It is pleasant, when the sea is high and the winds are dashing the waves about, to watch from the shores the struggles of another.
– Livy
What could the ancient Athenian empire and the modern extremist group, ISIS, have in common? Motivations aside, these expansionist factions attacked and besieged the settlements of smaller nations while such nations’ allies stood by the sidelines and watched. As Athens besieged the nation-state of Syracuse in Sicily, Sparta stood idle. As ISIS besieges the small Kurdish town of Kobani on the Syrian–Turkish border, Turkey stands idle as well.
The advance of ISIS in Southwest Asia has been receiving a great deal of press coverage in recent weeks, especially regarding the siege of Kobani. ISIS forces are focusing their attack on Kobani because the town is, according to a senior security official with the Kurdistan Regional Government, “A bastion of democracy and secularism,” which are two virtues that ISIS does not appreciate. This siege has lasted for months, resulting in many deaths and a new wave of Kurdish refugees in the thousands who have fled to Turkey in fear of persecution and death. For the past few weeks, the nation of Turkey, from which one can see the smoke rising from the besieged town just across its border, has refused to commit any military forces or aid to the conflict. According to high-ranking Turkish officials, they believe that the group currently defending Kobani is an offshoot of a known terrorist group called the P.K.K. Therefore, Turkey has refused to offer any support. The P.K.K. led guerrilla-style warfare against the Turkish government before the two groups stopped fighting and entered into ongoing negotiations for a permanent peace. Despite hesitation to become directly involved, as of October 21, 2014, Turkish leaders have given the okay for a Kurdish militant group called the Peshmegra to pass through Turkish territory in order to assist the defenders at Kobani. NATO has promised its support if Turkey is attacked directly by ISIS but, at this point, it does not seem likely that Turkey will commit any of its own resources to the fight.
Why does this matter? ISIS is an international threat that attacks aggressively and spontaneously – slaughtering innocents based on their respective faiths and cultures. With every settlement that ISIS takes and every region that is consequently subjugated, their extremist movement gains more power. History shows us the importance of putting aside our differences and joining together in the face of the adversity for the greater good. Since we are talking about the greater good, I might as well bring up Socrates. We freshmen thought we were done with Plato and our favorite philosopher, Socrates – but we were wrong. In reading Plato’s Euthyphro and Apology in World Cultures last week in correlation with the advance of ISIS, I was reminded of the Peloponnesian War, which preceded these writings.
(Fun Fact: Socrates fought in multiple campaigns during the Peloponnesian war – can you even imagine Socrates fighting?! I like to imagine him charging down a hill with spear raised yelling “Here comes a gift from the gods!”)
The Peloponnesian War was a conflict between Athens (with its allies) and Sparta (with its Peloponnesian allies) that lasted from 431 to 404 BCE, resulting in a Spartan victory and the end of the Athenian empire. In 413 B.C.E., the Athenians launched an invasion of the island of Sicily, specifically against the nation-state of Syracuse, which had allied itself with the Peloponnesians. The Athenians held the city of Syracuse under siege for over a year, starving its residents of hope and supplies alike. Just as Syracuse seemed ready to collapse, however, a contingent of Spartan and Peloponnesian reinforcement arrived and bolstered the city’s defenses. Within a few months, the siege was broken and the Athenian force was decimated, with the few remaining survivors being sold into slavery. Without the aid of the Spartans, Syracuse would have fallen. After taking Sicily, the Athenians could have sailed to Africa and Italy, expanding to rival the might of ancient empires such as Carthage and Rome. Who knows how different the world could be if this had happened?
The same goes for Turkey as ISIS pushes toward its border. If Kobani falls, ISIS may push further into Syria or even attack Turkey directly. Sometimes, inaction has more severe consequence than acting and making the wrong decision. Though, if you’re acting against the advances of ISIS, I would say that you have made a pretty great decision.
Should Turkey intervene directly in Kobani? Leave a comment below. To continue the conversation on ISIS, attend the panel discussion on Wednesday, November 5th at 5:30 p.m. in Morrison 120.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions? All are welcome! Email me at Lee_Shaw@baylor.edu
Further reading on the Peloponnesian War:
http://www.livius.org/su-sz/syracuse/siege.html
http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/peloponnesian-war
http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/PeloponnesianWar/
Further reading on ISIS’ siege of Kobani:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/21/world/middleeast/kobani-turkey-kurdish-fighters-syria.html
Would it be possible to put a link to these articles on the BIC website? I enjoy reading them and find that they are not always easy to find.
Yes, that is definitely possible! We will work on making these articles more accessible. Thanks for the suggestion!