chicagomuslim

Syrian-American Doctors Head To The Battle Zone

2012-11-01T03:30:00.002-05:00

Syrian-American Doctors Head To The Battle Zone
October 1, 2012
As Syrian war planes bomb towns and villages held by anti-government rebels, a group of Syrian-American doctors is quietly providing medical aid inside Syria.
The Syrian American Medical Society, or SAMS, has a long track record of supporting health care in Syria.
But as Syria's 18-month revolt has grown more lethal, these Syrian-American doctors have sided with the revolution and undertaken risky work delivering medicines and volunteering in field hospitals.
Dr. Zaher Sahloul, a pulmonary specialist from Chicago, is on his fifth medical mission to Syria — a mission that requires skills he didn't learn in medical school, like the heart-pounding dash across the Turkish border into Syria and back.
"Never in my dreams I expected to sneak to the border three times and have the border guards shouting at me," he says.
Medical school didn't prepare him for creeping through holes in barbed-wire fence, smugglers urging him on, or for sneaking into the mountains at night and walking for three hours.
He's done all of these things to get to Syrian field hospitals and clinics.
"I think this is part of the reality now in Syria for physicians trying to help, especially if they are from the outside," he says.
But Sahloul is hardly an outsider: He graduated first in his class from medical school in Damascus. He was also a classmate of Syria's president, Bashar Assad, who worked as an army doctor and studied ophthalmology in London before he became Syria's leader.

EnlargeDeborah Amos/NPRDr. Zaher Sahloul (right) speaks with local staff at a field hospital in Aldana. Sahloul, a pulmonary specialist from Chicago, attended medical school with Syrian President Bashar Assad and is on his fifth medical mission to Syria.

Deborah Amos/NPR

Dr. Zaher Sahloul (right) speaks with local staff at a field hospital in Aldana. Sahloul, a pulmonary specialist from Chicago, attended medical school with Syrian President Bashar Assad and is on his fifth medical mission to Syria.

Does Sahloul think his famous classmate knows what the doctors are doing?
"Probably he knows that the Syrian American Medical Society is doing a lot of medical relief work among the people he is trying to hurt," Sahloul says.
A Field Hospital Under Stress
When he arrives in the northern Syrian town of Aldana, close to the Turkish border, and pulls up to the hospital, the staff is lined up to welcome Sahloul.
Everyone looks tired. Medical supplies are scarce, and the casualties are rising. The wounded come by taxi, in cars and on foot.
Surrounding towns and villages are within range of the Syrian military's long-distance artillery and airstrikes, the head surgeon tells Sahloul.
During the last battle, Sahloul says, 110 wounded came to the hospital — which has only 10 beds. The rest went to Turkey.
Patients are dying as a result, because Turkish hospitals are too far away. The doctors urge Sahloul to help expand this hospital to save more lives.
Dr. Iyad — he gives his first name only — another Syrian-American working at the Aldana field hospital, is on break from his work at a hospital in Tennessee.
"We see a lot of shrapnel, really bad shrapnel injuries," he says. "You see these small metallic shrapnel, like little flying knives, literally. We've certainly seen a few deaths out of these."

EnlargeZaher SahloulThis 24-year-old Syrian woman from Homs was evacuated through the sewer system — which resulted in badly infected wounds — to a rehabilitation center in southern Turkey. She has had several surgeries to her abdomen and leg; her left arm was amputated.

This 24-year-old Syrian woman from Homs was evacuated through the sewer system — which resulted in badly infected wounds — to a rehabilitation center in southern Turkey. She has had several surgeries to her abdomen and leg; her left arm was amputated.

He volunteered to work in Aldana after rebels took control of the town. Iyad thinks the town, for the moment at least, is relatively safe.
"I mean if you spend the night here, you can hear the bombing all the time, some of them are near, some a bit further, but relatively safe," he says.
Dr. Sahloul agrees.
"This is the safest area I've seen south of the Turkish border," he says.
A Place To Rebuild?
The Syrian army is too stretched fighting rebels elsewhere to try to retake Aldana. On the drive out of town, the doctor's car passes open barbershops and restaurants, children playing in the streets.
Sahloul sees a place to rebuild, here in these "relatively safe" Syrian towns that hug the frontier where the Turkish military provides unofficial cover. Syrian doctors who fled the country could come back to work here.
"Many of them already want to come back to Syria and want to volunteer ... in Syria. Some of them may serve in the emergency room, especially if it is relatively safe," he says.
Doctors have a special place in Syrian society — they're the top graduates, the cream of the crop, natural leaders — so it's natural they were an early target of the regime when the revolution began, Sahloul says. At least 60 physicians have been killed, and more than 200 arrested, he says. And Syrian's health care system, one of the best in the Middle East, is near collapse.
"Hospitals are being targeted, patients are pulled from the operating room, patients are being tortured inside the hospitals," Sahloul says.
Many doctors fled to Turkey and are caring for a refugee population that has overwhelmed the Turkish health care system

A Country In Critical Condition
At a rehabilitation center in southern Turkey, a patient bears his pain in silence as a doctor bandages the stump of his leg, recently amputated below the knee. Syrian doctors run the facility, which is funded by a Syrian businessman in the Gulf.
The medical staff all fled Syria under threat, says Dr. Ammar Martini, who heads the center. When protests broke out in his hometown, Idlib, security police ordered doctors to withhold treatment from anyone shot on the streets.
"Three or four times, they told me, it is not allowed for you to treat any wounded person," Martini recalls. He says he left when he began to feel he would be killed for doing his work.
Now, he can offer long-term care for patients from protest towns under fierce army shelling across Syria: Idlib, Hama, Homs.
Dr. Sahloul is visiting the new center. He stops by the bed of a young woman from Homs. She tells him she waited days for treatment, smuggled out of the besieged city through a sewage pipe, her wounds badly infected during the long ordeal. His physician's composure slips for a moment as he surveys her damaged body.
"She was shelled by a missile, to her left arm and her left side, as you see, she has several surgeries on her belly and her left leg, and her left arm was amputated," Sahloul says of the 24-year-old woman.
Rebuilding Syria's shattered health care system is one of the biggest challenges ahead. Treating the wounded inside Syria is his immediate concern.
"We learn in medical school and training how to deal with crisis, how to deal with patients who are in the intensive care unit," he says. "Right now, Syria is in crisis, is in critical condition."
It's a critical condition caused by his old medical school classmate, Assad, he says. But Sahloul is convinced this is a turning point in the revolution, as rebels take more territory across the country. It is time now for the doctors to go back.

What did CIOGC do for me?

