In March 2011, a group of young boys, painted in graffiti style, “The people want to bring down the regime,” in Deraa, Syria. Excited by the revolutions taking place throughout the region, these children, under the age of eighteen, were arrested by the Syrian government. Instead of being treated as juveniles, they were held and abused by their own government. They were returned to their families bruised, beaten, and missing fingernails.
After almost 50 years of “emergency laws” in Syria, the people chose to peacefully rise up and demand an end to government corruption, injustice, and tyranny. When these basic requests were met with bullets, the people insisted on a transition to democracy. The Syrian government retaliated with more intimidation, arrest, torture, and killings. The international community responded through sanctions and isolation of the Syrian government. The government of Syria claims these events are orchestrated by outside adversaries, but the question remains, why is the Syrian government so afraid of democracy? If President Assad believes these events are being initiated by hostile forces outside of Syria, why not hold democratic elections and see who the Syrian citizen’s vote for? The truth is, the Syrian government operates as a mafia system, centered on greed, control, and deceit.
With the Atlanta region being home to many Syrian Americans of all faiths, the local community felt compelled to support the citizens of Syria. As such, we initiated contact with the national office of the Syrian American Council and inquired about starting a chapter in Georgia. We wanted to be a local voice for those being oppressed by the Assad regime. Although Syria is nearly 6,500 miles away, many of us in this state have families who have been directly impacted by the democracy and freedom movement currently taking place in Syria.
As such, the Syrian community of Georgia started a local chapter of the Syrian American Council (SAC). SAC is a grassroots organization devoted to promoting educational, civic, economic, and human development throughout Syria. Additionally, it aspires to build bridges of understanding and cooperation between American and Syrian people and institutions. More detailed information about SAC can be found at www.sacouncil.com.
Although SAC Georgia is still in its infancy, we have been very proactive in our activities. Besides our ongoing membership drive, we are working to establish relationships with policy makers throughout Georgia. SAC Georgia is working on educating the community about current events in Syria, while at the same time creating dialogue with our local, state, and federal government representatives. Whether it is assisting the refugees who have taken shelter in neighboring Turkey, holding town hall meetings in metro Atlanta, or advocating on behalf of Syria, we look forward to introducing ourselves to all of you and building necessary relationships needed to make positive change.
In the meantime, if you are interested in learning more about SAC Georgia, visit www.sacouncil.com for additional information.
