Posts Tagged ‘iraq’

The world watches an agonising struggle within Syria’s borders between the free Syrian army and the military commanded by the countries apparent ruler Bashir Al-Assad. However there’s a darker more menacing battle occurring in this inhospitable piece of land, that of the Jihadists.

 The Jihadists are a group containing members from all over the world; these radical Muslims are in the country for anything but trying to end the civil war that rages on around the innocents of Syria. Their aim is to convert the country of Syria into a radical sharia law abiding state, similar to that of Afghanistan with the Taliban. The group of course have links with Al Qaeda, in their eyes violence, not only on established enemies but also the use of weapons of mass destruction, and most notably, acts of violence towards innocent civilians, is encouraged meet the groups aims, since in their eye’s anyone killed in their ‘righteous jihad’ will be sent to heaven, and any infidels will be sent to hell.

 Recently a Syrian state TV anchor was executed, two British photographers were abducted and held hostage for a number of days before being uneasily released, but not before threats were made on their lives. These threats were made by none other than British nationals. Knives were sharpened before the innocent photographers eyes. The men brandishing the blades that would be used to sever their heads are members of our country, when their work is done in Syria they will return to our society, live in our streets, shop in our shops. The same has been seen in conflicts throughout the world, Iraq, Afghanistan and Egypt. Do these people have any place in a British society?

 ImageBritish citizens are among the murderous Jihadist groups polluting the already turbulent situation in Syria. Their number’s stretch across the country and are responsible for countless attacks on UN convoys. Although in some areas they work with, alongside the free Syrian army, other groups almost appear to be sympathetic to Assads regime. What will happen once the weapons of Bashir Al-Assad are put down? Will it be the end of the fighting or will it spiral into another Iraq type conflict. Uneasy peace being blown to pieces by the roadside bomb. Yet another tarnished country added to the list engulfed in sectarian violence. Nigeria has been plagued with such violence, most recently with the attack on churches. Yemen, another society in turmoil down to the peaceful religion of Islam being interpreted by the tempestuous few. 

A man sits within a tunnel, unshaven unwashed, the aroma is spectacular. People pass by, not a second glance, not a second to spare some change. This man sleeps every night in terror not in fear of robbery, he has nothing to lose, not through fear of being beaten, this mans taken the hardest beating of his life and all others are a mere hindrance. As his eyes close his mind is opened to a world in flames. His friends are dead, his cloths shredded, blood pours from his once incredible face and there’s a sharp pain down both legs.  The flames lick around the seat he remains on, the piercing heat pours in through the metal framework that surrounds his body. He pull’s his frail skeleton from the wreck, just 10 feet between him and his world. Sweating and shaking he wakes up screaming, looking down he see’s his injuries. Injuries of the body that healed 3 years ago, these injuries remain in the soul. The bullets rip through the tunnel every night. The battle of the Fallujah rages on in his skull, every turn a trap, every step an ambush.

After returning from Iraq he was hit with episodes of rage, he beat his father in a drunken wrath. He woke up hands wrapped around his wife’s throat. A car horn is a trigger to a vexation beyond all recognition, not just a passer by, but a man that wishes death upon this already traumatised mind. His friends taken from him in a rocket attack appear in the street, in the bars, in the car. Work becomes impossible, a rifle range takes him back to the burning porter cabin, a car door takes him back to the fire fight his mind remains in. he left the military without seeking help believing the symptoms would stop once he withdrew, however they didn’t, the support was gone, his wife was gone, his life was gone. The anger grew, the alcohol became normal, the debt grew. He became reclusive, pushing away the very people that help him at every corner. With all he knew and loved gone, the money to pull himself out of the situation he was in gone, his possessions; repossessed, all he has is a tunnel, a haunting, and a scar in body and mind.

Violence in a war-zone is normal, it is necessary, it is a lifesaver, if you unleash more violence than your adversary you live… they die. Hundreds of soldiers throughout the world bring this violence back home with them; combat stress and posttraumatic stress are now more recognised and therefore more prevalent than ever before. With soldiers returning from theatres like Iraq, and Afghanistan daily with severe issues, the awareness for these conditions must be increased, the hardest men and women in the world sometimes need help.

Lets not just walk past the man in the burning tunnel called his life, pull him out the wreck he finds it so hard to leave. Because tears alone wont heal this mans burns.