2012-10-31T18:54:00.005-05:00

You may ask yourself, why should I support the Council. I don't have to tell you about the importance of unity, working together with all Muslims for the common good, having a balanced and strong voice in the media, getting our community involved at the local and State levels, defending our rights and combating Islamophobia smartly and presenting a strong and positive image of Muslims to public officials, law enforcement and faith leaders. If all of that is not enough here are 35 reasons that may touch your heart. I invite you to be there on Saturday and support your council, purchase your ticket online at http://www.ciogcunity.com

Council Chair addresses crowds rallying for victims of the Gaza Flotilla

I am honored to be among you today here in Chicago speaking out in support of the innocent victims of the terrorist act of the state of Israel that happened yesterday under the watchful eyes of the world.
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655149

A Call to Action for Gaza

a letter to the community from Zaher Sahloul on Gaza
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7654715

The Council Condemns Israel's Massacre of Palestinians in Gaza

A Council Statement condemning Israel's assault on the people of Gaza
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7654709

Muslims join protest condemning massacre of aid flotilla carrying humanitarian goods to Gaza

Hundreds of people joined a rally in front of the Israeli Consulate Tuesday evening to protest the 62 year Israeli occupation of Palestine. The rally came two days after a flotilla of six ships carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza was attacked by the Israeli Army on international waters, killing dozens of activists.
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655143

An Optimistic Civic Agenda For Illinois Muslims

In the past month, the Council has been very busy at different levels advancing the causes of the Muslim community. We have been building more
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655103

Solemn Funeral Procession for Gaza Victims

Christian Peacemaker Teams are holding a "Solemn Funeral Procession" from Federal Plaza to the Boeing headquarters in downtown Chicago on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (1/19/09). It is an action intended to remember the hundreds upon hundreds of children and the other innocent civilians totaling over 1000 killed by Israeli attacks on Gaza.
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7654725

Gaza Vigil in Oak Park

On this coming Monday - January 19th - the Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine [CJPIP - www.cjpip.org] invites our friends and neighbors to join us in Oak Park for a vigil calling for the immediate end to the bombing, invasion, and siege of Gaza.
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7654721

Call for Justice for Trayvon Martin and END to Inner-City Violence

Calls for Justice
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655467

Hearing on Ending Racial Profiling In America

U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE CONSTITUTION, CIVIL RIGHTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655431

The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC) congratulates the people of Egypt

The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC) congratulates the people of Egypt
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655511

Forty years of dictatorship comes to an end: Chicagoland Muslims celebrate Libyan liberation

(Chicago, 8/21/11) - The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC) congratulates the people of Libya on their victory from the regime of Colonel Moammar Al-Gadhafi.
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655425

CIOGC supports the people of Libya and condemns crimes against civilian demonstrators The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago is very concerned about the recent developments and the use of violence against demonstrators in many areas in the Middle East, especially in Libya.
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655397

American-Muslims saddened and outraged by killing of innocent Afghan civilians

The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (the Council) is saddened by the senseless killing of hundreds of innocent Afghani civilians resulting directly from last Friday’s predawn airstrike on two hijacked fuel tankers in northern Afghanistan city of Kunduz. The Council conveys its deepest sympathies and prayers for the victims and their families.
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7654971

CIOGC supports the people of Syria and Yemen's right to freedom and denounces limiting access to medical treatment for those injured CIOGC supports the people of Syria and Yemen's right to freedom and denounces limiting access to medical treatment for those injured
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655407

CIOGC congratulates the Egyptian people on this historic day

CIOGC congratulates the Egyptian people on this historic day
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655391

Message from the Chair about the historic events in Egypt

Message from the Chair about the historic events in Egypt
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655389

Illinois Muslims Saddened by Quran Burning Incident and Related Violence in Afghanistan

Illinois Muslims Saddened by Quran Burning Incident and Related Violence in Afghanistan
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655485

Urgent Action Alert

Stop Detentions of US Citizens for Life Without a Trial
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655463

Malala Yousufzai

This morning in Chicago, many of our daughters went to school in peace and with freedom. While we rested in the comfort of our democracy, a young girl at the tender age of 14 was shot brutally in the head and neck for the simple act of being a student and wanting an education.
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655543

Pakistan still needs your support and dua

Last month, I went to Pakistan with a delegation from Islamic Relief USA to see how people were coping after floods left millions homeless and more than 21 million people affected. Among the many people I met was Hajera.
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655337

Pakistan flood victims need your help: 1,500 dead and 4 million homeless

The Council is urging the Illinois Muslim community and its friends and neighbors to help in relief efforts after Pakistan’s flood toll has escalated over the past few days. Severe rains and an inadequate crisis management system has left more than 4 million people homeless and 1,500 dead by conservative estimates.
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655233

400,000 affected by severe Pakistan flood

Nearly 400,000 people are stranded in villages in Pakistan after the deadliest flood in 8- years claimed more than 400 lives on July 30. Monsoon rains and ill-equipped crisis management systems have hampered efforts to reach survivors in villages that are literally being washed away.
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655221

CIOGC denounces killing of UN workers in Afghanistan

The Council of Islamic denounced the senseless murder of UN workers in Afghanistan and called the continued violence in response to the Quran burning in Florida unjustified.
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655405

CIOGC condemns the hate-murders in France and calls for solidarity

CIOGC condemns the hate-murders in France and calls for solidarity
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655475

More than 500 attend 2010 CIOGC-MPAC-IR Conference

Chicagoans and out-of-towners, young and old, men and women, teachers and CEO’s, Board Members and activists made up the more than 500 people that attended the 2010 CIOGC-MPAC-IR Conference on October 24 at the Rosemont Convention Center. The banquet at the end of the conference also had around 400 guests who stayed to listen to the dynamic Dr. Maher Hathout, senior advisor at MPAC.
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655317

Make Your Voice Heard

A few weeks ago, a friend of the community asked me to respond to an outrageous article pertaining to Islam and Muslims. To my surprise, many within our community would rather ignore and dismiss the article rather than address the flagrant accusations.
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655175

United Methodists vote to divest from Caterpillar and other companies benefitting from occupation

At its annual conference, the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) of the United Methodist Church (UMC) voted to divest all holdings in three international corporations that profit from the occupation of Palestine.
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655165

Friday Prayer & Rally for Syria

Friday Prayer & Rally for Syria
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655503

Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago strongly condemns the massacre in Houla

Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago strongly condemns the massacre in Houla
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655501

CIOGC Condemns Syrian Government Brutality and Urge Support for Arab League

CIOGC Condemns Syrian Government Brutality and Urge Support for Arab League
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655493

CIOGC Calls for Day of Prayer for Syria and Urge Greater Action by Obama Administration

CIOGC Calls for Day of Prayer for Syria and Urge Greater Action by Obama Administration
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655491

Day of Prayer for Syria

33 local Islamic institutions will dedicate their Friday services to prayer for the besieged civilians in Syria
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655489

CIOGC AND FAITH BASED GROUPS SUPPORT VICTIMS OF SYRIAN GOVERNMENT BRUTALITY

CIOGC AND FAITH BASED GROUPS SUPPORT VICTIMS OF SYRIAN GOVERNMENT BRUTALITY
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655487

CIOGC AND DIVERSE INTERFAITH GROUPS SUPPORT VICTIMS OF SYRIAN GOVERNMENT BRUTALITY

CIOGC AND DIVERSE INTERFAITH GROUPS SUPPORT VICTIMS OF SYRIAN GOVERNMENT BRUTALITY
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655483

Council successfully mobilizes Muslims to Get Out the Vote on Election Day!

