As the rival opinions of accepting Syrian refugees reigns high within the states, the initial conflict is forgotten. Citizens of Syria are depicted as suspicious people, fleeing an area that is filled and sporadically controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Instead of looking at the larger picture of Syria and how to rebuild the structure that is corrupted, Americans resort to fear, dreading that a vulnerable citizen of Syria being allowed into our borders will be directly linked to terror.

The issue with this idea is that it rejects the historical acknowledgment of Syria’s oppressive regime and long sought civil conflict. This is a government that is under investigation by the UN for its alleged war crimes against its own citizens and for forcing violence upon its people.

In retaliation, Syrian rebels formed in order to fight back against President al-Assad’s toxic power. Seizing the messy conflict and tattered land, ISIL militia has since moved into Syrian territory, claiming land and terrorizing its citizens. Due to this overwhelming and bloody conflict, many Syrians have sought refugee in neighboring countries and westernized nations.

As Americans consider the acceptance of Syrian refugees into the states, it is more crucial to consider the outcomes of solving the root conflict of this mass migration. Many European countries cannot bear the amount of refugees being admitted, as their economies and infrastructures are independently unstable. To stop the continuous outward flow of people, nations must work together to bring Syria back under control and govern the actions of al-Assad.

The division that this conflict has inflicted upon global politics has drawn countries further away from finding a solution to the crisis. I am not proposing militaries engage in frontline combat or America take on the ‘world police’ role, but rather I am suggesting countries encourage Syrian rebels to fight for their territory as opposed to fleeing it.

By funding and creating shelters and bases inside Syria (for Syrian rebels, not foreign militaries), we can help rebuild Syrian liberation. Removing al-Assad from reign will only create another political vacuum that no nation is willing to bear. We must place the power into the people of Syria’s hands, allowing them to decide and navigate the future of their own country.