The Syrian Civil War: Another Chain in the Cycle of Violence

The Syrian Civil War: Another Chain in the Cycle of Violence

The Syrian Civil war which is also known as the Syrian Uprising began in the year 2011. This armed conflict is still going on. It is between the forces loyal to the Ba’ath government and those opposing it. The unrest commenced in Dara in the month of March, 2011. The protests followed violence on much larger scales. The protests were part of the Arab Spring movement. The protestors demanded democratic and economic reform followed by solid protests.

In the month of April 2011, the armed forces of the Syrian government tried to contain the uprising. Armed troops fired on the protestors and demonstrators. Following month long protests of the military siege, an armed rebellion occurred. The conflict has resulted in clashes occurring in several towns and cities across the country.
In the year 2013, the Hezbollah participated in the conflict by supporting the Syrian army. Military support for Russia and Iran was also forthcoming for the Syrian Army. The rebels were helped by the US, Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. As the support from multiple nations to opposing sides has created camps in the international scenario, many experts have described this as a war by proxy.

The United Nations estimated that the death toll was around 100,000 in 2013’s month of June and it increased by 20,000 more towards the end of September 2013. The conflict has led to the loss of many lives and injured people. It has led to the damage of homes and businesses.

War has been fought on the basis of religion or battle for resources. They have been fought for the protection of important natural resources or the rights towards a certain territory. However, war has the capacity to destroy the nation’s economy and harm its future.

Mahatma Gandhi remarked that “an eye for an eye will leave the world blind”. With so many parts of the world being involved in direct or indirect forms of war, perhaps humanity has yet to realise that it is fighting the war without understanding what massive damage it can cost.

War is necessary for protecting national interests and the defence systems of any country play a critical role in protecting its territorial integrity. When the Cold War came to the fore, people realised that wars need not be actually fought. But even proxy war has a death toll.

A country may not be participating in the actual war, but encouraging its continuation by supplying arms and ammunitions. This is tantamount to fanning the flames and watching the fire grow. When peace replaced violence, the world would have achieved its balance. That state is far from achieved now.
The world is caught in a series of escalations and conflicts. The cycle of violence and hatred never seems to end. It manifests itself in racism and anger. Terrorism is another evil that has spread its influence all over the world. These are the biggest curses of war.

Any act of war only escalates the situation further. If world peace cannot be attained, at least wars can be confined to the diplomatic table only instead of the battleground. War damages the economy of the world and stunts its growth.

Each part of the world is inextricably linked to the other. What happens in one corner of the world can influence the state of affairs in the other. The beauty of language is that it can help us to communicate our emotions. We do not need to inflict harm on others to promote our own interests. Diplomacy can accomplish what war cannot. Peace can bring balance. Hatred and anger can only destroy the world.