Gun Politics in North Syria (Right to Bear Arms)

Civilian ownership of firearms is completely prohibited in the Kingdom of North Syria, and only members of the army, police units and palace guards are ever allowed to own a firearm.

The policy of civilian disarmament came shortly after the formation of the Kingdom of North Syria. After it broke away from Bashar al Assad-rule Republic of Syria, King Fahad Abdul-Issam quickly passed the Peaceful Citizens Act, which completely banned all civilians from owning firearms. Abdul-Issam claimed that it was to promote a culture of peace and prove to the world that Muslims are a peaceful community.

Civilians were given one month to surrender all of their firearms and within that one-month span, the North Syrian goverment enacted many educational programs to encourage citizens to surrender their guns, and to discourage all gun culture from North Syria. As much as 10,031,311 firearms were collected and destroyed.

Former members of the North Syrian Coalition who opted not join the North Syrian Army also had to surrender their firearms.

The criminal charges for any citizen caught with a firearm is burdensom - including 1,000 lashes and possibly - beheading. The only exception for civilian firearms are antiques and replicas for museum owners, in which the triggers are removed.

Airsofts, BB, pellet and paintball guns are strictly regulated. Because of the cost and burden of the licensing, most owners of these imitation firearms mostly belong to the middle and upper class North Syrians.

History
When North Syria was recognized in 2012, King Fahad Abdul-Issam stated he needed to promote a culture of peace in North Syria, and not one of violence. His daughter, Princess Razia bint Fahad Abdul-Issam, along with many other North Syrian women were allowed to voice their opinions. Many of them suggested gun confiscation was necessarry to prevent more civil war and violence.

On November 3, 2013, before the Islamic New Year, King Fahad Abdul-Issam passed the Peaceful Citizens Act (Arabic: قانون المواطنين المسالمين) which not only encouraged integration with the West, but also that of gun confiscation in order to promote a culture of peace in the new Kingdom.

The North Syrian Army, formed out of the North Syrian Coalition announced that they would start confiscations after the Islamic New Year. On November 7, the confiscations started. Princess Razia bint Fahad, led the Education Against Violence (Arabic: التعليم ضد العنف) a nationwide program meant to encourage citizens to surrender their guns and discourage them from owning one.

About a total of 10,031,311 guns were confiscated, mostly AK-47s and a couple thousands of M4-A1s. Any North Syrian Coalition member that chose not to became part of the new Kingdom's armed forces (an option made upon the Kingdom's formation), were required to surrendered their guns as well.

Air rifles, BB guns and imitation firearms laws
After the ban, the North Syrian government also started to restrict the ownership of air rifles, BB guns and such toys that may resemble a firearm. The policy on air rifles and BB guns were stated in the Peaceful Citizens Act, and a series of rules and laws were laid out, and all types of licenses are required for airsofts and BB weapons.

The North Syrian government also enacted many educational programs meant to discourage citizens from buying "toys of terror", and showing people the dangers of owning an airsoft gun, BB gun and to convince people the type of violence it encourages.

All airsoft and BB guns had be registered with the local police of each town. Any person wishing to purchase an airsoft or BB gun had to take a physical and mental examinations, go through a background check and have references from family members stating that he/she is sane enough to carry it.

After that, either a Type 1 Permit to Own or Type 2 Permit to Own (depending on what kind of gun) would be issued to the applicant in which the person can then visit an airsoft or BB sporting store and make a purchase. All sales and transections are strictly recorded, and sent to the police units.

A Permit to Own would allow an owner to have their BB gun or airsoft in their house as well as to into an airsoft shooting range - the only place an airsoft or BB gun is ever allowed outside of the home.

An airsoft or BB gun in the home must safely be stored and locked in a safe, vault or a locker. Ammunition must be stored separately. When in the car, the weapon must be made inoperable, and the magazine and ammunition must be in a different compartment of a vehicle. All entrants into the shooting range are carded, and their BB weapons are checked. Visitors to a shooting range cannot load their weapon outside the shooting area.

