
promised to make changes so he lifted the Syrian state-of-emergency law. This
law gave the regime the power to arrest any civilian without charge and hold
them forever. However, only four days after the emergency law was lifted in
April, 2011, thousands of Syrian troops were sent into Daraa for a massive crackdown.
Since April the violence has increased and spread throughout the country
starting as an uprising becoming a civil war between the powerful regime and
armed civilians. This past summer, the war reached Syria’s capital, Damascus,
and its largest city, Aleppo. (Timeline: http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/14/world/meast/syria-timeline/index.html)
Bashar al-Assad had been called by President Barack Obama
and other global leaders to give up his power. Al-Assad has been president since
his father, Hafez, died in 2000. The Al-Assad family has been in power since
the 1970’s. The family is Alawite, a Shiite Muslim, which is the minority in
Syria being a country that is almost three-quarters Sunni. The Syrian government
is filled with Bashar’s extended family members and many of his supporters who
are also Alawites who do not want the Sunnis to gain power.
The rebels consist of civilians, The Free Syrian Army and
ex-soldiers who were once in the Syrian military. They have become more
organized and have obtained better arms and larger since the uprising began. The
Free Syrian Army emerged in July 2011 and is the primary rebel group. However,
it is not the only militia fighting against al-Assad. "I go to war for my
family, for my country," said Soukrot Amin, a 23-year-old volunteer in the
Free Syrian Army. “Because (al-Assad) has killed everyone. He killed my cousin.
He destroyed my village. He destroyed my home." The militia had admitted
to an attack on an air intelligence base. These rebels as a whole have proved
that they have put a large dent in the regime but it has not been able to fight
against major cities for an extended amount of time. The rebels fall under
pressure from the Syrian military having the upper hand.
Opinion:
A civil war had been going on in Syria for a year and a half
and I had no clue, ignorant, but thanks to Sociology class it is no longer that case!
Civilians’ fighting for their human rights is something today’s
American citizens are not accustomed to and always take for granted. An uprising that started out as young and
naïve kids performing a petty crime snowballed into a full force civil war. If
a group of teenagers did that in America it wouldn’t have led to dozens of
people dead. In comparison it shows how Syrian citizens must fight for their
rights. A quote from the 23- year old volunteer in the Free Syrian Army struck
me. The people of Syria are considered lucky if they get to flee their country
because the rest live is terror and anger. When I imagine myself in the shoes
of the Syrian civilians I picture myself living in no hope knowing that the
ruler of my country is restricting me of my human rights to freedom.
These civilians deserve the freedom to a better standard of
living, political freedom, and freedom to human rights. The Syrian government claims
that the rebels are only terrorist wanting to destabilize the country but in
fact they only want what is rightfully theirs. The state-of-emergency law that
was lifted put into perspective the lack of power the people have by allowing
the regime to imprison someone indefinitely without charge. Bashar al-Assad
felt that his power had been threatened by the people so that is why he sent in
thousands of troops four days after the law was lifted.
Al-Assed needs to be out of power immediately. The violence
the Syrian regime is causing people to die and starve. The violence has made it
difficult for many civilians to access food, water, electricity, and medical
supplies. I believe the U.S. along with other nations should step in and help
bring down al-Assed because no one deserves to live in fear every time they
walk outside.
Good work and well written. Be careful, some of your summary passages read very closely to the original article. When in doubt, cite. Good analysis, but in the future be more objective.
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