Have we discussed Bosnia and Serbia ? I don't recall having much interest in discussing the Balkans.
Livestream out of Syria
- Thread starter ooeat0meoo
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Have we discussed Bosnia and Serbia ? I don't recall having much interest in discussing the Balkans.
Another mass execution.
in the last 5 day, 3 students from my college kidnapped, 1 killed, 2 wounded, all in different accidents, plus shelling becoming really close to the dorms, windows shaking all night because of the sounds.
Is it possible to find a way out, and flee the country until things get better? It appears things are going to be sorted out soon as far as Assad is concerned. His last attempts to maintain power are likely to be brutal even by his standards.
There is many ways more than 500 thousands already are out, but for me, I'm never going to flee the country, I prefer death.
respect syrian scholes.
we can only hope the Syrian people get their country back...
we can only hope the Syrian people get their country back...
That's not going to help anyone, is it?
Unless you take part in any armed struggle there is little you can contribute there atm, whereas coming back when your country rebuilds would be far more beneficial.
There is many ways more than 500 thousands already are out, but for me, I'm never going to flee the country, I prefer death.
You should seek asylum in Scandinavia. You'll be swimming in compassion sex.
Agreed, lets hope the foreign terrorists are defeated.
Defeat the foreigners and return to dictatorship is not what he meant.
So many refugees... 
Syria will end up with a dictatorship one way or another. I think the only question here is which dictatorships do Western governments prefer to have relationships with. At the moment they certainly don't prefer Assad (unlike Russia), on the other hand there's no one to work with from the joint Syrian anti-Assad forces. Meanwhile the civilians suffer on an unimaginable scale. The perfect tragedy.
Actually western governments typically get along best with non-dictatorships.
Maybe Syria and Egypt should reunite...after all it was on this day in 1958 they created the United Arab Republic, with Gamel Nasser as the President - it lasted all of 3 years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Arab_Republic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Arab_Republic
The Silent Exodus of Syria’s Christians
In Syria’s rebellion, no religious or ethnic group has been spared horrific levels of loss and suffering, but its 2,000-year-old Christian minority is now facing a distinct persecution.
Under the cover of war and chaos, this group, which alone lacks militias of its own, is easy prey for Islamists and criminals, alike. These assaults are driving out the Christians en masse. This 2,000-year-old community, numbering around 2 million is the largest church in the Middle East after Egypt’s Copts, and it now faces extinction.
Archdeacon Emanuel Youkhana of the Assyrian Church of the East, despite recent heart surgery, is now constantly on the road in Lebanon and Iraq trying to cope with the refugee crisis. He wrote to me today:
“We are witnessing another Arab country losing its Christian Assyrian minority. When it happened in Iraq nobody believed Syria’s turn would come. Christian Assyrians are fleeing massively from threats, kidnappings, rapes and murders. Behind the daily reporting about bombs there is an ethno-religious cleansing taking place, and soon Syria can be emptied of its Christians.”
Official information and media reports about the Christians’ fate has been sparse. A new report yesterday, by Nuri Kino, a Swedish journalist of Assyrian background, sheds valuable light on the atrocities visited upon the Christians inside Syria, and their ordeals in attempting to escape, relying as they must on exploitative human-trafficking networks that have sprung up. Entitled “Between the Barbed Wire,” the report resulted from a trip sponsored by a Swedish charity, the Syriac Orthodox Youth Organization, to assess the needs of refugees. It is based on over a hundred interviews this past Christmas with Christian refugees in Turkey and Lebanon.
The refugees and the Lebanese bishops whom Kino and his team interview relate that Christians are leaving in a torrent. Once they cross into Lebanon, guided by Middle Eastern versions of “coyotes” through a harrowing series of checkpoints guarded by various sides in the conflict, they mostly seek out the local Christian communities for help. A clearly overwhelmed Archbishop George Saliba, on Mount Lebanon, says about the refugees: “I want to help as many as I can, but it is not sustainable. We have hundreds of Syrian refugees who arrive every week. I don’t know what to do.”
