For more
than 6
years we
have
been
following
in the
news the
dramatic
situation
of the
conflict
involving
Syria, a
civil
war that
has
already
caused
frightening
numbers.
According
to the
United
Nations,
there
are more
than
400,000
dead and
almost 5
million
refugees
since
the
beginning
of the
battle.
Recently
some
facts
have
further
strained
the
situation.
The
Syrian
government
struck
the
rebels
with a
mighty
attack
using
chemical
weapons
that
killed
86
people,
including
27
innocent
children.
Immediately
the
United
States
bombed a
Syrian
military
base in
retaliation
for the
use of
chemical
weapons
and, if
that was
not
enough,
Russia
was in
favor of
Syria
and
positioned
its
warships
in the
Mediterranean
Sea to
defend
its
ally.
The eyes
of the
world
are
turned
to this
conflict
that
gains
status
of war
between
powers.
Understanding
the
conflict
in Syria
- Since
2000,
when
Bashar
al-Assad
took
office
after
the
death of
his
father
Hafez,
the
Syrian
population
has been
facing
serious
difficulties,
such as
unemployment,
corruption,
authoritarianism
and
repression
by the
government.
The
trigger
for
despotism
came in
2011
when a
group of
youths
were
arrested
and
tortured
by
government
security
forces
for
painting
revolutionary
slogans
on a
school
wall.
From
then
onwards,
the
population
began a
series
of
manifestations
influenced
by the
Arab
Spring,
asking
for the
exit of
Assad.
The
government
answered
with
violence,
which
reinforced
the
enthusiasm
of the
demonstrators.
Supporters
of
antigovernment
groups
began an
armed
revolution
to
defend
themselves
against
the
onslaughts
of
power.
Thus,
violence
quickly
took
over the
country.
As time
went by,
civilians
gave way
to
radicals
and
jihadists
-
partisans
of the
Islamic
"Holy
War."
Among
them are
the
self-named
Islamic
State
and the
Nusra
Front,
affiliated
with
al-Qaeda.
The war
was no
longer a
simple
struggle
for
power,
but also
encompassed
aspects
of
sectarian
and
religious
nature,
with
various
factions
forming
the
opposition
fighting
both the
government
and each
other.
The EI
with its
cruel
tactics,
taking
advantage
of the
fragility
caused
by the
civil
war,
began to
attack
the
various
battle
fronts
that
were
established,
with the
prospect
of
installing
its
caliphate,
making
the
conflict
more and
more
devastating.
From
2014
onwards,
allied
troops
from
France,
the
United
States
and
England
began
bombing
in Syria
to
contain
the
advance
of
terrorists.
In 2015
Russia
began a
campaign
to
support
the
Syrian
government,
which
had
suffered
major
defeats
in the
fight
against
the
rebels,
which
allowed
the
resumption
of the
city of
Aleppo,
the most
important
center
after
the
capital
Damascus,
which
had been
conquered
by the
EI. In
retaliation,
the
terrorists
intensively
challenged
attacks
on the
world
powers
involved
in the
Syrian
conflict
through
violent
attacks.
Allied
countries
have
since
invested
more and
more in
security
and in
the
fight
against
terrorism.
It is
evident
that the
war has
long
resisted
because
it is
fueled
by the
shadowy
interests
of both
regional
powers
and
Turkey,
which
provides
conditions
and
armaments
for the
rebels,
and
Iran,
which
unconditionally
supports
the
Syrian
government,
and
international
powers
such as
Russia,
which
has
political
interest
in that
country.
In this
way, the
risk of
a war
involving
other
countries
increases
and may
turn a
regional
conflict
into an
even
greater
battle.
In this
context,
the war
in Syria
becomes
a
problem
for
everyone,
since it
created
an
exodus
of
refugees,
perhaps
the
largest
in
modern
history,
who
depart
mainly
to
Europe
seeking
asylum,
which
has
generated
a crisis
in the
countries
of that
continent.
The UN
estimates
that $
3.2
billion
is
needed
to
provide
humanitarian
aid to
13.5
million
people -
including
six
million
Syrian
children.
About
70% of
the
population
does not
have
access
to
drinking
water,
one in
three
people
cannot
meet
basic
food
needs,
more
than 2
million
children
are not
going to
school
and one
in five
people
live in
extreme
poverty.
The
consequences
of a war
in the
present
day - The
planet
Earth,
since
the
emergence
of man,
has
already
crossed
countless
conflicts
in
different
times
and
regions.
Obviously,
motivation,
goals
and
especially
armaments
have
changed
a lot as
time
progresses
and man
progresses
intellectually.
The fact
is that
wars
significantly
alter
the
course
of
History,
as they
end up
directly
influencing
civilizations,
customs
and
territory.
The
great
concern
is that,
with the
advent
of
technology,
wars
have
reached
devastating
military
power.
The
warriors
left
aside
spears
and
swords
to make
room for
gunpowder
and fuze
and
nowadays,
for
chemical
and
nuclear
weapons,
which
have a
great
power to
decimate
entire
civilizations.
