Contours of Syrian conflictagainst
Any solution has to be free from foreign intervention
MUSHTAQ AHMAD MALIK
In one of his sweeping insights, Henry Kissinger once captured the forces at play in Syrian history. “Damascus is at one and the same time the fount of modern Arab nationalism and the exhibit of its frustrations,” he wrote. “Syrian history alternates achievement with catastrophe. . . . The injustice of foreigners is burned deep into the Syrian soul”.
Syrian crisis is heading towards catastrophe and should be the cause of concern to all the Muslim Ummah. The crisis had sustained for more than a year taking a huge human toll. According to various sources, between 35,000 and 49,600 people have been killed, including 18,890–20,685 armed combatants consisting of both the Syrian army and rebel forces, and the other half civilians, and up to 2,170 opposition
protesters. By October 2012, up to 28,000 people were reported missing including civilians forcibly abducted by government troops or security forces. According to the UN, about 1.2 million Syrians have been displaced within the country. To escape the violence, hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees have fled to neighboring countries. In addition, tens of thousands of protesters have been imprisoned, and there have been reports of widespread torture in the government’s prisons. International organizations have accused the government and Shabiha (pro government militia) of severe human rights violations. Anti-government rebels have been accused of human rights abuses as well. The vast majority of abuses have, however, been committed by the Syrian government’s forces.
Syria and the Assad Regime:
The Assad family has wielded power in Syria since 1970, when Bashar Al-Assad’s father, Hafez Al-Assad became president. During all that time, Hafez initially wanted the eldest son, to be groomed as Bassel Al-Assad the future president (never declaring his intent to the public), but when Bassel died in an automobile accident, Bashar, who at fulfilling his medical profession as a doctor, was recalled back into the Syrian army. He would eventually succeed his father (who died in the 2000) and become president. It is important to note that for Assad to be in his shoes right now, he must possess a strong character as a President to have held out in the face of a growing opposition. His father used his remaining years before his death to groom Bashar to be the next president in terms of acquiring the military’s support when he eventually grew in ranks to become colonel in 1999 (after having entered the military in 1994).
What is the way out?
Any solution to the problem should be free from foreign intervention,
otherwise the fate will be same as happened in Libya or Iraq. The West Asian region is being used as cards in the chess board game by the foreign interventions, which complicates the crisis. The integration and union of opposition groups in Syria becomes an essential catalyst in regime transformation. Regional harmony can mitigate and check the influence of foreign powers. Arab league can play constructive, substantial and detrimental role in uniting the region. The west Asian region has to become politically coterie in which the role of Arab league holds importance. Religion, the divisive element in naturally cohesive geography of West Asia, is the formidable challenge in the contours of West Asian conflict. Vividly transformation of orthodox irrational and communal religion into secular rational and democratic belief becomes an essential project for West Asian region to provide cohesive uniting and integrating bonds. Given the situation it is not easy to escape from this Pandora’s Box. In order to come out of this self woven net, they had no alternatives.
For full text visit greaterkashmir.com
(Mushtaq Ahmad Malik is an M. Phil. Scholar, Political Science Department,
Kashmir University. Email at email@example.com)
Lastupdate on : Wed, 21 Nov 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 21 Nov 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 IST
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