Elsewhere in Lebanon, St. Gabriel’s monastery has opened its 75 unheated rooms to over a hundred refugees. In another Lebanese Christian town, the Syrian Catholic patriarch Ignatius Ephrem Josef III has converted a school building into a shelter for the hundreds of refugees there now and the others constantly arriving. The patriarch describes it as the “great exodus taking place in silence.” He also says he houses Christians who fled several years ago from Iraq. All of the Christian towns visited for the report are scrambling to keep up with the influx of Syrian Christians. Church leaders were grateful for the beds, washing machines, heaters, and medicine brought by the Swedish visitors.
Some of the Syrians say they plan to stay in Lebanon until Syria “calms down” and they can return to their homes. Many others say going back is “unthinkable” and are making plans to try to get to Europe either on valid visas or by paying smugglers the going rate of $20,000. They are largely small-business owners and skilled professionals — an engineer and his family, a jeweler and his, a hairdresser, a medical student, etc. Many hope to be smuggled to Sweden and Germany, where they can receive some state subsidies until they find work. The town of Sodertalje seems to be a popular destination, with 35 new Christian families arriving from Syria each week. Kino, himself a citizen of Sodertalje, relates that there are already many Syrian Christians living there, and Arabic is more common than Swedish.
The refugees were panic-stricken, pointing to some horrifying triggering event that forced them out — a kidnapping of a relative, a murder, or a robbery. They feel they are targeted for being Christian, which means that militants and criminals can assault them with impunity. Some point to a government that fails to protect them; others to Islamists rebels who want to drive them out. A refugee tells Kino: “Two men from a strong Arabic tribe decided one day to occupy our farmland, just like that. When I went to the police to report, I was told there was nothing they could do. The police chief was very clear that they would not act, as they didn’t want the tribe to turn against the regime.”
A woman from Hassake recounts how her husband and son were shot in the head by Islamists. “Our only crime is being Christians,” she answers when asked if there had been a dispute.
A father says: “We’re not poor, we didn’t run from poverty. We ran from fear. I have to think about my twelve-year-old daughter. She’s easy prey for kidnappers. Three children of our friends were kidnapped. In two cases they paid enormous ransoms to get the children back, and in one case they paid but got the child back dead.”
Another man attests: “In Syria, you don’t know who is your friend and who is your enemy. The wealthy have it the worst. Criminals wait in line to kidnap them.”
The refugees all fear the Islamists. When the jihadi rebel units show up and take over a town, like Rasel-Eyn, it loses its Christian population over night. One man from there tells Kino: “The so-called Free Syrian Army, or rebels, or whatever you choose to call them in the West, emptied the city of its Christians, and soon there won’t be a single Christian in the whole country.”
There is no complete data on the number of refugees. How many Christians have fled is not known and escapees continue to come across the border each day. We are only beginning to understand the peril they face.
Archdeacon Youkhana pleads: “The world must open their eyes to the plight.”
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/340216/silent-exodus-syria-s-christians-nina-shea
In Syria’s rebellion, no religious or ethnic group has been spared horrific levels of loss and suffering, but its 2,000-year-old Christian minority is now facing a distinct persecution.
Under the cover of war and chaos, this group, which alone lacks militias of its own, is easy prey for Islamists and criminals, alike. These assaults are driving out the Christians en masse. This 2,000-year-old community, numbering around 2 million is the largest church in the Middle East after Egypt’s Copts, and it now faces extinction.
Archdeacon Emanuel Youkhana of the Assyrian Church of the East, despite recent heart surgery, is now constantly on the road in Lebanon and Iraq trying to cope with the refugee crisis. He wrote to me today:
“We are witnessing another Arab country losing its Christian Assyrian minority. When it happened in Iraq nobody believed Syria’s turn would come. Christian Assyrians are fleeing massively from threats, kidnappings, rapes and murders. Behind the daily reporting about bombs there is an ethno-religious cleansing taking place, and soon Syria can be emptied of its Christians.”
