If you’ve been watching the news or paying attention to your Twitter feed lately... You have almost undoubtedly seen footage from Aleppo, Syria this past week. If you’re not familiar with what has been happening in the Middle East- let me explain or rather, paraphrase.

“President Assad (who is bad) is a nasty guy who became so unendurable that his people rebelled and the rebels (who are good) started winning! But, then some of the rebels turned a bit corrupt, they now form the Islamic State (who are definitely bad!) Some rebels continue to support democracy (they are still good.)

So, the Americans (who are questionably good) started bombing the Islamic State

(who are bad) and giving arms to the Syrian Rebels (who are good) so they could fight Assad (still bad) This, initially was good. It was helpful to the Syrian rebels, and it helped to breakdown the Islamic State which wreaks havoc in a facet of ways. There is also a breakaway state in Northern Syria, run by the Kurds who want to fight IS (which is a good thing) but the Turkish authorities think they are bad…So we must say they are bad, whilst secretly thinking they're good and giving them guns to fight IS (which is good) but that is another matter.

Getting back to Syria—

“So, President Putin (who is bad, because he invaded Crimea and the Ukraine and killed lots of innocent civilians) has decided to back Assad (still bad) by attacking IS (who are also bad) which is sort of a good thing?

But Putin (still bad) thinks the Syrian rebels, even those supporting democracy and NOT Islamic State are also bad. So, he bombs them too. Much to the annoyance of the Americans (who are good) and are also busy backing and arming the rebels (also good).

Now Iran (who used to be bad, but now they have agreed not to build any nuclear weapons and bomb Israel are now good) are going to provide ground troops to support Assad (still bad) as are the Russians (bad) who now have ground troops and aircraft in Syria.

So, a Coalition of Assad (still bad) Putin (extra bad) and the Iranians (good, but in a bad sort of way) are going to attack IS (who are, pretty agreeably, THE WORST) which is a good thing, but also while bombing the Syrian Rebels (who are good) which is bad.

Now the British (obviously good, except that nice Mr. Corbyn, who is probably bad) and the Americans (also good) cannot attack Assad (still bad) for fear of upsetting Putin (bad) and Iran (good / bad) and now they have to accept that Assad might not be that bad after all compared to IS ( who are super bad).

So Assad (bad) is now probably good, being better than IS (but let’s face it, just about anything is better than IS so, no real choice there) and since Putin and Iran are also fighting IS that may now make them Good... America (still Good ) will find it hard to arm a group of rebels being attacked by the Russians for fear of upsetting President Putin (now good?) and that nice-mad Ayatollah in Iran (also Good?) and so they may be forced to say that the Rebels are now bad… Or at the very least abandon them to their fate. This will lead most of them to flee to Turkey and on to Europe or, join IS (still the only constantly bad group).

To Sunni Muslims, an attack by Shia Muslims (Assad and Iran) backed by Russians will be seen as something of a Holy War, and the ranks of IS will now be seen by the Sunnis as the only Jihad’s fighting in the Holy War and hence, many Muslims will now see IS as Good. (Weird, right?)

Sunni Muslims will also see the lack of action by Britain and America in support of their Sunni rebel brothers as something of a betrayal (To which they might have a point) and hence we (The Americans) will be seen as bad.

So now, we have America (now bad) and Britain (also bad) providing limitedsupport to Sunni Rebels (bad) many of whom are looking to IS (Good / bad) for support against Assad (now good) who, along with Iran (also Good) and Putin ( also, now, implausibly, Good?!?! ) are attempting to retake the country Assad used to run before all this started?''

It’s a confusing back and forth between at minimum, six member-nations of the UN. By that description, it is fairly obvious that there is no simple solution. My plea however is that;

These are people. Real people, who had a beautiful city. It is unconscionable to think that as an international community we have let this continue.

I cannot fathom, none of us can, the magnitude of loss that these people are experiencing- lives, communities, homes, everything that could be a source of stability- gone.

It is easy to sit on the couch and watch Netflix and not give any of this a second of thought.

It is easy to look at the horrifying images and say 'Glad that's not happening here.'

Well what if it was? What if? I ask that rhetorically, because I know that there are very literal worlds of difference between the United States and Syria but, where is the mercy, and who shows it?

This is one of those moments in history-

Where as an international community, we get to decide to intervene or let things play their course out. This isn’t one of those battles where one wants to be on the wrong side of history. Arguably that is where the hesitance about intervention comes in but it should not dissuade us, as an American people, as an international community, from doing what is right.

This is one of those moments in time-

Where I want to pray for all of these people, even though they have a creed different from my own. I want to send them a universal hug and say

'We believe in you.

Freedom is beautiful and wonderful,

We want that for you too.

At whatever the cost.'