Council successfully mobilizes Muslims to Get Out the Vote on Election Day!
http://www.ciogc.org/Go.aspx?link=7655325

The Prophetic Guide on Responding to Anti-Islam Attacks, for "Muslims"

2012-09-24T14:30:00.000-05:00

Since the beginning of Prophet Mohammad message, he was exposed to non-stop campaigns to assassinate his character and to cast doubt on his personality. More importantly the goal was to discredit the revelation he carried. The Holy Quran actually recorded these accusations in a systematic and clear way and offered a step by step rational response to such arguments. Nowhere in the Holy Quran there were calls to face these ludicrous charges by violence, killing or riots. Nowhere in the tradition of the prophet, that he responded to similar or much worse accusations, with violence, threats or killing of innocent people.

The Quran responded to these offensive charges by clear rational arguments that are directed to the accusers, the neutral bystanders and to the community of the believers.

The recent Anti-Prophet YouTube trailer is not different than what has been said about the prophet in the last 14 centuries and it will not be the last. Such campaigns are meant to generate publicity and also reactions from Muslim groups, and unfortunately they are accomplishing their goals.

Typically, out of proportion emotional reactions or politically orchestrated campaigns are becoming the predictable response to Anti-Islam provocations. The rational voice of the majority and the prophetic model of patience and tolerance are buried within the angry shouting of scary bearded men.

It all started in Mecca about 14 centuries ago, when Mohammad “the honest and the trustworthy” started preaching the message of Islam that was revealed to him by the angel Gabriel to the people of Mecca. The Meccans worshiped different Gods or idols, and they believed that these idols interceded between them and the higher God. They also had a corrupt social class system, where the dominant families exploited slaves, women, immigrants and minorities.

The message of Islam was simple but powerful: believing in one unique, independent, merciful, just, loving and indivisible God and submitting to Him completely. It meant also freeing oneself from the oppression of other creation and liberating oneself from the diseases of the heart while resetting one’s soul to the original pure unburdened form (called fitra). To be Muslim meant to be balanced, to be engaged and to take responsibility in order to change life for everyone to the better.

The Meccans wanted to keep the status quo; they wanted to keep the same Political system, where few powerful families and their allies control the rest of the society and its resources. They also did not want to change what they were raised on. Islam was not a mere set of rituals, they concluded, but it was a liberating and powerful ideology that will force them to surrender their privileges and agree to share power with their slaves, women and the poor. They waged relentless war against the “Prophet” accusing him of madness, lying, sorcery and fabrication. They hired street gangs to follow him and make fun of him while he was preaching and hired poets to write poems attacking him. His response was to ignore the noise, smile back to them, argue with them with reason and tenderness, forgive them, keep preaching and teaching the truth, and focusing on the message.

The prophet and the truth prevailed. By the time the prophet Mohammad died 23 years after the first revelation, most of Arabia subscribed to the simple old new faith called Islam, or “submission to the Creator”.

The fast spread of Islam throughout the old world in the following 14 centuries, generated predicted reactions from the old religious and political establishments. There were concerted efforts to discredit the new old message, the true monotheism, by attacking its two Foundations; the Prophet and the Holy Book. Thousands of books were written by religious scholars, academics, historians and authors to dissect every aspect of the life of Mohammed and to discredit every aspect of the Quran. Prophet Mohammad was subjected to character assassination that is unparalleled in history under the disguise of academic research, religious scholarship, pure hatred and more recently freedom of speech and reason. John of Damascus, Dante, Martin Luther and more recently Bernard Luis, Salman Rushdie, Jerry Falwell, Franklin Graham and Pope Benedict XVI are few names of famous people in their fields who tried to tarnish the image of the Prophet intentionally or unintentionally.

The Prophet was accused of being a womanizer, mentally ill, having seizures, devilish, idol worshipper, cruel and ruthless, a mere great leader, fabricator of the Quran aided by secret Christian or Jewish scholars and more recently of being a terrorist. But un spite of the relentless campaigns against the Quran and against the Prophet Mohammad, throughout the history, the love of the prophet continued to grow in the hearts of the believers and his character proved to be resilent to attacks.

Prophet Mohammad was the perfect embodiment of Islam and a living Quran. He was as the Quran describes him “Mercy to mankind”. He was pious but understanding of other people’s limitations, nonjudgmental, warm, gentle, humble, loving, brave, witty and very accommodating. When a Bedouin swore at him and pulled him from his shirt in front of his companions, asking him to pay his debt, he smiled and asked the astonished companions to be patient with the Bedouin, and apologized for not paying his loan on time. When a man came to the Mosque and urinated publically, he told the companions to wash the place, and “let the man finish” and then advised him nicely that the place is for prayer and it should be kept clean and pure. When the women in Medina asked him to designate special time to teach them about Islam because men where taking closer seats to him at the Mosque before the time of the microphone, he did. When an old unknown woman stopped him while he was among his close companions, he paid her all attention and listened to her concerns. He cried when his wife Khadija, his daughter Zaynab and his son Ibrahim died and suffered from pain, fever and headache. He once told a man who said that he does not hug or kiss his children “you are heartless”. His diet was simple and he did not eat meat for days. He was a family man, lived very simple life and spent his time doing house chores when he was not attending to the issues of the community. His house was a simple room built of mud, and barely accommodated two persons. He slept on an old hard rug that left dents on his side. He forgave his enemies, even one who killed his own uncle and desecrated the dead body of Hamza. He listened to the advice of his wife and his companions and admitted his own limitations in issues not related to faith or revelation. He had a beautiful smile, brushed his teeth frequently, wore clean but simple clothing and used perfume frequently. He joked with his family and connected to children and youth and joked with them. He told men to honor women and not to abuse them. One of his last words to the community was to treat women fairly. He was a role model not only to Muslims but for to whole humanity.