Official information and media reports about the Christians’ fate has been sparse. A new report yesterday, by Nuri Kino, a Swedish journalist of Assyrian background, sheds valuable light on the atrocities visited upon the Christians inside Syria, and their ordeals in attempting to escape, relying as they must on exploitative human-trafficking networks that have sprung up. Entitled “Between the Barbed Wire,” the report resulted from a trip sponsored by a Swedish charity, the Syriac Orthodox Youth Organization, to assess the needs of refugees. It is based on over a hundred interviews this past Christmas with Christian refugees in Turkey and Lebanon.
The refugees and the Lebanese bishops whom Kino and his team interview relate that Christians are leaving in a torrent. Once they cross into Lebanon, guided by Middle Eastern versions of “coyotes” through a harrowing series of checkpoints guarded by various sides in the conflict, they mostly seek out the local Christian communities for help. A clearly overwhelmed Archbishop George Saliba, on Mount Lebanon, says about the refugees: “I want to help as many as I can, but it is not sustainable. We have hundreds of Syrian refugees who arrive every week. I don’t know what to do.”
Elsewhere in Lebanon, St. Gabriel’s monastery has opened its 75 unheated rooms to over a hundred refugees. In another Lebanese Christian town, the Syrian Catholic patriarch Ignatius Ephrem Josef III has converted a school building into a shelter for the hundreds of refugees there now and the others constantly arriving. The patriarch describes it as the “great exodus taking place in silence.” He also says he houses Christians who fled several years ago from Iraq. All of the Christian towns visited for the report are scrambling to keep up with the influx of Syrian Christians. Church leaders were grateful for the beds, washing machines, heaters, and medicine brought by the Swedish visitors.
Some of the Syrians say they plan to stay in Lebanon until Syria “calms down” and they can return to their homes. Many others say going back is “unthinkable” and are making plans to try to get to Europe either on valid visas or by paying smugglers the going rate of $20,000. They are largely small-business owners and skilled professionals — an engineer and his family, a jeweler and his, a hairdresser, a medical student, etc. Many hope to be smuggled to Sweden and Germany, where they can receive some state subsidies until they find work. The town of Sodertalje seems to be a popular destination, with 35 new Christian families arriving from Syria each week. Kino, himself a citizen of Sodertalje, relates that there are already many Syrian Christians living there, and Arabic is more common than Swedish.
The refugees were panic-stricken, pointing to some horrifying triggering event that forced them out — a kidnapping of a relative, a murder, or a robbery. They feel they are targeted for being Christian, which means that militants and criminals can assault them with impunity. Some point to a government that fails to protect them; others to Islamists rebels who want to drive them out. A refugee tells Kino: “Two men from a strong Arabic tribe decided one day to occupy our farmland, just like that. When I went to the police to report, I was told there was nothing they could do. The police chief was very clear that they would not act, as they didn’t want the tribe to turn against the regime.”
A woman from Hassake recounts how her husband and son were shot in the head by Islamists. “Our only crime is being Christians,” she answers when asked if there had been a dispute.
A father says: “We’re not poor, we didn’t run from poverty. We ran from fear. I have to think about my twelve-year-old daughter. She’s easy prey for kidnappers. Three children of our friends were kidnapped. In two cases they paid enormous ransoms to get the children back, and in one case they paid but got the child back dead.”
Another man attests: “In Syria, you don’t know who is your friend and who is your enemy. The wealthy have it the worst. Criminals wait in line to kidnap them.”
The refugees all fear the Islamists. When the jihadi rebel units show up and take over a town, like Rasel-Eyn, it loses its Christian population over night. One man from there tells Kino: “The so-called Free Syrian Army, or rebels, or whatever you choose to call them in the West, emptied the city of its Christians, and soon there won’t be a single Christian in the whole country.”
There is no complete data on the number of refugees. How many Christians have fled is not known and escapees continue to come across the border each day. We are only beginning to understand the peril they face.
Archdeacon Youkhana pleads: “The world must open their eyes to the plight.”
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/340216/silent-exodus-syria-s-christians-nina-shea
Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Palestinian territories...Christians have a rough ride in this corner of the world.
