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Religious and Ethnic Strife on the Rise in Syria

(Los Angeles Times) Eden Naby and Jamsheed K. Choksy - The emergent violence against religious minorities in Syria is becoming yet another instance of how Middle Eastern countries that replace dictators still fail their citizens. Syria's population of 22.5 million is made up of a diverse citizenry: 70% to 74% Sunnis; 13% Alawites and other Shiites, including Ismailis; 10% Christians such as Greek Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox and Church of the East (i.e., Assyrians), Armenian Apostolic, Eastern rite Catholics, including Chaldeans and Melkites; and 3% Druze. By ethnicity, Syrian society is 90% Arab, with the remaining 10% made up of Kurds, Assyrians, Armenians and others. Although the Syrian civil war has claimed casualties from all groups, those subject to displacement and persecution are, increasingly, members of minority groups. Domestic and foreign Sunni militants and local clerics even use the loudspeakers of mosques to order Druze, Christians and Shiites to leave the area or face danger and possibly death at the hands of their former co-denizens. The U.S. and EU should make their political and fiscal assistance to the rebel groups conditional on respect for human rights and religious freedom. Eden Naby has taught at the University of Wisconsin and Harvard University. Jamsheed K. Choksy is a professor of Central Eurasian, Islamic and international studies at Indiana University.
2012-08-24 00:00:00
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