Faith against faith in Syria

QUEZON City (September 11) – Syria’s civil war is an ongoing armed conflict and is said to be the worst humanitarian disaster of our time. The civil war in Syria started in 2011 because of the massive anti-government opposition demonstrations against the Ba’athist government of Bashar al-Assad and eventually escalated into a full-scale conflict. The civil war has left hundreds and thousands of casualties, with many more wounded. The plight of the citizens of Syria has crushed the heart of many.

Hopeful prayers were emotionally and spiritually extended by people all over the world as they see the updates regarding the civil war in Syria, not only by the mainstream media and news organization, but also in social networking sites. Many have died from various causes –  from starvation and from bombing. Those who fled from freedom were arrested  by the police. Syrian children got orphaned as widespread destruction spread all over the cities of Syria. Multitudes died because of injuries left untreated.

Most heartbreaking are images of innocent families – parents and their children – obviously in distress- desperately fleeing as they are caught up amidst the heated conflict between the opposing groups in Syria.

A report published by the BBC News By BBC News stated that in June 2013, the UN said 90,000 people had been killed in the conflict. However, by August 2014 that figure had more than doubled to 191,000 – and continued to climb to 220,000 by March 2015, according to activists and the UN.

Aside from the many trials that Syrians are going through, some unprincipled people are perhaps taking advantage of the situation just for personal interests. One example is the issue that is currently being associated with the Syria’s civil war. A video from a social networking site that has gone viral after a camerawoman named Petra Laszlo, a video journalist who works for Hungary’s N1 caught in the act while tripping a refugee carrying a child and also recorded kicking a young refugee girl. The video earned over 10M views all around the world and is still receiving bad feedback and words of disappointments expressed by the viewers. Many were dismayed and protested against her deeds. Some said that they think the reason why Laszlo did that is for her to get or create a good angle of  the story or just want to get good shots by tripping people for the sake of her needs. Clearly, what she did was really unethical and unjust and to be fair enough, N1 said that she has since been fired.

Another story that captured the citizen’s attention are the images of bombing activities, injured children, the grievances of those who have lost their loved ones, the ruins from the bombing and the dead bodies that were gathered all together in some places in some social networking sites. All are results of the unstoppable war happening now in Syria.

Furthermore, orphans, especially children got traumatized and need professionals to get healed and fight the horror they experienced. Some are thinking that they will receive big boats for those who want to fly to Europe but adults say there’s almost no chance Europe will send boats to fetch people trying to enter Europe illegally. But despite the restlessness and the trouble, the children in the orphanage are determined to get through the frightening situation and are all wanting and dreaming of flying to Europe to create an entirely new life there. But the delightful part is when asking the children what they want in the future, there is one consistent answer. They want to return to Syria.

Impossible at the moment it may seem but children still have hope and faith for their country. They still are looking forward for the new and peaceful Syria to live into.

“The conflict is now more than just a battle between those for  and against President Assa”

-BBC News, 2015

Source:

Wikipedia.org

buzzfeed

voanews.com/a/2951285.html

projecthope.org

BBC NEWS

(written by Donna Marie Rodriguez, edited by Jay Paul Carlos, additional research by Lovely Ann Cruz)