Sectarian Conflict In The Syrian Civil War

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The Syrian Civil War, commonly referred to as the Syrian Uprising, is more than just the Assad Regime against the Free Syrian Army. It is a complex war of uprising against the Bashar al-Assad government, sectarian conflict, and outside country involvement. Overthrowing the Assad Regime in Syria would create more problems than there already are. Sectarian conflict has been part of the Middle East since the passing of Prophet Muhammad in the seventh century. The Syrian Civil War has opened up the sectarian conflict within Syria. The growing sectarian conflict in Syria is causing even more problems to the Syrian Civil War. The Syrian Sunni’s anger towards the Alawites is intense and powerful because of the Alawites being responsible for the number of carnages against them. In 1982 a Sunni revolt led by the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, confronted Bashar al-Assad’s father, Hafiz al-Assad. Hafiz al-Assad responded with terminating entire neighborhoods, historic landmarks, and non-violent citizens. This did not just subdue the revolt, but led to generational revenge. The Alawites, an offshoot sect of Shia Islam, are headed by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The Alawite Assad family has controlled Syria for almost 50 years thanks to the loose minority alliance with Christians, Druze, and other various smaller ethnic groups. Syria’s population consists of Sunni Arab’s (around 60 percent); Alawites (about 10-12 percent); Christians (about 10-12 percent); Kurds (around 9 percent); Druze (around 6 percent); and other ethnic minorities. For the most part, the Sunni’s consist of the Free Syrian Army and the Syrian National Council. Captain Ayham al-Kurdi of the Free Syrian Army stated, “Ninety percent of Alawites are with the regime.” Captai... ... middle of paper ... ...nd helpless civilians and even remove an offending regime. On the other hand, Russia and China continue to validate the traditional state system embodied in the Peace of Westphalia, the series of seventeenth-century treaties that ended the Thirty Years War in Europe. The main principle of the treaty system is a general prevention against outside interference in the purely internal affairs of other countries. These conflicting views of the great powers could lead to a possibility of militarized action if any other country personally intervenes with Syria’s Civil War. This could create another Cold War or even a full scale war. The rivalry between the Assad Regime and the Free Syrian Army will continue to rise if the sectarian conflict and involvement of other countries progresses. If the Assad Regime were to be overthrown then more problems would begin to arise.

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