Axis of Evil (Syria)

I had long wanted to visit Syria, as friends and travelers had told me that not only is the country steeped in history, it is also home to some of the most hospitable people in the world. Bush's "Axis of Evil" remarks made Syria even more enticing to me, as by then I had formed a theory about the negative correlation between a country's reputation and the kindness of its people. Iran and Pakistan are supporting cases; they show how a people can be so incredibly warm-hearted despite the notoriety of their government. And after my positive Libyan episode, I was ready to test my thesis further in the Syrian Arab Republic.

Although Syria is a predominantly Muslim country whose majority belong to the Sunni sect, it is one of the most diverse and tolerant societies in the Arab world. Apart from Syria's status as a secular state that permits religious freedom on the scale rarely seen elsewhere in the Middle East, religion in the Levantine republic is fairly variegated with 90% Sunni Muslim and 10% Christian (Syriac Orthodox, Armenian, Greek Orthodox)---the highest proportion of indigenous Christians in the Middle East after Lebanon and Egypt. Syria is, moreover, multicultural; the Phoenicians, Assyrians, Bedouins, Armenians, Kurds and Jews have all left their imprint on Syria, creating a fascinating melting pot of tongues and traditions. The latest influx of displaced Iraqis further portrays Syria as the millennium-old refuge to peoples from the Byzantines to the Arabs, from the Crusaders to the Mongols, and from the Ottoman Turks to the French.