The world is facing a catastrophe not seen since the Second World War, as Europe is being overrun by refugees fleeing death at home. Syrians currently make up the majority of these numbers, though Africans are adding to the growing numbers all the time. As countries around the world are needed to share the burden of more and more refugees every day, it seems that no one is looking at the cause. Government forces in Syria have once again used chemicals in their bid to quash their residents. It’s not Sarin this time, but a crude form of mustard gas. With Russia as his ally and ISIS his new best friend, removing Bashar Al-Assad is a complex problem. If ever there was a time for the western world to stand together and do something, it is now.
The tide of refugees from Syria and several African countries will only continue to grow. Unless the countries of the world are prepared to harbour nearly two million people who have already fled these areas, and what could be millions more to come, the nations of the world must stand together and address the cause. Is Putin prepared to take on the world to continue to back Syria?
The United Nations needs to do the job they were created for, and that is to stop the slaughter of innocent people at the hands of a madman we have not seen since Hitler.
Arguing about whether Canada should take 4,000 or 10,000 refugees is akin to debating what size bucket we should use to bail out a boat with a hole in its hull, we need to fix the problem.
Bin Laden said to his terrorist followers, “The only way to defeat the west is not with guns, we must destroy them financially.” This is exactly what they have been doing and continue to do. If our only solution is to take in more and more refugees, it will not end. The problem will only become worse and worse.
Taking in refugees is noble in the meantime, but it is not a permanent solution.
Tim Andrew, St. Albert
