The Syrian crisis was always going to be different than what we all witnessed in Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen thus far. Every country has its own nuances that render it a unique case. One of the glaring characteristics of the current Syrian conflict is to do with its sectarian fault lines.
Syrians like me have always been apprehensive about discussing our sectarian and religious differences. Indeed, the subject matter has been taboo in Syrian society.
Like it or not, it is clear that this crisis has been taking on an undeniable sectarian character. While this is not surprising, I feel compelled to share a personal experience with the many Syrian readers of this note:
Back in 2010, I had read about “The Genographic Project”. This was a collaborative effort by National Geographic, IBM and the Waitt Family Foundation. For a fee, a person’s DNA results will be identified. The task will then involve finding out which branch on the Human family tree this person belongs to. Naturally, I was skeptical at first. In the end, I decided to participate in the project with my brother. I would track my paternal ancestors while he would track our maternal side (each person can only choose one). With a simple swab from our cheeks and a 9-digit number to identify us we were promised an answer within six weeks...
http://www.joshualandis.com/blog/?p=13149