Our simple response to “Anti-Prophet Movie" and any predictable future attacks at the Prophet or Islam is not to react with anger, not to demonstrate, riot, kill or burn flags or books, not to ban journals or products from offending countries. Our prophetic response is to be patient, to reflect, to smile, to forgive, to pray for the culprits, to tell other people about our Prophet and to be Like the Prophet.

Heroic Tales, Pictures and Videos from the New Syria

2012-09-24T13:00:00.000-05:00

Recently, as part of assessing the humanitarian situation inside the "liberated" areas in Syria along the Turkish border, I had three adventurous but eye-opening visits to inside Syria to the Northern Latakia (Jabal Alakrad) area through Yaliadaghi border area (Baison crossing) and to Northwestern Idlib through Reyhaneyya border area (Bab Alhawa crossing).

I also met with local Syrian, Arab and International doctors and humanitarian organizations in Antakya (Hatay province in Turkey) who are trying their best to deal with the unfolding humanitarian crisis with limited resources and coordination.

I met with local doctors working in field hospitals and medical units, foreign volunteers working with International humanitarian organizations, local administrators, local citizens from Idlib and Jabal Alakrad, local doctors from Latakia, Idlib and different villages in the liberated areas. They were very frank and wanted the world to listen to their stories. The situation in the newly liberated areas under the control of the opposition is catastrophic and expected to get worse in the coming months. The International community and Syrian neighbors are not paying enough attention to the ordeal of the average Syrian person in the liberated villages and cities and only paying lib service to the crisis in Syria.

Unless Syria's neighbors and global power take the situation in Syria more seriously, Syria will become another failing state and the whole region will be engulfed by sectarian war that will endanger the whole world.

In the next few weeks I will be writing about my observations including pictures and videos of people from liberated Syria and what they are doing to deal with the new realities on the ground.

Let me start by describing the new realities on the groun in these liberated area along the Turkish Syrian border.

These areas have several characteristics:

Located south of the Turkish-Syrian border
All border crossings between Syria and Turkey and between Syria and Iraq are controlled by the Syrian opposition
The liberated area is contiguous
The frontline is moving south slowly
Many cities and population centers are under the control of the opposition in these liberated areas in Northern Latakia, Idlib, Aleppo, Der Alzoir, Al-Rakka, Al-Bokamal and Al-Hasaka provinces
Major cities like Aleppo is slowly becoming under the control of the opposition
The humanitarian and medical situation is very critical in the liberated areas and there is shortage of fuel, cooking gas, electricity, flour, baby formula, medications and other necessities. Large numbers of wounded and injured are being transported for treatment in Turkish hospitals due to lack of capacity inside liberated areas and shortage of surgeons, hospitals, medical supplies and medications. Many patients are dying or suffering from unnecessary complications due to delay in transportation or at the border. There are no mobile surgical hospitals are dedicated ambulances at border crossings to treat or transport these patients.
There are many administrative and governing bodies that are running the affairs of these areas which are either military, mixed military-civilian or civilian in nature
These areas are still under bombardment by air and from remaining military posts of the regime except the cities and villages that are right on the border with Tukey (Otma, Al-Dana, Ras Alhosn in Idlib for example)
The basic needs have to be smuggled from Turkey or from inside Syria and there is no significant presence of humanitarian organizations
The humanitarian situation is expected to get much worse in the winter
There is large influx of IDPs and refugees to Turkey from areas at the front-lines and areas under shelling and bombardment. Thousands of refugees are stuck at the border in very poor situation (at Otma in Idlib) trying to enter the Turkish territories and not allowed by the Turkish authorities because of the current capacity of the refugee camps. Turkey is building new camps to accommodate the new refugees.
There is critical shortage of funding in the liberated areas

O' Children of Syria, I have No Words

2012-08-27T01:38:00.000-05:00

O' Children of Syria, I have no more words to say

We failed you

We killed you by our silence

We killed you by our futility

We killed you by our bickering

We killed you by our hypocrisy

We killed you by our naiveté

We turned a blind eye on your suffering

We just watched, analyzed and rallied

We just screamed, bluffed and sang revolution songs

We waved the new flag, chanted and gossiped

We said that the revolution needs sacrifices

We said that victory needs sacrifices

We said that the people need to sacrifice

We meant your sacrifices, not ours

We meant your lives, not ours

We meant your innocent souls, not our guilty ones

We will still live in our luxury homes

While you live in a tent

We will still go to exotic vacations

While you are asked to suffer

We will still eat gourmet and organic meals

While you eat hard bread and garbage

We will still have total body massage

While you are tortured by the beast

We will still drive our luxury cars

While you are buried in the darkness

Alone

Cold

Scared

And bitter

Bitter at those who promised you and left you hanging

Bitter at those who wrote the slogans that you were asked to sing

Bitter at those who raised your hope and hung you out to dry

Bitter at those who recorded you crying in YouTube

Bitter at those who exposed your dead bodies as a proof of the crime

Bitter at those who hailed your death so they can have their safe zones

Bitter at those who wished your death so they can force the arm of our “friends”

Bitter at those who abandoned you when you needed them

O’ yes, we did sent few dollars

So you can buy milk for one day

So you can buy bread for one day

So you can have a toy in you tent

So you can have an extra blanket in the harsh desert night

We are so sorry O’ little ones

We are so sorry O’ children of Syria

We failed you

2012-08-20T00:24:00.001-05:00

Chicago Muslim leader reflects as holy month ends

Muslim leader reflects, celebrates as holy month ends

By Manya A. Brachear
8:30 PM CDT, August 19, 2012

For Dr. Zaher Sahloul, the holy month of Ramadan has tested his strength and recharged his spirit.

Gathering with thousands of other Muslims in Bridgeview’s Toyota Park on Sunday to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, a day of prayer and festivities to break the Ramadan fast, Sahloul made the same supplications he had offered for the last 30 days.

He asked God to grant a sense of responsibility to politicians who condemn Islam just to win votes. He prayed for his brethren whose sacred spaces have been targeted by vandals. And he grieved for his homeland of Syria, which suffered more bloody violence this weekend.

But he also thanked God for getting him through the 30-day trial and preparing him for even greater ordeals to come.

“You always try to find solace and reflect on your faith and your understanding of the faith to connect it to what’s happening to you,” said Sahloul, 47, of Burr Ridge. “There are plenty of things in the Quran to connect to what’s happening in Syria. We believe patience is the best virtue in a crisis you have no control on. The whole fasting is about patience … because God wants you to be patient. … This will help you deal with crisis and calamity.”

Through the past decade, Sahloul, a physician specializing in pulmonary critical care, has emerged as one of just a handful of high-profile leaders who speak for Chicago’s Muslim community. This year, he has served simultaneous presidential terms with the Council for Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago and the Syrian American Medical Society.

But few people know the tale of how a young medical student from Syria who sought a better medical education in the U.S. has become an activist both on the American Muslim landscape and in the land he left behind.

