Ukraine sympathy VS Syria

[JustWhyy]

Why does Syria not get the same sympathy as Ukraine?
I've followed the conflict in Syria for years, therefore what's happening in Ukraine is not shocking to me because I've seen it happen to the Syrian people, but I never recall the outcry/support for Syrian people as much as I've seen it for the Ukrainians?
Am ibu?

@purpleboy

Op there are multiple threads along the same lines, why don't you go onto one of those and look at the answers there. I guess your looking for a we're all racist answer, like the other posters.

You might be racist I'm not.

I think we all know the answer to this OP; they look like us (not brown) and it feels closer to home like "it could be us". It's heartwarming to see the response to Ukranian refugees but sickening when you compare it to the treatment of Syrians.

@OldWivesTale

I think we all know the answer to this OP; they look like us (not brown) and it feels closer to home like "it could be us". It's heartwarming to see the response to Ukranian refugees but sickening when you compare it to the treatment of Syrians.

In the UK? Sure the UK aren't really letting any Ukrainian refugees in either are they? I'd say it is pretty similar, lots of on the surface oh that's terrible, bunging a few clothes in black bags and calling it a job well done. When it comes to actually taking in the people fleeing for their lives well that's a different story.

I suppose part of the reason is that with Ukraine it feels very much as if you personally could be involved. Yesterday they pictured a street with a house that looked so like my house it really attracted my attention. It was on fire, the owner was distraught., obviously. I have ever bit as much sympathy with the Syrian people who have experienced this but it grabs you so much more when it looks as if it could be your house involved.

Aren't Syrians white Caucasian, same as Persians?

I suppose part of the reason is that with Ukraine it feels very much as if you personally could be involved.

Only if all your family are white.

Huge difference between a civil war where both sides have committed atrocities to their own people and a military invasion from a nuclear super power to their resource and strategically wealthy neighbour whilst simultaneously threatening other countries.

Plus, there was massive coverage, outrage and support when the civil war in Syria first came to light...but as with most things, if they don't affect you on a personal level it's easy to let the focus slide.

Losing focus when our food and fuel costs are going to be ramped up because of an invasion on our continent is going to keep this in the forefront of minds until it's resolved. I thought I was lucky to fill up my car for £1.46 a litre yesterday - that's just insane!

@SpagPen

Aren't Syrians white Caucasian, same as Persians?

But they are Muslims so must be terrorists..

Ukraine matters more to me than Syria for a lot of reasons.

• It's closer geographically.
• My perception is the people are more like me than Syrians are.
• Syria's a predominantly Muslim country.
• My perception is that there's always war in the Middle East, therefore it's not particularly remarkable. It's been rare for there to be a proper war in Europe during my lifetime, basically the war in the former Yugoslavia and that's it.
• Crucially, it's easy to see the Ukraine war could quickly expand into an all-out end of the world nuclear conflict. It was harder to imagine that happen in Syria because nobody really cares.

Syria's a predominantly Muslim country.

And there you have it.

@MorningStarling

Ukraine matters more to me than Syria for a lot of reasons.

• It's closer geographically.
• My perception is the people are more like me than Syrians are.
• Syria's a predominantly Muslim country.
• My perception is that there's always war in the Middle East, therefore it's not particularly remarkable. It's been rare for there to be a proper war in Europe during my lifetime, basically the war in the former Yugoslavia and that's it.
• Crucially, it's easy to see the Ukraine war could quickly expand into an all-out end of the world nuclear conflict. It was harder to imagine that happen in Syria because nobody really cares.

Racist

@MorningStarling

Ukraine matters more to me than Syria for a lot of reasons.

• It's closer geographically.
• My perception is the people are more like me than Syrians are.
• Syria's a predominantly Muslim country.
• My perception is that there's always war in the Middle East, therefore it's not particularly remarkable. It's been rare for there to be a proper war in Europe during my lifetime, basically the war in the former Yugoslavia and that's it.
• Crucially, it's easy to see the Ukraine war could quickly expand into an all-out end of the world nuclear conflict. It was harder to imagine that happen in Syria because nobody really cares.

