• Home
• /
• Letters

Who will stop the massacre of civilians in Syria?

The grim situation in Northern Syria warrants global concern. The military powers in the area continue to land blow after crippling blow with not a whimper from the global community. The arc of history might be long, but it always follows repetitive patterns. The new arc will end up with civilians in war-ravaged areas finding themselves in the jaws of a new Auschwitz. What is occurring in the conflict zones is the most heinous crime against humanity. It graphically reveals that hate is blinding.
Under International Law, crimes against humanity are crimes committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack by a group or organisation on a civilian population.
The International Criminal Court has linked ethnic cleansing more specifically to genocide, 'crimes against humanity' and war crimes could constitute all three of those offences (all of which are under the court's jurisdiction). The ruthless massacre of civilians around the world is undoubtedly the greatest paradigm of evil in our time. The past 25 years has witnessed unspeakable tragedies which can never be forgotten. The extermination of civilians is beyond the capacity of words to convey.
As a global community, we must oppose these pernicious and shameless evils now consuming innocent lives which are not justified by any sane logic.
- Farouk Araie, South Africa