Sahloul came to Chicago in 1989 to improve his medical education by specializing in internal medicine and pulmonary care at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Like many of his countrymen, he intended to go back to Syria, but he never did. He met his wife, Suzanne, an American citizen of Syrian origin, and began working at St. Anthony Hospital in an underserved community on the West Side; he has been at the hospital ever since.

He worshipped at the Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview, where a majority of Chicago’s Arab Muslims go to pray. After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, he found himself thrust into leadership roles that he never expected and eventually became the mosque’s president.

“This country also has given me a lot. I grew as a person. I grew as an activist and as a community leader,” Sahloul said.

That sense of activism has led him back to Syria. In July, right before Ramadan began, he directed a delegation of doctors in Turkey, taking care of refugees who have fled violence in Syria. Those medical missions have divided the medical society’s leaders, some of whom believe they amount to a condemnation of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Sahloul believes a professional humanitarian organization has no choice but to help. No one expected the conflict to last this long or become this bloody, he said. Syrians expected the U.S. to support a revolution, he said, but the Syrians are on their own.

“Seventy-five percent of the (refugees) are women and children. ... These are people who are afraid about their safety, and they need to be treated,” Sahloul said. “As a doctor, you treat whoever is in need, whether they are the enemy or friend. This is our responsibility. If we do not do that, there is something wrong with us.”

Sahloul does not know when he will return to the region. In the meantime, he has plenty to keep himself busy at home.

Just a few weeks ago, Republican U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh told a town hall crowd that the threat of radical Islam existed in the Chicago suburbs. Sahloul expected politicians to mention Islam during election season. He also expected fallout, pointing to the vandalism of Muslim graves and damage done last week to a Morton Grove mosque and Lombard school as inevitable consequences.

“When you demonize the Muslims, unfortunately that will energize their base,” Sahloul said. “This type of language does not help. It creates an atmosphere of fear and suspicion.”

He found comfort in the words of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who refuted Walsh’s comments to Sahloul last week and told an audience that her department remained committed to keeping faith communities safe.

“Communities of faith have been one of our most steadfast allies in our efforts to secure our nation and combat violent extremism,” Napolitano told the crowd gathered in Washington, D.C., to break the daily fast with a meal known as iftar.

After a long day at the hospital, a difficult conversation with a dying patient’s family and a flight to Washington, Sahloul sat in the crowd wondering if he was in the right place. It was the Night of Power, when Muslims believe God decides everyone’s destiny.

“I wasn’t sure that was the divine purpose of this visit,” he said. Then, he realized, he was in a city of strangers where he could enjoy and embrace anonymity. He went to a mosque and stayed up the entire night to pray.

“In a mosque where you know many people, you spend the time talking to people between prayers,” he said. “You don’t connect with the Almighty. That helped that night to be special for me.”

Marshall Plan for Syria

2012-08-18T19:08:00.000-05:00

Like many Syrian Americans, I still have close family members in Syria, living in the city of Homs. My family, like other Syrian families, is directly affected by ongoing crisis.

My sister’s house is destroyed by shelling and she had to flee with her husband and two young children to a different city where she is renting an apartment. She is one of the lucky 2.5 million Internally Displaced people in Syria (10% of the population). 80% of the population of Homs became internally displaced, many of them are crowded in schools, empty buildings and Mosques dependents on aid. The World Food Program has been feeding 850,000 Syrian every month.

She told me that children, 12 years old and 15 years old, could not sleep anymore in Homs because of the sounds of shelling and gunfire. Many Syrians especially children have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because of what they witnessed. It became common to see dead bodies in the streets, civilians bleeding to death or missiles destroying your neighbor’s house or your house.

My wife’s cousin, who is 42 years old was killed by a sniper while she was trying to ride a taxi with her family to leave to Damascus. Many Syrian Americans had members of their families killed, injured, their houses destroyed, their neighborhoods completely erased.

My parents’ house was shelled and destroyed. Their neighbor, who is 84 year old was killed in his family room while praying after a shell fell in his house. He never participated in any demonstration.

They had to flee in the middle of the night to a different safer neighborhood. They are still living under the threat of being shelled, killed with sniper bullet or loose access to their daily medications. The worst thing that can happen to a Syrian in Homs, Aleppo, Daraa or some areas in Damascus is to get sick in the middle of the night, or to require urgent medical or surgical help. There is deficiency of doctors especially surgeons, transportation to the hospital is not safe in many area especially after 4 pm and hospitals if found are not safe places anymore.

The Humanitarian situation in Syria can be described as disastrous, tragic, grave, rapidly deteriorating and expected to get much worse. Fighting is increasing in many cities and changing in nature. Ten of thousands of Syrians lost their loved ones, health, homes, jobs, livelihoods and land. Estimated of Internally Displaced People, IDPs, in need of assistance ranged between 1.5-2.5 million Syrians or 10% of the population. The number of refugees has quadrupled in the last 3 months to reach 250,000 refugees scattered in at least 4 countries. In the last few weeks there was further increase of the number of refugees who are crossing the borders from 700/day to 2500/day. The Situation of refugees especially in Iraq, Lebanon and lesser degree in Jordan is tragic. Many Syrian refugees are living in very harsh and often unsafe environment and many of them regret their decision to flee from their homes, even though that they were at the threat of being killed or injured every minute in Syria.

There are attacks on hospitals, doctors, nurses and relief worker in clear breach of international law. Humanitarians and healthcare professionals are killed. Being caught treating a wounded patient or carrying a case of medication is worse sometimes than being caught with a weapon in Syria. Syrian doctors are being targeted. More than 60 doctors are killed and more than 600 are tortured and detained. Patients do not have safe access to hospitals, especially wounded patients from shelling or sniper bullets.

There is destruction of Medical infrastructure. In the City of Homs, a city of more than 1.5 million, most private hospitals were destroyed or forced to close. Only one community hospital in Homs is open and able to provide hemodialysis for the whole city.

There is a grave impact on children health, nutrition and psychological health. Public infrastructure is being destroyed. Water, sanitation and environmental health are ignored. More than 70% of the city of Homs, the 3^rd largest city in Syria including the old historic city has been destroyed. Aleppo is facing the same plight right now under the watchful eyes of the world. There is dramatic impact of sanctions on populations and steep rise of food prices. Cooking gas has become rare commodity and the prices of bread, meat and other basic needs have skyrocketed. Public and private health services completely stopped in affected areas. To add insult to the injury, the outlook for agricultural crops and livestock is grim and wheat production is down from last year.

