So far, the Syrian conflict has resulted in a reported 40,000 lives being lost.

There are some estimates that 100,000 lives will be lost over the following year.

Hopefully though the deaths and suffering will be far less than what is expected, and will result in an improvement for the people in Syria, but some of the fighting groups may not please the locals too much.

We need to give greater focus to this (and other conflicts) and not focus just on Palestine (but that also does not mean that the focus on there should be reduced).

It is sometimes easier to focus on other conflicts where Muslims are being oppressed by Non Muslims, but solely focussing on them leaves us open to arguments of bias which belittle out focus on those opressions.

As Muslims we are meant to stand for right, that means that we should side with the victim whether the victim is Muslim or not, whether the oppressor is Muslim or not.

Back to the situation is Syria, the government forces have had many failings and continue to lose ground, however as they have, their response has become crazier. First using tanks in cities, and when that failed, using the airforce. When that failed, now they are using missiles.

New reports in the media suggest that as a last step Syrian forces may use chemical weapons against their own people.

All of this could have been avoided if in early 2011, the regime forces hadnt cracked down upon kids in a town. Until then, Syria had been spared of protests but since then every drop of blood spilt has only made large parts of the population more against the regime. The regime expected the people to cowwer, but the opposite happened.

The quickest simplest way to avoid further bloodshed is probably for the regime to give in, but even then a hrnets nest has been stirred and more blood will be spilt whatever is done.

All we can pray for is that a just outcome is swift with a minimal cost in blood and other "commodities".