Several huge events occurred or began this past summer, including several violent conflicts that continue to shape history. Of the most important and infamous, the ISIS militant group has killed 5,500 civilians, Gaza and Israel went to war again, Ferguson has experienced anarchy stemming from racial controversy, and international rivals met face to face on the soccer field for the 20th annual World Cup.
ISIS, which stands for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, is a Jihadist and Sunni extremist group in the Middle East. This summer, the terrorist group has seen considerable militaristic success. But aside from waging war on the battlefield, the United Nations (UN) reported that the group has killed over 5,500 civilians in six months. The UN also reports that 11,665 people have been wounded since the start of the year, and another 1.2 million have been forcibly displaced from their homes. The group has also committed many crimes, including sexual violence against women and young girls, kidnappings, targeted assassinations, and beheading women and children for public viewings. The people being targeted by ISIS are either of religious or ethnic minorities, including Christians, Kurds, as well as the Yazidi people, one of Iraq’s oldest minority groups. The violence in this region is far from over and the religious conflict in this area dates back to fourteen hundred years ago due to several discrepancies regarding religious beliefs and leaders, as well as land ownership.
Another conflict arose in the Middle East this summer when three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped and killed. Israel turned to Gaza-based militant groups, one being Hamas, to blame. As tension continued to rise, the kidnappings spiraled into an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza as well as a manhunt in Palestinian territory for the certain members of Hamas that are believed to have killed the teenagers. A cease fire finally ended the devastating seven week war on Aug. 26, with a truce that is essentially a retread of the one signed after the last Gaza war in 2012. Throughout the course of the war, over 2,100 Palestinians were killed, most of them civilians. Additionally, more than 11,000 people were injured. According to The Guardian, approximately a third of Gaza’s 1.8 million have been displaced, many now living in United Nations shelters. This conflict stems mostly from a much wider Israeli-Palestinian problem; this is not the first time that they have been at war.
Aside from international instances of violence, one conflict that strikes close to home is the violence and rioting in Ferguson, Missouri, a St. Louis suburb. This is the location where an African American teenager, Michael Brown, was shot and killed by white Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson. The conflict escalated when the autopsy showed that Brown was shot several times on the top of his head. Based on this information, Brown’s defense attorney claims that Brown was shot with his hands in the air to show that he was unarmed.However, the opposing side has countered that Brown had attacked the officer in his car and was attempting to take his gun. Outraged protesters have clashed with the police force in countless acts of violence from both sides. Protests resulted in fires, looted stores, and vandalism, while police have countered with armored vehicles, shields, and tear gas. No reports have been made as to whether or not the conflict is being resolved.
On a much lighter note, from June 12 to July 13, the FIFA World Cup was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The soccer tournament occurred over a span of 32 days in which the national teams of 32 countries competed, and only one team emerged victorious. This year, Germany took the prize by beating Argentina 1-0 in the championship game, becoming the first European team to win the World Cup that was hosted in the Americas. Mario Gotze scored what has been termed “the Golden Goal” by taking a chance and firing the ball into a far corner. Germany was also awarded $35 million by FIFA as well as the sought after World Cup trophy, of course. The most controversial occurrence in the tournament was when the Uruguay striker Luis Suárez was suspended after biting the Italian defender, Giorgio Chiellini.
