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| Syrian city of Homs after being shelled by Syrian forces |
“For God’s sake. This is too much”.
by Tyrone L. Heppard
Originally written February 2012
This the heading of a top news story on CNN’s website. The quote is from a Syrian named Zaidoun. It is underneath a picture of a child holding a sign that reads in clear, legible English: “If you do not help us, we will be killed”.
Just like many of the other countries caught up in last year’s Arab Spring, the Syrian people openly demanded freedom and change from their government. Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad said that change would come but never did. In fact, it’s gotten worse. A whole lot worse. How bad is it? I’ll let the facts speak for themselves.
Most of the fighting has been taking place in the province of Homs in a city with the same name. The BBC reported 100 protesters died Monday night. This would bring the death toll to six thousand, one hundred; approximately. I say “approximately” because the United Nations has said that there’s no point in trying to track the number of civilian casualties due to a, “lack of reliable information”.
This might have to do with the fact that the Syrian government has banned foreign reporters and journalists from entering the country without its permission since March. But that doesn’t mean the Assad regime is letting them –or Syrian journalists for that matter – go about their business. The Committee to Protect Journalists, the CPJ, reported a month ago that a French journalist died in an explosion while reporting in Syria – with permission.
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| Syrian protestor |
At the end of 2011, two Syrian journalists were murdered. In November, a cameraman was found with his eyes gouged out. The other, a videographer, shot in the head at a checkpoint in December. In a interview with ABC News (December, 2011), President Assad said, “What’s important is how the Syrian people look at you. Whatever I do should be based on the will of the people”. He added that outside opinion doesn’t matter because the conflict is, “a Syrian issue”.
Russia is allied with Syria and on Tuesday, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov visited with President Assad in Damascus to, “seek peace in Syria”. He traveled to talk about peace while his ally’s military is literally bombing out residential areas in the adjacent province. By the way; Russian-made tanks have been spotted in the streets of Homs.
I doubt the “will of the Syrian people” has anything to do with having their families slain by weapons their dictator bought from his buddies. As expected, most of the international community is “disgusted”, “appalled” and “deeply saddened” by the events in Syria, but China and Russia went out of their way to make sure that a UN Security Council resolution to intervene didn’t go through. That’s no surprise: Russia has a base in and does business with Syria. Plus, imagine how supporting Syria would make China look when they’re dealing with people demanding similar change within their own borders (but that’s a whole different injustice altogether).
As an aspiring journalist, I’m trained to be objective; to keep my opinions to myself. I’m to report the facts and to keep how I feel out of the news. I’m sorry, but in this case, I can’t.
When reporters are slaughtered like animals for doing their jobs –seeking the truth – how can I be quiet? When 4-year old children are losing limbs and dying in the streets over something they don’t even understand, how can I be silent?
When innocent people are brutally attacked by their own government for wanting to be free; for simply wanting change, how –as an American – am I supposed to keep my mouth shut? The people of Syria need our help! Period.
There are plenty of political and economic reasons not to intervene, but I can’t think of a single humane reason to stand by and do nothing. I doubt that any politician involved with the Syrian conflict will ever hear these words, but I’m doing what I can: spreading awareness.
What can you do? Anything. I’m sure the Syrian people will take whatever assistance they can get. I sure as hell know I would.
2 comments:
"no point in trying to track the number of civilian casualties "
How can people say that?! A life is a life! I think these lives that are lost should be tracked. To show the rest of the world how bad it's been in Syria and how much worse it will continue to get if someone, ANYONE, doesn't step in. :(
What type of help can anyone give to these people in their time of need? If restrictions are being put on journalists, would there not be other restrictions as well?
I do agree with you, but I believe what the UN was more or less trying to say was not necessarily that it is pointless in tracking civilian casualties as much as it is not useful to appropriate a response based on the faulty information that is received from unverified sources... The only type of help you can really offer these people is awareness. Public pressure on politicians and organizations to act does affect things; look at the Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street, Anonymous, any of these global social movements... Without persistent pressure put on those on power, those in power will do as they please.
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