In addition to more than 21,000 civilians who were killed in the conflict, the number of wounded is estimated to be more than 100,000, many of them have life long disability. Wounded patients are denied life saving treatment or surgeries. The lucky ones who can be transported under stressful and primitive conditions to neighboring countries have to face the ordeal of long transport on foot, donkeys and under threat of being shot at. In Jordan I saw a patient with brain injury because of electrocution in detention, who was transported on foot through Syrian Jordanian border on stretchers. He fell 6 times during transport. When I saw him he was in semi-vegetative state lying in bed in Amman.

During my 1^st medical mission to the Syrian refugee camps in Turkey, I saw 22 year old man, in Altanouse Camp, who has two young children, one of them was born in the camp. This man had what is called sniper injury that caused spinal cord injury and paralysis from chest down. He was lying in the tent unable to move with large bed ulcer because of the hard bed. This patient should have been treated in a special rehabilitation center but because of his refugee status and the less than perfect medical care following initial surgeries he ended up in the camp in that sad situation.

In Jordan and Lebanon, the plight of the wounded refugees is even worse as they are required to pay for surgical treatment. A patient, who has a bullet in the head or gangrene in the foot, will have to wait until a donor can sponsor his/her surgery. The cost of these surgeries is very high. Rehabilitation is also is a big deficiency. SAMS and other medical relief organizations and private donors have been contributing to the care of these patients.

Women Under Siege reported systematic use of rape of women, children and boys by paramilitary and in detention centers. There is Psychiatric trauma especially among children and women. The incidence of PTSD is about 30% among refugees. Every child I saw had nightmares and bedwetting problem. Men were clearly depressed.

Such catastrophic humanitarian crisis requires orchestrated International response, but so far the International community response was weak, fragmented and ineffective. Only 8 NGOs are allowed to work in Syria. The World Food Program announced that they are feeding 850,000 Syrian/month out of 2.5 million Syrians who are in need. Donor nations have only fulfilled 30% of their commitment to UN Syrian Response Plan that addresses the Humanitarian crisis in Syria. The response of Islamic and Arab countries is even much worse at the Governmental levels.

Here in the US, the Syrian American community has been doing what it can in term of fundraising and mobilizing the resources, but the task is huge and there are signs of donors’ fatigue. Several Syrian Humanitarian organizations, like Syrian American Medical Society www.sams-usa.net, Syrian Sunrise Foundation and Syrian for Relief and Development, have been working tirelessly but with limited resources, ineffective coordination and primitive infrastructure to relieve the suffering. Global Islamic charities, like Zakat Foundation, Islamic relief and others, have been also helping but with limited impact and lack of coordination. The reaction of the larger Muslim or faith community has been late, weak and inconsistent.

No one knows when the crisis in Syria will end, but even if the Syrian regime ended today, the way to recovery, healing and building will not be easy or cheap. The price tag that the Syrian people and the International community have to pay is enormous. Syria will require a Marshall plan to rebuild. For now, the Syrian people have to endure more suffering, more shelling and more neglect by the global Muslim and International community.

Muslims and Jews breaking bread and barriers for the common good

2012-08-10T02:12:00.005-05:00

Muslims and Jews break bread and barriers

Two Faiths Break Bread, Barriers During Ramadan

Members of the local Muslim and Jewish communities gathered together at Beth Emet Synagogue in Evanston for a meal as part of Islam's holy month of Ramadan.

As the summer day’s fading sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows of Beth Emet Synagogue in Evanston, women wearing the traditional Muslim hijab bowed their heads alongside men in yarmulkes.

Later, they sat down side by side at tables to eat, as the Muslims broke their daily fast during the holy month of Ramadan—a sacred moment known as “iftar.”
Some 400 people from as far away as Burr Ridge, Deerfield and Bridgeview came to Beth Emet last Thursday for “Iftar in the Synagogue,” an interfaith gathering organized by the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs and the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago. Originally started three years ago at a synagogue in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, the event has grown every year since it’s inception. This year, for the first time, three synagogues held the gathering concurrently, with roughly 800 attendees total.
“I think people want to connect, but you need a way to cross barriers,” explained Asaf Bar-Tura, director of programs at the Jewish Council of Urban Affairs (JCUA). “You need a good reason, an invitation.”
9/11 Sparks Formation of Jewish-Muslim Group
Iftar in the Synagogue provides that invitation, explains Bar-Tura, who has helped organize the gathering every year. He heads the JCUA’s Jewish-Muslim Community Building Initiative, a group that was founded in 2001—“the day after 9/11, basically,” he explains.
While the Jewish-Muslim Community Building Initiative has hosted vigils and discussion groups and advocated for social justice locally, Iftar in the Synagogue is special because it gives Jews and Muslims a window into each other’s faiths, Bar-Tura says.
“For many Muslims, this is the first time in a synagogue, ever. They’ve never seen a Jewish person pray,” he said, adding that the same is true for many of the Jewish people in attendance.
Muslims are the fastest growing religious group in Illinois, according to a 2010 study by the Association of Religious Data Archives. Since 9/11, awareness of their presence has been heightened—and not in a positive way, said Rizwan Kadir, a Glenview resident who attended last year’s iftar in the Chicago synagogue and returned again this year at Beth Emet.
Sitting down over a meal can help to make the difference, he said.
“If I talk to somebody who has outrageous opinions about Muslims or Islam, I have one question,” he said. “‘Do you know one ordinary practicing Muslim?’ Because if you do, a lot of these notions can be expelled.”
Because Muslims are a relatively new group to the United States, most adults did not grow up with them as neighbors, classmates or coworkers, said Kadir, a business consultant whose wife works for Abbott Laboratories.
“People have told us again and again that we are the only Muslims they know,” he said. “On the one hand, that’s a good thing, because we think of ourselves as decent representatives of our faith.”
On the other hand, said Kadir, they’ve often felt pressured to be spokespeople for the Muslim community.
“Some Muslim does something outrageous or stupid, we had to explain it or denounce it,” he says. “Muslim organizations are just tired of condemning every act of terrorism.”
“There are people who are going to do silly things, outrageous things, in every culture and every faith.”
“What Can You Do About Public Discourse?”
Many Jewish people also feel that prejudice against Muslims has peaked over the last three years, Bar-Tura said, and want to do something about it. Trying to change society’s views seems overwhelming, however.
“What can you do about public discourse?” he said. “You can do something as a person.”
Bar-Tura believes the event has a ripple effect, both within the Chicago area and outside it. While many people who come to Iftar in the Synagogue might be open-minded about the other faith, they talk to people who don’t come, or bring people who wouldn’t go on their own.
“This is something that reverberates throughout the communities, and that has its own effect,” said Bar-Tura. “It sparks a conversation.”
Last year, a group from New York contacted Bar-Tura, saying that they wanted to replicate event locally.
“We’re hoping that these things become a model for other communities,” he said.
“We Are Enslaved to Prejudice”
Speakers Rabbi Andrea London of Beth Emet and Dr. Zaher Sahloul, chairman of the council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, stressed the event’s national and international implications.
“I remember the first meal my family had with Rabbi London in our home during the Israeli war on Gaza,” he said. “I remember how surprised and encouraged I was when she signed a statement calling to end the war and to end the occupation.”
During the four years he has known London, he said he was impressed with the way she and the local Jewish community stood with the local Muslim community when U.S. service members were involved in burning the Koran and during the controversy over the construction of a Muslim cultural center near Ground Zero, among other events.
Recalling his most recent meal with London—a Passover Seder at her home—he noted that each guest was encouraged to bring an item that represented liberation from enslavement, since the Jewish holiday commemorates the liberation of the Israelites as described in the Torah.
“I said when my turn came that we are enslaved to prejudice, to stereotype and to fear from the other,” Sahloul told the crowd. “We can only liberate ourselves by shedding our prejudice and our fear.”
Following the speeches and a service, Sahloul and London sat down for another meal together, this time along with some nearly 400 other Muslims and Jews.
Over hummus, pita, falafel and traditional Mediterranean shawarma meat, the room filled with conversation as one after another, neighbors introduced themselves to one another.
“What’s your name?” they began. “Where are you from?”

