History of Syria

within Ismailism, itself a branch of Shia Islam. In time, the Nizaris began to pose a military threat to Sunni Seljuq authority within their territories by capturing and inhabiting many unconnected mountain fortresses throughout Persia (and later also Syria) under the leadership of Hassan-i Sabbah (who is typically regarded as the founder of the Assassins), therefore founding the so-called Nizari Ismaili state. While "Assassins" typically refers to the entire medieval Nizari sect, in fact only a…

more people willing to fight for their cause. This rise in power could have been caused by “them capturing the Syrian city of Raqqa, in June 2014, ISIS took the major Iraqi cities of Mosul and Tikrit and controlled much of the border between Iraq and Syria” (Gale). The more land power ISIS captures the more kidnapped or willing militants they have to fight for their ultimate plan. ISIS has also grown through followers by scaring many of the already Muslim believers in “a coming apocalypse when…

Dispersed ethnic groups throughout history have experienced violence, repression, and have been denied human rights within the government they are residing. Due to the persecution, these groups search for ways to create their own nation and become independent. According to Joseph Stalin, for an ethnic group to become a nation they must be “a historically constituted, stable community of people, formed on the basis of a common language, territory, economic life, and psychological make-up…

Medics, civilians, and even children, are killed. Such is the case with the bombing of Aleppo, a Syrian city, and home to millions. A city with a vast history should be preserved and protected during war, but instead became a battleground that resulted in the viral image/video of Omran Daqneesh. Five year old Daqneesh was outside playing with family and friends when a bombing destroyed his neighborhood…

Twelve million. That is the number of people currently affected by the crisis in Syria. Yet, Americans all over the country, republicans in particular, are turning their cheeks to this ongoing disaster. The main question present in the media and politics today is—Should America let the Syrian refugees in? But I think the real question to be asking is, “Why not let the Syrian refugees in?” America is supposed to be the pinnacle of freedom. America is supposed to be the “melting pot” of the world…

Churches bulldozed, crosses removed, Christians persecuted, chaos, poverty, corruption… And it all comes down to one word: Religious persecution. Syria and China the highlights of a increasing oppressive tendency that slowly but steadily slains Christians all over the globe, threatening anyone who considers itself a follower of Jesus Christ. Fleeing is week by week a less feasible option since hordes of Christian refugees overwhelm neighbour countries’ borders everyday (Nat’l Catholic Reporter,…

their homes during the First World War, moving from the then Ottoman Empire, into the vast deserts of Iraq and Syria. During this time over a million people either died or were murdered in what the Armenians describe as genocide, even though Turkish officials refute this statement. The director of the film Armenian Genocide: Grandma’s Tattoo Suzanne Khardalian delves into her own family’s history to investigate and discover the shocking truth behind some of the unusual tattoos her late grandma…

As most of the world is aware, Syria has been suffering through four and a half years of civil war, during which 250,000 Syrians have been killed, according to Rodgers et al.. There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight, as both sides- the Syrian government and the rebels- refuse to ceasefire or compromise. In addition, ISIS is making the situation worse through their involvement and frequent use of the war for recruitment. Because civilians have been subject to bombing, sieges, and chemical…

The conflict in Kurdistan has a very long history and is very complicated. The Kurdish people are at a crossroads. With the destabilization in Iraq and Syria, Kurdish forces are seizing the opportunity to establish a nation-state. The Kurds have been oppressed and tossed around for the past century and are now in a position to create a sovereign state. Pre world war 1, the Kurds lived rather peacefully under the Ottoman Turks. The Ottomans only acted violently against the Kurds when there were…

President of Syria. Many Syrians were protesting against the government that took away their freedoms and ruined Syria’s economy. In response to these protests, Assad killed and imprisoned Syrians who were peacefully protesting. “In July 2011, the Syrian military declared the establishment of the Free Syrian Army; which rebelled against Syria’s government,thus prompted the civil war.” (CNN Wire) The war has escalated very quickly. Chemical attacks are currently taking place in Syria and…