Hunger, Siege stand behind Extremism in Syria

Religious extremism has noticeably increased among armed groups and fighting battalions on ground in Syria.

Many activists tried to understand reasons behind this phenomenon; especially it is strange and was not known in the Syria society. Moreover, the transformation of peaceful activists into fighters then to become members in extreme religious groups has provoke the need to investigate it.

Abu Ibrahim, an engineer and a battalion’s leader in al-Ghouta near Damascus, commented on that idea saying: “I started to believe in armed struggle when our peaceful demonstrations were faced with extremely violent reactions by the regime, we were put in a position where we cannot go back, the situation forced us to accept the principles of who supports us, we ought to adopt their principles, even if they contradict with ours, especially after we were let down and left alone and no one of the so called civilized world stands by us”

Abu Hamza, another leader in the area, explained reasons behind raising pictures of Osama bin laden saying: “I will raise the picture of anyone gives me weapon to protect my people and children, even if it was for Guevara”

Abu Ibrahim described the disastrous situation saying: “we see our children die from hunger as a result of the siege Assad’s regime imposes on us, our women die while giving birth as there is no medical care or medications, in summary we were forced to this choice”

He added that when the recent situation finishes, he would leave arms and work for living. “All what we wanted was to feel that we are respected citizens in our country” he finished.

Many writers see that religious extremism in Syria has been concentrated on and presented in its ugly and bad picture to foreign media without studying reasons behind it, besides ignoring the peaceful situations. Researchers confirm that extremism is not a genuine character of the Syrian community, and it would go away once the recent situation finishes.

Read the original Article; Translation by Yusra Ahmed