The vast majority of the population is 74% Muslim (Fisher). Various Christian denominations make up 10%, and the remaining 16% are other Muslims, such as Alawis, Ismailis, Shiites, and Druze (Fisher). The current government in power since 1970 is the Assad regime, which follows the Alawite religion. The conflict in Syria is the result of numerous political and religious conflicts between the national government and rebel forces. There are two main parties involved in the Syrian conflict: the national government and the Free Syrian Army. The classification stage of genocide is illustrated here by the “Us versus Them” mentality. The current president, Bashar al-Assad, has been in power since 2000. He succeeded his father, Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria from 1970 until his death in 2000. When Bashar al-Assad took over power, he promised reforms and even allowed criticism. This period of reform is known as the Damascus Spring, but he soon resorted to the dictatorial methods of his (Cornish) father. The al-Assad family belongs to the minority group of Alawites, who are akin to “an untouchable who became a maharajah in India or a Jew who became a tsar in Russia” (Belisle). Hafez al-Assad maintained his control over Syria for so long by influencing the divisions in Syrian society to prevent anyone from gaining enough power to challenge his rule (Fisher). The other party involved is the Free Syrian Army. The FSA, led by Colonel Riad al-Asaad, was established in August 2011 and is made up of members of the Syrian army who defected with the aim of overthrowing the al-Assad (Fisher) regime. The “Us versus Them” classification is the source of religious, ethnic and political conflicts. Among the various theories surrounding the conflicts in Syria, the “us versus them” mentality is an important factor. The government justifies its egregious actions by claiming that it was simply trying to maintain order and control of the country. They say that as a government they had the right to act as they deemed necessary. On the other hand, the Free Syrian Army claims that because of the way citizens are treated, they had justified reasons to rebel and fight back. The conflicts occurring in the ever-problematic Middle East have many solutions, none of which are easily achievable or easy to implement. The dictatorial regime of the Assad family has lasted for more than 40 years and is probably in decline. The economic and social reforms promised by Bashar al-Assad have largely contributed to the unrest in Syria. Additionally, the majority of Syrian citizens, who are Sunni Arabs, are not represented or treated fairly by the government, contributing to the civil war...