Political Violence in Syria And Iraq Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Political Violence in Syria And Iraq - Essay Example It is believed that the Syrian civil war was sparked by school boys. The boys were discussing the uprising that had engulfed Syria, expressing their frustration that their nation was ruled by the repressive Assad’s family. Bashir Abazed, painted in huge letters a defiant message that was aimed at President Bashar Assad, (Lischer & Kenyon 2007). The defiant message written in Arabian was translated to mean it is your turn doctor. Another teenager a slogan saying ‘down with Bashir as-Assad’. The government responded to the protests with violence and shooting, that led to the death of many people. This forced the protests to spread to the rest of Syria.Political repression was a major cause for rebellion and protests among the citizens. When President Bashar assumed power in 2000 after his father’s death, he promised people to make reforms that would better their lives. The reforms were needed since his family had retained political power since the year 1970 a nd left citizens with little power to participate in decision-making. Syria had a one-party-political system that was heavily dominated by the Assad’s family. Bashir failed to deliver on his promise of better reforms to diffuse power and give citizens a more political say over decisions that affected them directly. The poor economic situation in Syria also caused the revolution. The government reforms opened doors to private investors. The privatization favored families that had close links to the Assad’s family.