“Hundreds are being killed by the Syrian government or whoever the hell is doing it. For the love of one God, please stop this! The most recent dehumanizing act of the Syrian government, accompanied by Russia, brought us to tears and left no space for humanism inside them. Is it really a modern world? I didn’t even understand this one thing – for what reason is the government participating in these shameless incidents by bombing innocent people and children as pure as angels? A prayer is such a powerful weapon we can use. Let’s pray for them…” Indians have said.
The fact is that every day we learn that hundreds of civilian casualties have been caused in Syria. The war has been going on for so long that it is somehow regarded with less alarm by other onlooking countries, for whom the news about Syria is merely white noise; that is at least what it seems, judging by the actions implemented to aid Syrians. While Europe has failed to comply with its own legislation about war refugees, the bombings continue and refugees are beaten with truncheons as they try to cross the borders fleeing from a torn country. But how did it all start? It’s a long story which can be better understood after taking some factors into consideration, such as the origins of the country and economic interests.
Syria was born from the Ottoman Empire. Founded by Osman I in the 14th century, the Ottoman Empire ruled over much of southeastern Europe, western Asia and northern Africa. Four main countries were formed out of the Ottoman Empire:
- Saudi Arabia, formed by Sunni Muslims and ruled by a king.
- Iran, a democracy formed by Shia Muslims.
- Iraq, founded by both Shia and Sunni Muslims.
- Syria, same as Iraq, with a population of Shia and Sunni Muslims.
The area is rich in crude oil and the West always had interests in these countries, taking part in many of their conflicts in their recent history; such is the case of Iran before the Islamic Revolution, after which the USA was demonised and all ties with the West were torn. In the case of Saudi Arabia, although during Bush’s years in office it was said that they funded Al-Qaeda, the USA chose to maintain good diplomatic relations with this rich country due to its interest in Saudi oil. Both countries established an agreement which granted America oil and the Saudi the ability to be the ruling Muslim country.
Iraq decided to sell its oil to other countries at an affordable price and the Bush administration started a campaign against Saddam Hussein by implying that the country hid weapons of mass destruction to justify the so-called Iraq war –Iraq has fought several wars, but since history is written by the West, hence its name). The American army captured Saddam Hussein and hung him, although the weapons were never found. After performing police duties in the post-war period, America ensured its control over the country’s oil. But what about Syria?
Iran funded Syria’s Shia Muslims and Assad’s regime to take a stand against America. America and Saudi Arabia supported the Sunni Muslims in Syria in their stand against their own government; these West-backed rebels seek a democracy in Syria. After the first severe revolts, Assad lost legitimacy when he started using chemical weapons against the Syrian rebels. And Russia comes into play, supporting Assad’s regime against the rebels, the Islamic State troops and the US.
The purpose of the Islamic State, known as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ), is to rule the country and turn it into an Islamic country based on Shariah law and eventually form an Islamic state of their own. None of the aforementioned countries supports ISIS, but their bombings cause much ‘collateral damage’ – a euphemism for the deaths of innocent people.
As a result of the war, around 5 lakh innocent people were killed in Syria and 70 lakh people are homeless. Civilians are the ones who ultimately suffer due to political crises and conflicts, which are but a game of chess for the masterminds of war. It is the governments’ duty to maintain the peace and provide protection for the people; the word ‘minister’ meant ‘servant’ in origin. Sadly, instead of ensuring the citizens’ basic rights, they are playing politics and hiding their dark secrets.
It’s time for all to rise and be united. What is happening in Syria could happen in any other country, since politicians will start a conflict with other nations out of mere strategic interests, and we civilians will have to pay the price.
Believe it or not. The New World Rule has begun. All the secret societies are playing their final moves.
So it’s up to us to either just be content with what we have received from the government, or to fight against this dirty political game.