For the past seven years, Syria has been going through a civil war. More than half of Syrians have been forced from their homes. But even though most people know of the war, they probably don’t know how it started. And how it started might surprise you.
Syrians had been unhappy with their government ever since their current President, Bashar al-Assad (Arabic Name: بشار حافظ الأسد,) came to power in 2000 after his father and former President passed away. Assad didn’t want the democratic state that a lot of Syrians wanted. Syrian revolutionaries took part in an uprising, called the Arab Spring that was happening all over the Middle East and had already taken down Tunisia and Egypts former governments. One of the most interesting stories that many say started the uprisings was when a man was denied access to sell his fruits on the street, he lit himself on fire in front of an Tunisian government office. The protests turned into violence when 15 boys were detained and tortured for graffiti of pro-democracy support. Assad then imprisoned hundreds of revolutionaries and killed many more.
Please remember to help out the people from Syria who have been displaced from their homes or are now refugees. Go to https://searchingforsyria.org/en/how-can-i-help-syrian-refugees/ to learn about the currant crisis and earn how you can help.
Bibliography
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History.com, A&E Television Networks, www.history.com/topics/middle-east/arab-spring.
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Staff, NPR. “The Arab Spring: A Year Of Revolution.” NPR, NPR, 17 Dec. 2011, www.npr.org/2011/12/17/143897126/the-arab-spring-a-year-of-revolution.
“What Is Going on in Syria?” Searching for Syria, searchingforsyria.org/en/what-is-going-on-in-syria/.
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