The last
major
war for
example,
known as
World
War II,
was the
most
lethal
conflict
in Human
History,
resulting
in
approximately
70
million
deaths,
and was
the only
one to
date
with the
use of
nuclear
weapons.
The
consequences
of a war
are
numerous,
ranging
from
political
and
economic
problems
to the
death of
innocent
civilians,
leading
to
serious
humanitarian
issues.
We must
not
think
only of
deaths,
but also
of
mutilated
people,
widespread
diseases,
psychological
problems
and
trauma
of all
kinds,
bearing
in mind
that the
overwhelming
majority
of
victims
are
ordinary
human
beings -
who are
not
concerned
with
geopolitics
or with
the
military
strategies
– and
who only
want
their
children
to live
and grow
well.
They are
people
who do
not care
about
"national
security,"
but
about
personal
safety,
food,
shelter,
medical
care,
and
peace.
Of
course,
the
great
fear of
these
times is
that a
world
war
involving
the
greatest
military
powers
of the
world,
with all
its
military
power of
chemical
and
nuclear
weapons
will
happen.
Based on
the
atomic
attack
on Japan
at the
end of
World
War II,
which
instantly
victimized
200,000
people
and
thousands
more
over the
years as
a result
of
radiation,
we can
have an
idea of what
would be
a major
armed
conflict
today.
The War
in the
Light of
Spiritism
- At
some
point,
most of
the good
people
and
especially
those
who are
the
victims
of the
war have
already
asked
why the
battles
exist,
or
still,
why God
allows
them to
happen.
To
answer
these
questions
from the
Spiritist
point of
view, we
must
consider
three
important
aspects:
1 - Free
will:
Man is
given
the
right to
think
and act.
This is
what we
call
free
will.
Without
it, we
would be
puppets
in the
hands of
God, as
the
Spirits
explained
to Allan
Kardec
in the
works of
the
Encoder:
"For he
who is
free to
think,
has also
the
freedom
to do.
Without
free
will,
man
would be
a
machine".
It is
based on
our
freedom
to act
that we
make
mistakes,
which
sometimes
cause
suffering
to
ourselves
and
others.
If we
are free
in our
actions,
we
cannot
hold the
Creator
responsible
for the
consequences
of our
actions.
2 -
Moral
Progress:
The
quality
of our
actions
is
directly
proportional
to our
moral
progress;
the more
evolved
is the
Spirit,
the
nobler
will be
his
deeds.
Morally
developed
Spirits
do not
cause
wars,
while
ignorant
Spirits
tend to
seek
conflicts
to solve
their
interests.
Wars are
nothing
more
than the
reflection
of
primitive
instincts
of
Spirits
still
evolving.
3 - Law
of Cause
and
Effect:
As
nothing
happens
by
chance,
Divine
Providence
is in
charge
of
making
the
necessary
adjustments,
even in
purely
human
attitudes;
therefore,
wars -
in
addition
to
accelerating
the
collective
progress
of
reincarnated
Spirits
- also
serve as
atonement
for the
previous
executioners.
If we
look at
the
Syrian
conflict
in a
superficial
way, we
can
imagine
that the
refugees
of now
were the
killers
who in
the past
expelled
the
natives
from
their
lands
through
the
wars.
Allan
Kardec
talks
about
wars in The
Book of
Spirits,
Let us
see:
742.
What
causes
man to
go to
war? -
Predominance
of the
animal
nature
over the
spiritual
and the
satisfaction
of
passions.
In the
state of
barbarism,
people
only
know the
right of
the
strongest,
and that
is why
war, for
them, is
a normal
state.
As man
progresses,
it
becomes
less
frequent
because
he
avoids
its
causes,
and when
war
becomes
necessary,
he knows
how to
add
humanity
to it.
743.
Will the
war
disappear
one day
from the
face of
the
Earth? -
Yes,
when men
understand
righteousness
and
practice
the Law
of God.
Then all
people
will be
siblings.
744.
What is
Providence's
purpose
in
making
war
necessary?
- Freedom
and
progress.
Man
evolves
intellectually
in
stride,
but he
is not
capable
of
perfecting
morals
in the
same
proportion.
He uses
his
intelligence
against
himself
to
produce
weapons
of mass
destruction,
guided
by
satellites
that can
reach
long
distances
and
annihilate
entire
communities.
On the
other
hand, he
has not
yet been
able to
cultivate
tolerance,
love and
compassion.
Presently,
when the
planet
Earth
passes
through
transition,
we will
be more
clearly
submitted
to the
Law of
Destruction.
Many
Spirits
here
reincarnated
enjoy
the last
opportunity
in the
terrestrial
world,
running
the risk
of being
exiled
to
planets
compatible
with
their
degree
of
evolution,
since
the
march of
progress
is
continuous.
Let us,
therefore,
do our
part by
cultivating
love and
working
for
peace.
References:
MAGNOLI,
Demetrius, History
of Wars.
3rd ed.
Sao
Paulo:
Contexto,
2006.
KARDEC,
Allan. The
Book of
Spirits:
principles
of the
Spiritist
Doctrine. Translated
by
Guillon
Ribeiro.
86th ed.
Rio de
Janeiro:
FEB,
2005.