I'm sorry wot? Because they're Muslim?!?

And not all Syrians are Muslim. Yazidis and other ethinic groups are not muslims, hence why they were being persecuted, including their children being used as slaves and suicide bombers.

Ignorance at its absolute peak, and dare I say a pinch of racism too.

Well the UK response has been similar - no welcome or movement at all.

I don’t live in the UK anymore but if a Tory government are voted in again, people will need to take a long hard look at themselves. The UK response has been nothing short of a disgrace.

MorningStarling
"Ukraine matters more to me than Syria for a lot of reasons.

• It's closer geographically.
• My perception is the people are more like me than Syrians are.
• Syria's a predominantly Muslim country.
• My perception is that there's always war in the Middle East, therefore it's not particularly remarkable.

It's been rare for there to be a proper war in Europe during my lifetime, basically the war in the former Yugoslavia and that's it.

• Crucially, it's easy to see the Ukraine war could quickly expand into an all-out end of the world nuclear conflict. It was harder to imagine that happen in Syria because nobody really cares."

Good God.

Educate yourself.

Why Syria and not Venezuela though, terrible problems there

Because Putin bombed parts of Syria into dust, admittedly at the invitation of it's despotic leader, and killed numerous civilians (UN estimate at least 350,000 and still counting).

So it's a comparable situation.

Syria/Yemen - It's a civil war. We've learned not to get involved.

Ukraine have been hammered by another nation, one that is sigificantly more powerful than them, who have an agenda to increase their borders and we live nearby as do other NATO nations.

I actually feel equally for Ukraine and for Syria because I'm close friends with a colleague from Syria. Things were at a lull when she moved here but now she and her husband are stuck. If they move back he'll be forced into the army. The big problem is that both sides are awful. At least Ukraine has a hero.

I forgot to mention that my Syrian colleague is massively worried about the situation in Ukraine. Apparently it supplies a lot of grains to Syria so that war in Ukraine will have a huge impact on Syria and much of the Middle East.

Syria is more of a grey area as it is a civil war an d it is far from clear which side is in the right/ has the support of most people.

Ukraine is morally unambiguous.

The middle East has been a political playground for a very long time with competing interests from world powers and it's not like there has been a clear cut appeal for help to specific countries. For every side asking for help the other will make accusations of imperialism or white savours etc.

Lots of countries have bitter experience of how difficult it is to extract or Intervene in unstable countries. Look how Yugoslavia Afghanistan Iraq etc turned out.
There was a lot of coverage of Syria and people might be supportive of the idea of intervention until body bags get sent home so it has been allowed to drag on as will likely happen in Ukraine. The longer it goes on the less coverage there will likely be

Ukraine is part of Europe so it is natural that European nations intervene plus it does not involve the colonial baggage from historic exploitation of Africa/middle/far east etc.

People are far more likely to take an interest in events that have personal consequence to them and Ukraine has very clear economic effects in terms of inflation heating and fuel costs that Syria didn't coupled with a higher likelihood of an escalation into a wider war. No one threatened or worried about nukes when taking action in syria

As others have posted the UK is sticking to the immigration control approach the country voted for for Brexit/ the last general election and has made it very difficult for Syrians or Ukrainians to get asylum here

Ad nauseam

Because both sides in the Syrian war were repugnant (Ba'athist government versus ISIS).

Because Syria was an offshoot of the Iraq War so people felt we were responsible.

Because Syria is not in Europe and the stakes were much, much lower for us.

[quote BulletTrain]I am somewhat confused by people who think we as a nation throw our arms open to people from Eastern European countries because they are white.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36656348.amp[/quote]
Indeed. A Czech person I know was murdered by thugs shortly after the Brexit referendum, simply for being Czech.

How many threads are we going to have on the same ...yes the answer is we are all racist of course

Both are shocking and in both situations people are dying.

One is closer to home.

Some people donate to cat charities and not human concerns and others contribute to many different charities. Personal choice of where to send money.

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