"Sikhs are not Muslims" so it is ok to kill Muslims

2012-08-10T01:22:00.003-05:00

"Sikhs are not Muslims" So it is Ok to kill Muslims?

'Sikhs are not Muslims' sends a sinister message

Such declarations by the news media and others has an insidious subtext: that there's something wrong with being a Muslim in America.

By Scott C. Alexander
August 10, 2012

Almost from the beginning of their coverage of the horrific and deadly shooting at the Sikh temple in Wisconsin, CNN and other news media went out of their way to send a message to the American public: "Sikhs are not Muslims."
But what were we to make of that message? If the temple's members had been Muslims, would the attack have then been justified?
We say we don't endorse prejudice against one group or another, but for some reason we also want to make sure people know who the "we" and the "they" really are. CNN would probably say it was simply trying to clear up a common misunderstanding that, in this case, may have been shared by the gunman himself. Fair enough. The assertion that Sikhs are not Muslims is certainly true. Jains are not Hindus, and Mormons are not Methodists either.
WHO THEY WERE: Sikh temple shooting victims
But in the post-9/11context of a deadly act committed by an apparent white supremacist against a congregation that is largely ethnically South Asian — a congregation that includes bearded men in turbans — broadcasting the mantra that "Sikhs are not Muslims" takes on a far more insidious subtext: Don't blame these people, it implies, for the unspeakable crimes of 9/11. It's Muslims you want.
The media aren't alone in conveying, however unintentionally, this sinister message. When Barack Obama was running for president in 2008, he responded to the inaccurate but surprisingly persistent assertion that he was a Muslim with this statement in a 2008 debate: "The facts are I am Christian. I have been sworn in [as a U.S. senator] with a Bible."
As president, Obama has made an effort to stress how important Muslims are to the fabric of U.S. society and has praised the enormous contributions made by Islamic civilization to human history. Still, his behavior as a candidate was disappointing. When "accused" of being a Muslim, he didn't challenge the darker assumptions behind the assertion. He simply tried to distance himself from Muslims. His campaign also made sure there were no photo-ops in mosques and no women in hijab as part of the diversity tableau that served as a backdrop to his stump speeches.
PHOTOS: Gunman opens fire at Sikh temple
John McCain got into the act when attempting a noble defense of his opponent in the 2008 race. At a Republican rally late in the campaign, a woman said she couldn't trust Obama because "he's an Arab." McCain objected: "No, ma'am; no, ma'am. He's a … decent family man, [a] citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues." It was a defense that undoubtedly left many Arab Americans (as well as Arabs around the world) horrified by the implication that Arab men must be, therefore, indecent and un-American.
At the height of the accusations that Obama was a closet Muslim, the only public figure I saw get it right was former Secretary of StateColin L. Powell, the first black man ever to hold that office. In his famous"Meet the Press"appearance on Oct. 19, 2008, Powell, like others, condemned the "false intimations" that Obama was a Muslim. But he then went on to say: "But really the right answer is, what if he is [a Muslim]? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's 'No; that's not America.'"
It's time for all of us — Democrats and Republicans, "tea partyers" and Occupiers, conservative evangelicals and progressive Episcopalians, Latinos, blacks, Asians and whites alike — to take the kind of wise and principled stand that Powell took. We need to insist with one voice that American Muslims are not a "they" to be demonized but a treasured part of who "we" are as a people, and that the demonization of any minority group runs contrary to the spirit of this great country. In fact, we need to go even further and declare that Muslims the world over are an important and vital part of the one human family, with whom the rest of this same family needs to partner and build relationships of trust for the sake of us all.
If presidential candidates and television networks have trouble understanding these basic concepts, then there is obviously much work that has to be done.
We can begin by taking a good hard look at the groups to which we belong and by inviting "outsiders" to help us see the ways in which any aspect of the religious or civic identities we espouse urge us to reject entire groups of "others." As we do this, we need to embrace the truth that hatred can never be the touchstone of authentic faith or authentic patriotism.
For as tragedies such as 9/11 and Oak Creek remind us, hatred of any kind is nothing less than a profound betrayal of both God and country.
Scott C. Alexander is an associate professor of Islamic studies and director of Catholic-Muslim studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

Chicago Muslim respond to Rep Joe Walsh bigoted comments on Muslims in Suburbia

2012-08-10T01:16:00.000-05:00

Chicago Muslims response to Rep Joe Walsh bigoted comments about Muslims in Suburbia

The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC) is appalled at the irresponsible and bigoted comments made by U.S. Representative Joe Walsh at on Wednesday at a town hall meeting in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. Rep. Walsh represents Illinois' 8th congressional district, where he is running against Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat. His district--which includes Villa Park, Schaumburg and Elgin--is more than 12% Asian-American, including a significant Muslim population.

According to reports, in response to a question from the audience, Rep. Walsh asserted that Muslims are “trying to kill Americans every week.” The question asked to Rep. Walsh itself was bigoted and prejudicial, with an audience member stating, “Islam is not the peaceful, loving religion we hear about.” Walsh also said Islam is a threat in America: “It’s a real threat...and it’s a threat that is much more at home now than it was right after 9/11.” Walsh continued his tirade by letting the audience knows, “It’s here,” referring to “radical Islam” in the suburbs of Chicago. “It’s in Elk Grove, it’s in Addison, and it’s in Elgin. It’s here.”

