Religious divides fuel Syrian war

The battle lines in Syria are being drawn along sectarian — that is, religious — lines. Both sides fear that whoever wins power will obliterate the loser. Religious civil wars are longer and bloodier than other types of clashes, according to studies. They are also twice as likely to recur and twice as deadly to noncombatants. People hold onto religious fights longer than battles over land and water. It becomes existential and related to belief in a higher calling. If we come and give one group a total win, we may be setting up an ethnic cleansing. The situation is Syria is fluid, with a lot of conflicting reports and shifting alliances -- Alawites, Shiites. Sunnis, Christians, etc. Here is a breakdown of the religious groups at war and some background on their beliefs.

Read the complete article at -- http://www.sentinelsource.com/cnn/religious-divides-fuel-syrian-war/article_887a5d1e-27a0-5cb7-9b80-962813cd7079.html

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