Blog Post 3: Syria & Bosnia

Link to article:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9107216/Syria-citizens-from-across-country-risk-life-to-help-Homs.html

            The article Syria: citizens from across country risk life to help Homs’s intended audience is anyone who is interested in aiding other humans that are in need for help. The purpose of this article is to inform people of the attempts of Syrian citizens to help their fellow brothers from Homs to survive. This is clearly shown in the title “Citizens…risk life to help Homs”. Also in the article itself it describes actual attempts by Syrians: "I travel by public minibus, hiding small amounts of medicines and money at the bottom of my bag". Another Syrian said “We ran across the rooftops…I had a backpack full of medicine…I could hear bullets smacking into the sides of the walls as snipers tried to shoot us”.

            This article best connects to the event in Safe Area Goražde where Edin was going to Grebak. In both the article and that event the main goal was getting supplies for survival. For example, in the article, the Syrian citizen Sana said she would “travel by public minibus, hiding small amounts of medicines and money at the bottom of [her] bag". She would then give those supplies to needy people for them to survive. Similarly, in Safe Area Goražde Edin and others went to Grebak to get food and supplies in order for them, their families, and neighbors to survive: “We didn’t have any choice. My father went three times to Grebak, my brother and I two times each” Sacco, 2001, p. 136). In conclusion, the article best connects to the event where Edin went to Grebak. This is because in both people were trying to help themselves or others survive.

Letter to Character

1234 School St.

Dayton, OH 45404

February 17,2012

Dear Azeric,

            I was very impressed when you cared about your Bosnian neighbor when you saw him bloody and went over to him and asked him “what’s going on?”. I was more impressed when you offered to save him! Rather than the other Serbian neighbors whom burned down their Bosnian neighbor’s homes, you took the risk and saved your neighbor.

            On the other hand, I was somewhat disappointed that you only saved Rasim. I understand that it took courage to rescue him in the first place, but all the other Muslims in that truck were also innocent.

            I hope that you will think about saving other innocent Bosnians and Croats, just like how you saved your neighbor.

Best Regards,

Kareem

Stages of Genocide in Safe Area Gorazde

In the book Safe Area Gorazde, the first class stage of genocide, classification, is very clearly demonstrated. The classification stage of genocide is when a certain group is distinguished by their religion, ethnicity, race, nationality, etc. For example, the narrator “didn’t feel comfortable going alone into a Serb coffee bar” (Sacco, 2001, p. 40). Also when the Bosniak narrator was talking to his Serbian friend, his friend said, “I can’t go with you. People will point at me”. (Sacco, 2001, p. 39). 

Aid Agency, The Red Cross

Who doesn't know the Red Cross? The answer is, most people around the world, whether it is people in 3rd world countries or people in 1st world countries, heard about the Red Cross. This is because the Red Cross is a well established organization which was created in 1863. A well established organization such as the Red Cross has more experience than other recently established organization. Therefore the Red Cross would be able to deal with conflicts in a more efficient way than recently established organization. Also the Red Cross has a very good track record. It is funded by super-national organizations such as the European Commission. For an agency to have a good track record and to be funded by super-national organizations legitimizes the organization and insures that the money we are going to donate will be used to help people. In Conclusion, donating our money to the Red Cross is the smart decision, the correct decision. 

Syria, Genocide or not?

I believe what is happening in Syria should be classified as genocide although the international definition of genocide doesn't contain killing for political reasons. I believe that the international definition for genocide should include killing for political reasons. Also I believe the U.S., UN, and NATO should intervene in Syria and save the civilians from the Syrian military and the dictatorship of Bashar Al-Assad.

Who's to Blame?

I blame the Belgian, the Hutus, and the Tutsis. This is because for a genocide to happen, multiple groups have to contribute in it. I blame the Belgians because they were the people who created tensions between the Tutsis and the Hutus. This is because the Belgians favored the Hutus over the Tutsis and gave them identity cards etc. I blame the Tutsis because they agreed to be favored by the Belgians and "played along". I blame the Hutus because they were the people who actually committed the genocide.

Assessing Responsibility worksheet/US Immigration Worksheet

After watching the movie Defiance and then seeing what the US response to the Holocaust was at the time, I think the proper response of a worker in a plant making Zyklon B gas should have been that he quits the job and finds another job. This is so that he is in no way harming/killing the Jews; therefore he doesn't have a guilty conscience. 


The proper response of the U.S. to the Holocaust as it was occurring should have been: First, immediately publicizing the issue instead of the delay that actually happened. Second, instead of restricting immigration by ordering U.S. consuls to delay visa approvals on national security grounds, the U.S. should have made it easy for Jews to come to the U.S. to survive. Last but not least, instead of the lack of effort the U.S. had in rescuing the Jews, the U.S. should have tried to save Jews from the Holocaust.


My views on how the international community should respond to genocide when it is happens today, which is currently happening Syria, is that it should do the mistake the U.N. & the U.S. made with Bosnia and the Holocaust, which was being too late. The international community did already take its first step which is publicizing what is happening right now in Syria, but there is military action needed, not just reports.