The amazing thing is that Syria also happens to be an Arab nation that has immense historical and cultural significance. The topography of Syria is richly endowed with fertile and green plains, expansive deserts, and mountains. In an ethnic and religious context, Syria indeed happens to be a multicultural and multiethnic nation. Though Sunni Arabs happen to be a religious and ethnic majority in Syria, still Syria is also the home to various other religious and ethnic groups like Shia Muslims, Christians, Turks, Kurds, Armenians, and Yezidi.3 The multicultural and multi-religious demography of Syria if on the one side makes it a culturally rich nation, on the other side the ethnic and religious plurality of Syria makes it vulnerable to ethnic conflicts and violence. Syria is a nation with an unstable and tumultuous past, a trend which is largely reflected in its present chaotic political and strategic situation. Thereby, the current political uncertainty in Syria has the potential to jeopardize the peace in the neighboring Arab nations also, not to mention its ramifications regarding the Arab-Israel conflict.

Syria as a modern Arab nation, gained its freedom from the French colonial rule in the year 1946.4 Yet, the sad thing is that Syria always had more than ample share of political unrest and instability. Much of such political instability in the past 60 years could be attributed to the divergent interests and intentions of an array of ethnic groups and communities that constitute modern-day Syria. The other thing is that historically speaking, varied Western colonial powers did prefer to set these ethnic groups against each other to influence the local politics in the Middle East. President Nasser of Egypt unified Syria with Egypt and the country remained so for only three years.5 A military coup did away with the unification of Syria with Egypt and subsequently, the pan-Arab&nbsp.Baath party gained control of Syria in the year 1963.