By SEHAR NOOR
Peaceful protests have rapidly escalated into a violent uprising, as citizens of Syria demand the Assad regime step down.
President Bashar al-Assad refuses to loosen his iron grip and as the international community exerts little pressure, government troops have become more confident in using mortars and heavy artillery against residential neighborhoods and approximately 7600 Syrians are said to have died since March of 2011. As this daunting number increases, the international community, namely the Arab League and United Nations, remains divided. The UN resolution, which calls for solidarity with the Syrian people, still hasn’t passed as impending human rights crises are virtually ignored.
Ultimately, the resolutions and demands of the international community are irrelevant; the Syrian people themselves must build up their camaraderie and fight the regime not merely on the streets but within a political framework.
Currently, the political, economic and social infrastructure of Syria crumbles as local regions break loose from governmental control.
Russia and China vetoed the resolution, contending that the ethnic and social instability in the country would create a dangerous and unpredictable situation if there were to be a regime shift. The internal tensions and an unorganized opposition party make it difficult for the international community to promote the downfall of the dictatorial regime.
International support can only come when there is a substantial alternative to the current authority; one that can overcome adversity and sectarian clashes. Assad’s regime is exploiting the conflict between the Alawite minority, Sunni Islamist fundamentalists and the nationalists, claiming that they are protecting civilians from armed gangs and terrorists.
The sectarian warfare foreshadows the dangers of a power vacuum in so unstable a country and deters a firm resolution from the UN. It is critical for the factions in Syria to realize that their fragmentation is elongating revolutionary progress and is a promise of future unrest, regardless of the party in power.
State propaganda even suggests the involvement of al Qaeda, the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood and tribal extremists from the Anbar provinces of Iraq.
As the sources of violence become more and more obscure, the justice system is degraded to non-existence and civilians become victims of both government and terrorist violence rampant across the country. These atrocities are a reflection of the dire need for a unified Syrian people.
Governments can be toppled with armed resistance and bombs, but states where democracy and freedom flourish only come out of pragmatic infrastructures that prioritize pluralism, stability and equality.