Strife In the Arab World by Patricia Depew The Start of the Syrian Civil War It was February, 2011. Fifteen-year-old Mohammed and his young friends were walking down a street in their home town of Daraa, Syria. The day was beautiful, and the sun blazed down on Daraa’s ancient and modern landmarks. Close by the boys heard the voices and music of people enjoying afternoon tea in an open bazaar. Their attention, however, was not on the beauty of Daraa. They were talking about how great it would be if Syria could be free from government oppression. Their excitement had been aroused by the discussions in their families about the revolutions in other Arab nations, namely Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt. Many Syrian people were tired of the corruption, economic hardship, rising cost of living, and the lack of Sunni Islamic influence on their government. On a street in Daraa Syria, Mohammed and his friends decided they wanted to write about their antigovernment feelings someplace where it could be seen by many people. They chose to write their thoughts on a large wall of an old building. With shouts of, “Allah Akbar” they wrote, “The people want the regime to fall,” and, “It’s your turn, Doctor (President Bashar Assad)!” Mohammed and his companions were arrested and taken to the local branch of Syria’s infamous political security forces where they were beaten—not to extract information, but as punishment for what they had written on the wall. As word spread of their detention, family members and neighbors began clamoring for their release. Assad at first attempted to appease the town and ordered the boys released; but he failed to stop the growing anger. Demonstrations continued and soon spread throughout the entire country. The protests were repressed by the ruthless action of Assad’s military, and it was only a matter of time before peaceful dissent turned into armed resistance. Once that happened, the Syrian revolt exploded, and the outgunned rebels looked for help from other Sunni Islamic groups beyond their borders. Some of the Sunni Arab countries that were sympathetic to the rebels included Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. (For more background, see: cnn/2012/03/01/world/meast/syria-crisis-beginnings) This explosive situation had been in the making for many years. Since 1963 the Socialist Baath Party has dominated Syria. The Assad family who are Alawites took over in 1971, and Syria became a dictatorship. Thousands of people were placed in prisons and tortured for political reasons. Of Syria’s population of over 22 million people, only about two million are Alawites. The Sunni Muslims make up 74 percent of the population, and they have long wanted more political power. The Christian community consists of about 10 percent of the people, and they are represented mainly by Eastern Orthodox ethnic groups. The Assad regime has allowed the Christians to have their own courts and some privileges as long as they do not proselytize Muslims. The current civil war has increased the power of the Sunnis who have made life more difficult for the Syrian Christians. Other religious groups in Syria include the Druze and some Jewish communities which exist in Aleppo and Damascus. Almost all Islamic countries develop dictatorial governments. In some Islamic countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, the government imposes strict Islamic Shari’a law on the people. Compare this kind of leadership with the love and grace that is seen in Jesus, the servant-king. Saint Paul clearly wrote about this in Philippians 2:3-5,7: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus … rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” The Effects of the Syrian Civil Conflict The Spillover In reflecting on the continuing war and destruction in Syria, we need to consider the prophecy from Isaiah 17:1, “Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city and it will be a ruinous heap.…” Today the old city of Damascus contains remnants of ancient history, diversity, and an old cobblestone street known as the Straight Street. It is the street mentioned in Acts 9 where Ananias came, prayed, and restored Saul’s sight. Paul went on to become one of the greatest witnesses for Christ, and through him the early church grew. He suffered many afflictions and trials, but he always stood firm in the faith and attributed his strength to God. He wrote in Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” The people of Syria today are going through great afflictions and trials. Their suffering has touched the people of many nations. Some have made efforts to help, while others do not know what to do about Syria’s political and religious conflicts. The cry of the people is heard everywhere. One woman who lives in Damascus said, “I’m tired of crying and fear! We have nothing to bring us joy. All is sad!” One Syrian Christian asks us to, “Please pray that the problems will come to an end and those causing the problems will stop.” Let’s Pray for Syria! • Pray for the Lord to stay the hand of those causing death and destruction in Syria. • Pray that the Syrian people who do not know the Lord will turn to Him. May the afflictions of Syria cause Muslims everywhere to know that true strength, hope, and righteousness can only be found in Jesus Christ. • Pray for Christians to have new opportunities to proclaim the gospel as they face times of persecution. We can see from Isaiah 17:1 that Damascus will play an important role in the final events before Christ’s return. May Syria’s struggle encourage many people to read Revelation 21:24-27 which tells about the New Jerusalem, “The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” - See more at: globalprayerdigest.org/index.php/issue/strife-in-the-arab-world/#sthash.IXvn99VR.dpuf
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 13:28:02 +0000
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