The Spring of 2011 in the Arab world was markedly different from its predecssors. “The Arab Spring” as it was called began in Tunisia and spread across the region (Al Jazeera). The protestors in this revolt wanted a myriad of things. Some wanted democracy, respect for civil rights, and some want Islamization of government and a movement to theocracy.
Syria, once a province of the Ottoman Empire, is a small middle-eastern nation between Lebanon and Turkey. In March 2011, pro-Democracy Arab Spring protestors who were marching to decry the arrest and torture of teen graffiti artists were fired upon by police. After the shootings, many more protestors joined the public displays of defiance (BBC ). After nationwide unrest and a refusal by President Assad to abdicate, the protestors began to arm themselves (Semple).
The violence in the country escalated so quickly that by June of 2013, 90,000 people had been killed in the fighting and that number moved to 250,000 by August of 2015 (BBC ). Into the fray came the self-stylized Islamic State. This terrorist group which is opposed to Assad is fighting to create a Muslim caliphate throughout Iraq and Syria. In June of 2014, the group claimed that it’s caliphate had been established, which lead to US airstrikes to destroy the group, thus entering another belligerent into the fight (BBC).
The Syrian Civil War was killed more than 250,000 people and approximately 11-12 million of the nation’s 22 million people are displaced. Approximately 6.5 million people are displaced inside of the country, with ~4.5 million having left the country. According to United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees, the number of refugees by gender is roughly equal. Most of the refugees are minors (age 17 and younger) with about 5% more children than adults (UNHCR).
The Syrians who are leaving their country tend to be well educated, with as many as 86% being educated at the secondary or university level (Basheer). The group also tends to...