Unfortunately, as the situation worsens, the religious component is gaining ground in Syria. The crimes committed by the regime (including the massacre of Houla, which in my opinion marked a turning point) are pushing Syrians to gather around their ethnic, religious and tribal affiliations, in the absence of other cross-mobilizing principles (such as the class struggle, for example). The first churches have already been burned down and, while the echoes of further massacres arrive, the thousands of Syrian refugees seeking asylum in neighbouring countries look for shelter among their religious communities, where they feel safe. The exacerbation and manipulation of ethnic and religious identity by internal and external stakeholders is increasing, reducing the social and political demands that sparked the conflict in the first place to almost nothing. Continue reading
