When the Rwandan Genocide finally came to an end, the world asked 'How did we not know this was happening? '... and I fear that the same will be true for Syria.
So, based on a number of sources, I have compiled a brief history of Syria, the events leading to this civil war and how it has unfolded over the past 6 years. And I finish with some ways that you can engage with these events as a global citizen and make a difference for those affected by the conflict.
This will be a slightly longer post than usual, but I encourage you to hang in there with me, this is important stuff, and we absolutely need to be aware of what's really happening.
The original Syrian civilisation is one of the worlds most ancient, situated on the Fertile Crescent, it was home to some of the first agriculture practices. In fact, Ebla, a city excavated in Syria is thought to be as old as 3000 BC and contained one of the oldest written languages in the world.
Over time it was conquered by many ancient empires, and gained it's name Syria from Alexander the Great, derived from its older name Assyria (yes, this is the Assyrians spoken of in the bible ). It was later captured by the Romans and several hundred years after the decline of the Roman Empire, Syria was conquered by Muslim Arabs, bringing it's power under the Islamic Empire.
The land was in constant turmoil and chaos for hundreds of years, thrown between several people power groups until the Ottoman Empire conquered the land in 1516 and it experienced a relatively peaceful period until 1918.
At the end of WW1 secret empire divisions led to Syria being under French control in 1920, leading to revolts, protests and unsuccessful treaties. By 1946 Syria was oficially independent but had a very unstable government. The power of the country was mostly in its military rather than in its presidency.
During the 1940s Syria became involved in the Arab-Israeli war, sparking 3 coup d'etats. In 1970 a bloodless coup ushered a new era for the Syrian people with president Hafez al-Assad taking power, later to be succeeded in 2000 by his brother Bashar al-Assad. This family was to be in power during the current civil war and played a big part in the deep division within the country.
Still with me? This brings us up to speed with the last 5000 years or so, from here it will be about this most recent civil war, but it is important to see the current conflict against its ancient context of power struggle, conquests and division.
In 2011, Syria, inspired by peaceful protests that brought about governmental change in Egypt, began similar protests against the dictatorship of Assad. The war is thought to have started in March 2011 when teenagers who had painted revolutionary slogans on a school wall were arrested and allegedly tortured. This sparked demonstrations during which government security opened fire, killing several demonstrators. This triggered national uprisings demanding the resignation of President Assad, and the government unfortunately responded with violence, hardening the protestors resolve.
As violence escalated, the country descended into civil war, rebel brigades battling government forces for the control of cities,reaching capital Damascus and large city Aleppo in 2012. By August 2015 the death toll is thought to be around 250,000 people.
However the conflict has become more than those for or against Mr Assad as religious sects have become a significant aspect. The Sunni majority against the president's Shia Alawite sect and then further complicated by the rise of ISIS.
It is important to understand that there is no good or bad side to this war. All parties have evidence against them for murder, rape, dissappearances, torture and using civilian suffering as a war tool (eg, blocking access to food, water and health care).
Since the start of the war 4.5 million refugees have fled, rowing across oceans, walking hundreds of miles or risking their lives with corrupt people smugglers. Friends, that is the entire population of New Zealand needing to leave and most having nowhere to go and no one to help. This is the largest refugee exodus in recent history.... not even taking into account the further 6.5 million internally displaced people within the country.
The picture seems very bleak for the Syrians, but we cannot afford to become overwhelmed and drop the issue. We are a global world now and living in a different country does not give us the luxury of being uninvolved.
I've compiled a list of 6 things that almost everyone can do to be a part of the solution...
1) PRAY. Yes, sometimes it's hard to know what to pray when the problem seems so big but remember that God is still bigger and He has promised that when His people would humble themselves and pray He would hear our prayers and heal our land...
2) Welcome refugees in the cities and countries you live in. I know Dunedin, where I am based has received 40 refugees last year, kids who ae now going to school, parents needing to learn English.... become involved in their lives if you have the opportunity, make them feel like they have a home here.
3) Donate money to one of the many organizations that have people on the ground in Syria directly affecting the lives of citizens and refugees there. Some of these for New Zealand include World Vision, Amnesty International and UNICEF. Even $5 makes a difference when someone is hungry, sick or needing to escape.
4 ) Read beyond the headlines. This has been a frustrating thing for me to see a headline saying words like "Hundreds being massacred in Eastern Aleppo" tucked between a photo of a friends Hawaii holiday and an advertisement for car insurance on Facebook. Headlines are like pickup lines, you can't base your relationship on them... take the time to look a little deeper.
5) Start conversations about the civil war. I realise it's not exactly fun dinner conversation but it's incredibly important. I've realised most people are under the impression the war started last year and that everyone is bombing everyone else.... if you know a little more than that, start conversation to raise awareness about the events.
6) And finally, support your Middle Eastern friends. Even though they may not be personally affected by the war, many will be experiencing a deep sense of unrest and grief about what is happening in Syria. Ask questions about their thoughts on it all, be aware that Westerners can make ignorant and hurtful comments about events such as this without thinking who is in the room.... look out for your friends
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