Justin Coppola

Mrs. Lucarelli
Comparative Civilizations
Period 5-6
A Current Revolution: The Syrian Civil War
Revolution. In its true, textbook term, it is simply a fundamental change in political power or
organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time when the population
rises up in revolt against the current authorities. However, a successful revolution is from the
heart. A successful revolution is releasing all the pent up anger from being held captive by a
tyrannical leader, forced to do their bidding. A successful revolution is will to make the ultimate
sacrifice and die for your cause, hoping that your children and friends can benefit from your
sacrifice. The Syrian Civil War is because people wanted a change in government. They didnt
want to be trapped in the same circle with no out in sight. The effect of the want, no the need, for
change, has caused something they couldnt imagine.
It all started when pro-democracy protests broke out in March 2011. What caused these
protests were the arrest and torture of some teens. At the protest, security officers opened fire on
the protesters, killing several. This is the fuse, and the fuse has now been lit. By July, hundreds or
thousands took to the streets. Violence escalated, and the civil war had begun. Rebels against the
government. People who wanted change verse people who werent going to give change. By
June of 2013, 90,000 people were killed. By August 2015, over twenty-five hundred thousand
dead.
This war has now turned to religion. It is the countries mainly Sunni population to the
governments Shia Alawite sect. Plus, throwing in the rise of jihadist group Islamic State, and
now its a ticking time bomb. All of the parties have committed some major ethical crimes, such
as murder, torture and rape. UN Security Council has demanded that weapons cannot be used in

populated areas, but civilians continue to die in the thousands. IS continues to terrorize the
people of Syria, carrying out mass murdering of religious minorities and on others.
Some of the technology that is being used is something different. Hundreds of people
were killed by rockets filled with nerve agent sarin. Chemical weapons are being used to fight
this war, and the government is saying it was the rebels, but evidence shows that the government
fired those rockets. The IS is being accused of using homemade chemical weapons, like Sulphur
mustard. These attacks, along with the fighting, has led to more than 4.5 million people fleeing
the country, most women and children. The neighboring countries are having a tough time to
harbor all these refugees. Another 6.5 million people are internally displaced inside of Syria. The
UN says it will need 3.2 billion dollars to fix this situation. On top of that, over 70% is without
access to drinkable water, one in three people are unable to meet their basic food needs, and
more than 2 million children are out of school, and four out of five people live in poverty. So
yeah, the Syrian Civil War has left a stain on Syria that would be removed anytime soon.
Peace efforts are being made. The UN Security Council called for the 2012 Geneva
Communique and then a second one, but talks were going nowhere fast. Peace and ceasefire
talks are being talked about, but that is the problem. They are being talked about not done. Not
put into action. Nothing is happening and 13.5 million people are being effected every day, not to
mention the millions and millions of outsiders who are feeling the backlash. People are even
writing papers about it!
The Syrian Civil War is still going on and will continue to go one because neither side is
going to lose or win, or give up. Peace talks are going absolutely nowhere, so the people of Syria
and the people around Syria: Do anything you can do to survive, because there is no end near.