Because airsoft guns contain an orange tip, they are not required to be concealed. However, because of BB and pellet guns do not, they are also required to be locked in a container.

Gun classifications
Different types of imitation firearms are classified into two groups, Type 1 and Type 2.

Type 1 Class
Type 1 imitation firearms include airsoft guns that either spring-loaded or electric-powered, and made of plastic and contain an orange tip at the barrel and fire plastic pellets. This is often known as the "light class".

Type 2 Class
Type 2 imitation firearms includes BB guns, pellet guns, paintball guns and airsoft weapons that are made of metal and gas-powered. Any high-capacity and gas-powered weapon belongs to a Type 2, regardless of whether it is plastic or metal. Type 2 also fires metal pellets.

License classifications
Different types of imitation firearms required different licenses, and each license may take longer than others.

Type 1 Permit to Own
A Type 1 Permit to Own allows an applicant to purchase and own airsoft weapons that are spring or electric-operated plastic airsoft guns, that contain an orange tip at the end. When transporting the airsoft gun to a range, it is not required that the gun be hidden or out of sight, and must be separated from the ammunition regardless of whether is visible or not.

Holders of a Type 1 Permit to Own can only purchase plastic pellets, and may not purchase metal pellets or paintball ammunition.

A person filing for a Type 1 Permit to Own must take an airsoft shooting class, educational courses, a minor background check for any mental illnesses and a reference from one family member confirming that the person is sane enough to hold and operate an airsoft gun. There is also a two-week waiting period in between.

Type 2 Permit to Own
A Type 2 Permit to Own takes a much more stringent process, and a 28-day mandatory waiting period is implemented. A Type 2 Permit to Own allows an applicant to purchase metal and gas-powered airsoft guns, BB guns, pellet guns and paintball guns.

In order to obtain a Type 2 permit, an applicant must go through a thorough background check, a physical and a written test. The person must also swear an oath both on video, and sign a paper stating that he/she will never use the weapon for harm and only for sporting purposes. Unlike the Type 1 permit which only requires one reference from family members, Type 2 applicants require that of a minimum of three family members as points of references, and each reference is to be interviewed by a member of the police, army or an operator of a shooting range.

Rental Permits
North Syrian citizens are allowed to rent imitation guns for sporting use via the acquiring of a Rental Permit. These can be obtained either from a police station, or a sporting store that sells imitation sporting weapons.

A Rental Permit allows a person to rent an imitation firearm from any store, up to that store's closing. Holders of Rental Permits are not allowed to store the weapon in their homes. The person renting must return the imitation firearm or paintball gun to the store owner before it closes or they will be charged with illegal possession of an imitation weapon, and imprisoned. Applicants are required to record the location of the range of where they plan to fire their rented weapon.

There are two types of licenses, either a Temporary Rental Permit or a License to Rent. Temporary permits usually are valid for up to 48 hours. Licenses to rent do not expire.

The requirements to applying for a Rental Permit vary from the source. Usually, applicants are only required to show identification, as well as a minor background check. Rental licenses often required the same steps as a Type 1 Permit to Own, though the License to Rent is issued the same day and there is no waiting period.

Shooting competitions
Although North Syria has shooting competitions for airsoft, BB, pellet gun and paintball owners - it is highly discouraged. Also, team names are required by law to be simple (ex. Team A, Team B, Team 1, Team 2) and cannot bear any name of any meaning. King Abdul-Issam claims that it may encourage youth to establish militant groups.

Antiques and Replicas
There is only one exception as to who can attain firearms, and those are museum owners and operators. In this case, a License to Display is issued in which allows museum owners to acquire firearms, only for display.

The firearm must have its trigger removed by a member of the police or the armed forces, the weapon rendered useless. Then, it can be displayed for the public.