What are the causes of conflict in Syria?
1 Answer
The unique make up of Syria, the War in Iraq, and Arab Spring are 3 possible causes.
Explanation:
Post World war 1, the French and the British divided up the middle East into areas of influence. The illustrated area is what the French got. Note the separate Alawite area and the separate Druze area.
Alawites are a separate sect of Islam. They are very secretive about their beliefs. The French recruited many Alawites into the Armed Forces. The Alawite state shown here was dismantled. Alawites are about 11% of the population.
The Druze are an Abrahamic religion that is neither Islamic or Christian. When they mix with other faiths they will try to blend praying with either. There is no conversion in or out of the Druze faith. The Druze are about 3% of the population. The Druze led a significant rebellion against the French in 1925.
Syria is 74% Sunni Muslim. The rise of radical Sunni extremists that started in Saudi Arabia and spread is a major cause of modern tension.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Mosque_seizure
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-saudi-arabia-haj/iranian-pilgrims-return-to-haj-in-saudi-arabia-after-boycott-last-year-idUSKBN1AF0JQ
There are up to 13 other Ethno-religious minorities listed in minorities in Syria. Some religions are unique in the world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_in_Syria
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Syria
Lebanon became a separate country which included many Christians. Syria is very diverse and fractious country. Syria became independent in 1946. There were many Coup d'etats in Syria between 1946 and 1970 (up to 3 in one year). The Baath Party started the rise to Power.
The Baathists were a Pan Arabic, Arab Nationalist, Arab Socialist, Anti-imperialist group that broke up into an Iraqi wing and a Syrian wing. Saddam Hussein by the mid 1970s ran Iraq and the Al-Assad (of the Alawite sect) family ran Syria from about the same time.
Emergency powers were used by the the Government to keep order from 1963 to 2011.
The war in Iraq seriously destabilized the area. The rise of Islamic State overflowed into Syria.
Arab Spring (2011) was an initially non violent attempt to get some democratic reforms and release of political prisoners. Government forces violently suppressed it and it descended into violent rebellion and eventually the Syrian Civil War.
