World is One

It would be difficult to find a person anywhere in the world with access to news who has not seen or read about the shocking state of Syria in the past several years - its people and the country itself. Images of the dead, people fleeing continual war, children in varying states of shock, cities reduced to rubble and other unimaginable horrors. There are no signs of the conflicts ending or country returning to normal anytime soon.

Many million Syrian have lost some or all of their families; been forced to flee and as refugees, look to rebuild their lives elsewhere. There is no going back to a country in ruins and no knowing what lies ahead.

India has not broken ties with Syria. President Bashar al Assad has said that India is welcome to play a role in the reconstruction of his country. This advertisement is in a major daily Indian newspaper for a program that the World is One Network is broadcasting tonight of Mr Assad's talk on Trump, terrorism and other hot topics.

World is one? It is unthinkable in western countries which are highly critical of his regime that Assad would be invited to speak or his ideas be broadcast on national television as having any credibility or value.