Nick Hurtado Mrs
Nick Hurtado
Mrs. Callon
Language Arts
24 May 2018
Syria’s Civil War
The Syrian Civil War is an ongoing multi-sided armed conflict in Syria fought primarily between the Ba’athist Syrian Arab Republic was led by President Bashar al-Assad, along with its allies, and various forces opposing both the government and each other in varying combinations. It started on March 15, 2011, and it is still going on until the present day. “More than 500,000 (5 million) Syrians have been killed in the fighting, over a million injured, and over 12 million – half the country’s prewar population” (Jazeera 1).
Social Effect:
Social media plays a role in this civil war. One article states, “Videos have also made it more difficult. The task of navigating between truth and propaganda with all sides using them to promote their cause” (Karam 4). Videos can be a poster that is physically posted up or technology can put it online. An example is the “I want you for the Army poster.” Often, just going to Syria is difficult. People trying to capture photos or videos for social media are in the scramble. This means they could get severely injured or possibly death. In the article it explains, “If the media wasn’t there to cover an event, it was like it never happened” (Karam 9). Imagine not having social media in this century.
Cultural Effect:
The Syrian Civil War has affected their culture. For instance, “The armed conflicts have damaged ancient cities and sites” (Grenier 4). Many authentic structures have been demolished in different cities. Another way culture has been affected is when the museums are stolen from. Antiques from about six museums have been robbed, and more could happen at any time. Luckily, the Syrians were able to save some of the artifacts. “Fortunately, the 77,000 artifacts which make up the collections in Syria’s archeological museums are now stored in a secure location” (Grenier 6). Lastly, archeological sites are being ruined by evacuations. Sources have said that this is the worst problem. If it is possible to rebuild, it can take quite some time, it depends on what the sites look like.
Political Effect:
Unequal education plays a role in the political factor. In the article it states, “The government failed to provide quality schooling in all areas, creating a vast pool of semi-educated Syrians fit only for manual labor” (Jansen 5). Children in different cities will not be able to go to school unlike others. Others who have been somewhat educated do not get the full experience. They must work instead; that is unfair. It should be equal for everybody, not just certain cities. “President Bashar al-Assad, who had succeeded his father, not only promoted economic reform, but also permitted modest political liberalization” (Jansen 6). This shows that President Bashar al-Assad had set aside some of the restrictions.Overall, the Syrian Civil War had different effects throughout societal, cultural and political undertones. Photos and videos can be put online, but there is a risk of injury or death trying to capture it. Cities have been damaged along with historical structures and museums being stolen from. Some children aren’t getting an equal education in schools. The people who have gotten partially educated must work in labor. Solutions for this conflict could be a cease fire agreement in which Syria stands down from all attacks. Another solution is a negotiation agreement that can end the whole conflict. According to Pine Tree Politics, there is no easy solution. They could be right, but they could also be wrong. Think about this for a moment, if we came up with a solution right now, what would the outcome of it look like?
Works Cited
Primary Source: Al Jazeera. “Syria’s Civil War Explained from the Beginning.” Israeli–Palestinian Conflict | Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 14 Apr. 2018
Secondary Source: Bremmer, Ian. “Syria War: The Conflict Is Becoming Even More Complex.” Time, Time, 6 Apr. 2018, time.com/5229691/syria-trump-putin-saudi-arabia/.
One Current Source: Jenkins, and Brian Michael. “The Dynamics of Syria’s Civil War.” RAND Corporation, 17 Jan. 2014, rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PE115.htmlAnother Source: Jansen, Michael. “Population and Politics: A Dangerous Recipe That Sparked Syria’s 6Civil War.” The Irish Times, The Irish Times, 17 Feb. 2016, irishtimes.com/news/world/middle-east/population-and-politics-a-dangerous-recipe-that-sparked-syria-s-civil-war-1.2537267
