Things You Need To Know About The War In Syria
"I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent"
- Mahatma Gandhi
This is Syria
Some of the worst violence stories we’ve heard or seen over the course of time are taking place right now; it’s taking place in Syria. Syria is fighting a war for 8 years now with its own people. Children are dying, women are being beaten and assaulted, and men are losing everything from their house to their family over a war they never started.
But, what exactly happened? What started the civil war in Syria?
It all started in 2011
The Syrian Civil war is the result of the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s attempt to silence the Arab spring protestors. It all began when the government of Syria killed a 13-year-old boy for writing anti-Assad’s graffiti on the streets of Syria. To stop the rising protestors, Syrian government killed thousands of them and imprisoned many. After this, the country divided into two groups – a rebel group to fight Assad’s army and the government.
And then it grows
Right after that, local people started forming their own militias to fight the government. They started calling themselves Free Syrian Army(FSA) – a combination of local tribal group and ex-military personnel.
When the news spread, some Jihadists from far areas, having their own Islamic agendas joined the FSA. As Syrian Freedom Fighters were not only undermanned but also under armed, they took those jihadists in as there was no choice left for them.
The fight between Angels and Devils...really?
By now, everyone in Syria believed that the FSA was fighting for them. But, continuous kidnapping and killing of civilians made them start questioning?
Whatever it was, all we know that people are dying both sides, people who are innocent, children who have no idea about the situation. More than 11 million Syrian civilians have been killed in this war since then.
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The living hell
With no access to food, medicine, or sanitary supplies, Syria has become a living hell for its citizens now. People have no option than to escape their country in a hope of getting a good life at the other side. And the people who choose to stay, or are not able to leave, are hiding in their basements and underground shelters with no proper ventilation, water, or sanitation system.
Syrian refugee crisis
Today, Syria is facing the worst humanitarian and displacement crisis of all time. More than 6 million Syrians have fled the country as refugees, 6.3 million are displaced within the country, and 5.3 million are forced to seek safety in neighboring countries.
So, what about the refugee camps? You must think that at least people who are living there must be living a good life. Sadly, that’s not the case. These camps are flooded with people, more than they can occupy. People are sleeping on floors, fighting for basic amenities like food, water, and sanitation is a common sight in these camps.
The case of chemical weapons
Syrian president Bashar al-Assad has crossed all lines when he used chemical weapons on his citizens for the first time in the history of Syrian civil war on 21st Aug 2013. After that, he has bombarded his country with internationally banned chemical weapons for nearly 200 times.
The chemical attack which took place recently on 4 April 2017 on the town of Khan Shaykhun killed more than 74 and injured 557 people.
What’s next for Syria?
After years of protest and continuous war, it seems there’s no point of return for Syria now. There are speculations that the instability of Syria may affect its neighboring countries like Israel and Iran too.
The future of Syria is now in the hand of its own citizens, and something must be done immediately to prevent this country from further damage.
I pray for Syria. I pray for world peace!