Western-backed Syrian rebels praising Bin Laden has their hero and nostalgically celebrating murdering over 3000 US civilians while branding Al Qaeda flags, you couldn't make this stuff up...
Fast-spreading disease...
This desease has been here for decades, but for some reason it has to be stopped now that the Shiites and Alwaites are on the receiving end.
Fast-spreading disease...
This desease has been here for decades, but for some reason it has to be stopped now that the Shiites and Alwaites are on the receiving end.
Shias have always been on the receiving end of these thugs, this is hardly a novel crisis for them. They weren't exactly treated greatly by Saddam Hussein nor do they get anything that resembles human treatment in countries like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Pakistan. The disease is fast spreading in the sense that its destroyed countries like Iraq and is now set course for destroying Syria, both countries having traditionally been secular countries makes it all the more alarming.
The irony is this 'disease' is now being vectored by external elements which have suffered from it themselves.
Obviously, I was referring to Syria.
Car bombs, suicide bombing, the murder of civilians and toddlers praising mass murder all co-existed under the title of "resistance". Now you're using a video which is supposed to reveal the real face of Syrian opposition, but haven't you sided with parties exhibiting the very same digusting range of behaviours? Why would the US/EU stop their support for the opposition in Syria and keep supporting the Palestinians at the same time?
Chemical attack in Aleppo. Both sides blaming each other. This could escalate rapidly.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162...ther-for-1st-alleged-chemical-weapons-attack/
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162...ther-for-1st-alleged-chemical-weapons-attack/
US just said there was no evidence of chemical weapons use by either side.
The rebels using chemical weapons would require the government to have minded them to a central location, mixed and assembled them before the rebels took a base where they were located. Unless the rebels have a chemical weapons program.
The rebels using chemical weapons would require the government to have minded them to a central location, mixed and assembled them before the rebels took a base where they were located. Unless the rebels have a chemical weapons program.
Anyone read the unconfirmed news that Assad was murdered by one of his bodyguards?
watching this morning's news...they said 2 rebel leaders were either killed or missing.
I hope the Assad dead bit is true.
I hope the Assad dead bit is true.
Stay safe Syrian Scholes. You can help a lot of people when you become a doctor.
Anyone seen the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA) twitter? They've been hacking twitter accounts, hacked FIFA account last night and today they hacked the Associated Press account saying there had been explosions at the White House and Obama was injured, which has led to the stocks briefly dropping.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21508660
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21508660
So, it appears that there's a concensus that government forces have used chemical weapons...a famous red line has been crossed, has it not?
Not only there is no sign of Western intervention in Syria, I can't see our resident moralists taking interest.
Not only there is no sign of Western intervention in Syria, I can't see our resident moralists taking interest.
Despite the apparent use of Chemical Weapons I would prefer that the U.S. stop/refrain from giving any covert or overt intervention in Syria.
Rebels aka terrorists demolish a shire of Hazrat Hujr bin Adi and exume the body of a person who died thousands of years ago and apparently they're fighting for freedom!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hujr_ibn_Adi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hujr_ibn_Adi
Alawities killed over 1200 Sunni in 800 in Sunni village Al-Beida(the village is of 3000 person population) in Banyas suburbs and 400 in the city of Banyas and yes I'm saying Alawities and not the regime a lot of them are kids and women.
On a side note there is no rebels or any FSA presence in this cities, here's the BBC report on the subject.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22410392
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22410392
Source?
I'd imagine that's because the Syrian Arab Army has been doing a pretty stellar job recently of weeding them out. They've had a lot of recent success in taking back key cities from FSA mercenaries.
That's not true at all, nothing changed in the last few month, the FSA is not moving and the bitch army isn't either, and my sources to the Banyas story is some refugees I talked to from Banyas and one of my friends from Banyas who is with me in my Uni talked to his parents and thank god they escaped and they told him everything.
Amazing how some who aren't even anywhere near Syria are so well informed.
I'm talking about yours and Syrian Scholes' oddly divergent views, given that he's in Syria and you're in Tehran.