Tagged: middle east

The Red Cross announced Sunday that the conflict in Syria has now reached the level of civil war. The declaration means international humanitarian law now applies throughout the country, and is the responsibility of all parties, whether rebel or government.

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

And I'm Steve Inskeep.

From the America Abroad series: The Middle East is largely Muslim but it’s also the birthplace of Christianity, Judaism, and many other religions. Many non-Muslims have left in recent decades, leaving relatively small populations of non-Muslims and Muslim minority sects.

Now, the rise of Islamist political parties in the Mideast raises questions about the rights and protections such minorities can expect or whether they can expect them at all.

Go here for more information on this series.

UN special envoy Kofi Annan was back in Syria on Monday for more peace talks, which he deemed "constructive." But he recently said UN efforts to end the violence haven't succeeded and may never succeed. Attacks were reported in Homs and Dara over the weekend. Guest host Maria Hinojosa gets an update from Amnesty International's Donatella Rovera.