Under the bombs in Syria

There was an inspiring story on NPR this morning about brave Syrian activists, like Danny Abdul Dayem (right), who are risking their lives to defy their oppressive government. These activists bring us footage of the bombardment of Homs, even as the bombs fall on their own homes, family and friends.

"What is the UN going to do about this? Nothing. They are going to sit and discuss and see whether we can solve this peacefully, with this murderer (Assad)," says Dayem.

"How can you stand and watch these children be like this?"

Good questions.

The Assad regime's attack on its own citizens is not unlike Muammar Gadaffi's suppression of dissent in Libya last year. That action prompted NATO to support those under attack, which effectively meant attacking the Libyan Army and supporting the militia. There's no question that intervention by the West gave legs to the revolution and ended in Gadaffi's rout and death.

Could something similar be in store for Bashar Assad's brutal and despotic regime? Or are we already too busy crafting plans to invade Iran to take notice of the suffering of the Syrians?

As the drumbeat of war with Iran picks up tempo in the US media and government, we might well consider why the bloodshed in Syria has our attention but so little action. Should the Arab League intervene to stop the loss of life? Should NATO? The UN? The US?

Aside from the democratic and humanitarian crises, there are real worries, Israel, Syria's next-door neighbor, cold take the brunt of an Arab backlash to our involvement. No doubt Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad might be stirred to meddle if we invade or bomb Syria. A wider war is a real fear.


So what's a Christian, follower of a turn-the-other-cheek prophet, supposed to do?

It doesn't seem Christian to attack other countries and cause death and destruction. Neither is it Christian to stand by while the Syrian government kills its own. Are words, prayers and wishes enough? St, James (though not addressing the context of modern warfare!) thought that kind words were not enough:

If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?j(James 2:15-16)

In the context of a Sabbath healing, Jesus asked,

"Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill?" (Mark 3:4)

More good questions!

Is it lawful to withhold aid, which saves some but causes others to die? Or is it lawful to provide aid, which saves the others and kills some?

As Christians, we are called to grapple with dirty, death/life decisions like these. And whatever way of death/life we choose, we owe it to the survivors to support ways of peace that prevent such decisions from having to be made in the future.