Human Rights watch is now calling on the United Nations Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court, where current Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will be put on trial for several charges, of which include acts of torture and degrading human treatment, as well as mass arrest, abduction, enforced disappearance and detention of civilians. 

 

Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle's Great Man theory is a concept under which history can be explained through the impact of "great men", or leaders, who, possessing traits such as wisdom and charisma were highly influential in their countries, and, consequently, globally. Bashar al-Assad, assuming office from his deceased brother and, along with his position, gaining his supporters, initially held influence over people through charisma and his exceptional education. Bashar also held several campaigns with the aim to eliminate opposition and gain further popular support. Bashar al-Assad's growing influence and support throughout his rule were contingent upon the initial situation of how he came into office, which later was overshadowed by the growing opposition to his rule.

 

Graduating in 1988 from the University of Damascus, Bashar al-Assad aspired to become an ophthalmologist, earning his degree years later in London. In 1994, however, after the passing of his brother Basil, Bashar was called immediately back to Syria, where he would now be next in line of succession for power. Before taking the position of President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad took charge of other roles, later being confirmed and reconfirmed as President by the People’s Council of Syria in 2000 and 2007. Bashar al-Assad came to rule over Syria by succedding the regime left by his father, which lasted 30 years. This shows that the authoritarian regime still continues, only the leader himself has changed.

 

 

In his “pool table” theory, Professor Fred Greenstein argues to describe how leaders and their current context and environment are able to cause events. This can be perfectly related to the situation in Syria today, as Bashar came into rule as a dictator, stating that he wished to oversee a slow transition to democracy in the country (Wilkinson, CNN), while protesters and anti-government forces were motivated by the Arab Spring and revolutions in nearby Muslim countries. The conjuncture of these events ultimately led to the Syrian Revolution and civil war, as neither side wished to surrender their position which led to the conflict.

 

The conflict, beginning four years after his second confirmation as President, with manifestations by teenage boys on school walls against the regime in Syria, has now escalated into a ‘total’ civil war, killing more than 100,000 people and causing severe detriments to minorities. Comparing to his father Hafez al-Assad, they both used violence to resolve their matters. Hafez would use violence "when needed" and Bashar is being seen as a dictator that uses violence against his own people.

 

The situation in Syria has escalated and shows no signs of easing; certain sectors of society, such as religious minorities and women are suffering the consequences. While women have sexually victimized – rape having been previously established as a key characteristic of this conflict – they are now being recruited to the army, in the President’s desperate attempt to muffle the impact of his deteriorating army.

 

Mark Lattimer, advocate for Minority Rights Group International states: “I think it is important to say that there is a tendency to see this conflict very much in religious terms now, but at its base it was a popular uprising against an oppressive regime.”

 

Despite the universally recognized concept of growing female acceptance and equality, the situation in Syria appears to be farther from the ideal as we may have initially deduced; as stated by Afra Jalabi, an advocate for the Syrian National Coalition rightfully states: “[…] women have not been doing well. The Syrian regime has allowed honor killings and sometimes even reward men who have been marginalizing women over the last 40 years. A macho state – a state that is run by security and the military – is no feminist state, is not an egalitarian state”.