Syrian Arab Republic
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Modern day Syria is anything but a free country by western standards as its name, the Syrian Arab Republic, suggests. It is a land and people that have been shaped by a long history of occupation, domination, war and instability dating back to ancient times. Modern day Syria is a relatively recent entity, colonized by French Occupiers after World War II it gained its independence in 1946. Syrian independence was followed by years of uncertainty marked with political instability and numerous seizures of power by various Arab sects until 1963, when the pan-Arab Baath Party seized power and amended the constitution to guarantee itself the “leading role in society and the state.” The current regime came to power by way of a coup in November of 1970. The Syrian Arab Republic is a parliamentary system and a republic only on rudimentary levels. The government is closely controlled by the president and his socialist Baath party who also have firm control of the military, internal security and intelligence apparatus as well as most of the economy and civil life. While there have been attempts at revolution, dissident and opposition groups are dealt with sternly by the regime, which, according to numerous studies and reports conducted by Freedom House, has one of the worst civil and political rights records in the world (Freedom House). “Most Syrians endorse Asads strong authoritarian and paternalistic management simply because it has provided Syria the first uninterrupted period of stability since its independence” (George). After hundreds of years of foreign domination, Syria gained its independence only to be dominated by an internal minority who has continued the tradition of oppression by causing stagnation in political, civil and economic growth.
From the earliest days of civilization to more recent times, Syria has been shaped by struggle and colonization among and by various indigenous groups as well as invading foreign forces. Phoenicians, Canaanites, Assyrians, Persians, Hebrew and Armenians are some of the peoples who laid claim to the land in ancient times. ÐIn the Seventh century A.D., Syria was ruled by the Umayyad, this is regarded as a proud moment in history by most Syrians as Damascus was the capital of the largest Arab dynasty in history, whose territory reached as far west as southern France and as far east as Afghanistan (South). Also of significance was the rule of Alexander the Great, Roman and Byzantine Empires and finally, the Arab conquerors that brought the current culture of Islam to Syria. The present day political boundaries of Syria were determined by periods of foreign wars and domination including that of the Ottoman Turks, French, British and Israelis who shaped modern day Syria by breaking off chucks of what was Greater Syria and repositioning borders leaving it what it is today. Past occupations and colonization have both cultural and physical impacts on modern day Syria.
Approximately 80% of the Syrian population lives within 80 miles of the Mediterranean coast with a majority of the people living in over populated cities (South). Distinctions of language, region, religion, ethnicity, and way of life cut across the society, producing a large number of separate communities, each marked by strong internal loyalty and solidarity (Country Studies). Because of the diversity of past foreign influences and dominance, Syria remains one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse countries in the Middle East today. Although most Syrians are a mixture of the people who once dominated the land, most (90.3%) simply consider themselves Arabs and approximately two-thirds of the population are Arabic-speaking Sunni Muslims (Country Studies). In addition to these majorities, there is a minority of Kurds and Armenians who comprise less then ten percent of the population. Outside of the majority, Syria has a small percentage of Alawite, Druze and other Muslim Sects (16%) as well as Christian (10%) and Jewish practicing citizens. Although Arabic is the official language, the languages of Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassion, French and English are also used in Syria (World Fact Book). These social divisions are even further amplified by a class system of bedouins, villagers, and urban dwellers that act to further separate the Syrian state. Although the “Baath Party emphasizes socialism and secular Arabism over ethic identity” (Politics of Syria) and the current regime is considered to be secular, there has been much instability because some Syrians perceive the government as being preferential towards one group or another, particularly the elite Alawites of the current regime. Class consciousness and religious and ethnic loyalties play a much larger role in Syrian culture than do nationalism.
The period following Syrian independence in 1946 was awash in both internal and external upheaval and instability, including a number of wars with Israel that continue to strain the two countries relations today. In the first decade following independence Syria had twenty different cabinets and drafted four different constitutions. A series of military coups during this period successfully undermined civilian rule and led to an eventual military rule whose competing factions eventually led to the present Arab nationalist and socialist rule of the Baath Party. During the Suez crisis of 1956 martial law was declared in Syria and in 1958 Syria merged with Egypt forming the unsuccessful United Arab Republic which lasted a mere three years. Various Coups taking place from September 1961 to March 1963 led to power seizure by the National Council of the Revolutionary Command (NCRC) led by the Baath party, a group of military and civilian officials who assumed control of all executive and legislative authority and brought internal stability to the country. Under this authority Syria became involved in much contended “peace keeping operations” in Lebanon which added to tensions in the region until their withdrawal earlier this year. While Syria has, since its independence, has had good relations with other countries of the region as well as the west, these relationships have been generally short-lived and unstable much like the internal situation before the current regime.
The Baath party is the cornerstone of Syrian government, politics and society. Officially formed in the 1940s as a small nationalist movement with a few hundred members opposed to the French occupation, the Baath Party advocates Arab unity and social justice. ÐIn 1952 the party merged with the Arab Socialist Party which gave the party its first mass peasant constituency. Support for the party grew rapidly in the1950s while Arab nationalist feelings were strong in the region. “The Baath party became a powerful institution of political