Are Syrian lives less worthy?

While trying to understand what is happening in our modern history and how the world is handling revolutions and fights for liberty, I find myself in front of a big question mark and no common sense, wisdom or intellect can help me understand. Didn't our ancestors fight for human rights, to reach for a life in peace and freedom with equal rights for all? By Sumou Al Nassea, Syrian activist.

From the "Human rights declaration": An equal and inalienable right of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world; human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom of fear, whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression.

Where is the credibility of these words when a fight for these exact rights is not supported, what phase did our civilisation reach where we acknowledge that chemical weapons are seen as a violation, and airplanes dropping bombs not; a nation being warned for an attempt to produce nuclear power, but not for sending arsenals of weapons and instructors and advisers to teach how to apply maximum destruction? To secure one nation's peace it is acceptable to scarify another nation, its children, mothers, elderly and defenseless.

We see international reactions but not enough sincere responses for the thousands being killed and tortured in Syria, a whole country going to ruin, millions of dislocated with no shelter or life essentials, a destroyed infrastructure. Isn't this cry for help something be considered, to be answered?

Are some human lives worthier than others? What makes some more valuable? Have we returned to a primitive stage in our civilisation? Are principles, values and ethics just tools to be twisted and moulded by some to serve their immoral goals for power and control? Are authorities blinded by their search for capital and resources or are they just following false ideologies? What standards of evaluation are applied? Is the courage to face vices disappearing?

Attempting to understand can easily lead us to despair, to maintain common sense we have to hope that humanity has a chance to survive, and an essential belief that good will always prevail.

I am appealing to all with a conscience to recognise, see, hear and speak, and to act contrary to the three monkey concept; to international and universal trustees to respect and protect human dignity, to seek and secure peace, to put an end to bloodshed and violence and reach out the helping hand so needed.

Video (graphic content): At least a dozen people, including children, were killed following an air strike on Salqin in Idlib on 1 October.