Rep. Walsh's website similarly reflects his bigoted views: “The threat that radical Islam poses to American families and our way of life is not anything new. It is a real threat. The Committee on Homeland Security, of which I am a member, has held five hearings that examined the threat of Muslim radicalization, especially radicalization within the Muslim-American community". Time has shown that this type of political rhetoric leads directly to violent crimes against the Arab, Muslim, South Asian and immigrant communities.

"Rep. Walsh, Rep Bachmann and other irresponsible politicians are endangering the lives of many Americans by spreading such hateful and bigoted comments," stated Dr. Zaher Sahloul, CIOGC Chairman. "These comments come a few days after the Joplin Mosque (Missouri) Arson and a white supremacist murderer killed six Sikhs at a temple in the suburbs of Milwaukee. We demand that Rep. Walsh retract his comments and apologize to his Muslim constituency and we ask all responsible politicians and faith leaders--from all parties--demand that hate mongering and demonizing of minorities be no longer tolerated in our political discourse."

CIOGC reiterates that there is no room for Islamophobia, xenophobia or anti-Semitism in our society, much less in politics, and calls on politicians not to use Islam as a wedge issue in the coming election and to distance themselves from such dangerous tactics.

SAMS Capitol Hill Briefing on Syrian Humanitarian Crisis

2012-08-07T02:15:00.003-05:00

SAMS capitol-hill-syria-briefing

Wounded Syrian refugees are facing daunting challenges in getting lifesaving care, speakers said at a briefing Islamic Relief USA sponsored last week on Capitol Hill.
Some travel for days to try to reach Jordan, only to succumb to diseases and die at the border, reported Islamic Relief USA CEO Abed Ayoub, who recently visited refugee camps in Jordan.
Others arrive and cannot find the specialized care they need, said Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) President  Dr. Zaher Sahloul. People with fatal injuries in need of specialized care are lying in tents, Shaloul said.
Ayoub and Shaloul were among the speakers who addressed about 120 government officials and nonprofit organization representatives July 31. Other speakers were Michael Kocher, Vice President of the International Rescue Committee;  Michel Gabaudan, President of Refugees International; and Dr. Abdelmajid Katranji of SAMS.
The panel discussed the conditions and challenges refugees face, from refugees’ medical needs to women’s issues, and they recommended policies to help.
More than 2 million Syrians have been displaced since the crisis began a year and half ago, according to United Nations figures. Neighboring countries cannot cope with the growing refugee community or meet their needs.
There is a severe shortage of medical supplies and relief professionals, Dr. Katranji said. It costs $15,000 to 35,000 to start a field hospital and $10,000 to $20,000 a month to maintain it, he said.
Dr. Shaloul recommended several policies he said would alleviate suffering of the Syrian people:

Establish protected humanitarian corridors, mobile hospitals and rehabilitation centers at borders
Grant practicing licenses to doctors in neighboring countries
Provide direct financial support to local NGOs
Facilitate transportation for patients

Congressional Briefing about the Humanitarian Crisis in Syria

2012-08-04T13:19:00.000-05:00

SYRIA IN CRISIS

Refugees and the Challenges of the Humanitarian Response

07/31/2012

Thank you for attending this timely briefing, which I hope will lead to new policies that relieve some of the suffering of the Syrian people.

I would like to thank Congressman Jim Moran for sponsoring this briefing. Thank you for your leadership in the Congress in the Syrian issue and your support of the brave Syrian people during this crisis.

I would like to thank Islamic Relief-USA for planning for this important and timely briefing.

Syrian American Medical Society or SAMS is 14 years old professional medical and charitable organization that represents more than 1500 Syrian American healthcare professionals. There are about 7000 Syrian American doctors in the US.

Since the beginning of the crisis, SAMS has been sending medical missions to provide direct medical and psychiatric help to the refugees in Turkey and Jordan. We have been providing also direct financial and logistical assistance to establish filed hospitals inside Syria, send medical supplies and life sustaining medications and provide financial support to doctors and hospitals inside Syria.

Like many Syrian Americans, I have a family in Syria, in the city of Homs, that is directly affected by ongoing crisis.

My sister’s house is destroyed in the neighborhood of Alqosoor and she had to flee with her husband and two young children to a different city where she is renting an apartment. She is one of the lucky 2.5 milion Internally Displaced people in Syria (10% of the population). 80% of the population of Homs became internally displaced, many of them are crowded in schools, empty buildings and Mosques dependents on aid. The World Food Program has been feeding 850,000 Syrian every month.

My parents’ house in the neighborhood of Alghouta was shelled and destroyed. Their neighbour, who is 84 year old was killed in his family room while praying after a shell fell in his house. He never participated in any demonstration.

The Humanitarian Situation:

The Humanitarian situation in Syria can be described as disastrous, tragic, grave, rapidly deteriorating and expected to get much worse.

v The number of refugees have tripled in the last 3 months

v In the last few days we have see further increase of the number of refugees who are crossing the borders from 700/day to 2500/day.

v The Situation of refugees especially in Iraq, Lebanon and lesser degree in Jordan is tragic.

v Fighting in increasing and changing in nature

v Many Syrians lost their loved ones, health, homes, jobs, livelihoods and land

v There are attacks on hospitals, doctors, nurses and relief worker in clear breach of international law

v Humanitarians and healthcare professionals are killed. Being caught treating a wounded patient or carrying a case of medication is worse sometimes than being caught with a weapon in Syria.

v Estimated of Internally Displaced People, IDPs in need of assistance ranged between 1.5-2.5 million Syrians or 10% of the population

v Public infrastructure is being destroyed. More than 70% of the city of Homs, the 3^rd largest city in Syria including the old historic city has been destroyed. Aleppo is facing the same plight right now under the watchful eyes of the world.

v There is dramatic impact of sanctions on populations and steep rise of food prices

v Public and private health services completely stopped in affected areas

v Water, sanitation and environmental health are ignored

v Outlook for agricultural crops and livestock is grim

v Wheat production is down from last year

v As I have mentioned there is a grave impact on children health, nutrition and psychological health

The Medical Situation:

v In addition to more than 19,000 civilians killed in the conflict, the number of wounded is estimated to be more than 100,000, many of them have life long disability.

v Wounded patients are denied life saving treatment or surgeries. The lucky ones who can be transported under stressful and primitive conditions to neighboring countries have to face the ordeal of long transport on foot, donkeys and under threat of being shot at. In Jordan I saw a patient with brain injury because of electrocution in detention, who was transported on foot through Syrian Jordanian border on stretchers. He fell 6 times during transport. When I saw him he was in semi-vegetative state lying in bed in Amman.

v During my 1^st medical mission to the Syrian refugee camps in Turkey, I saw 22 year old man, in Altanouse Camp, who has two young children, one of them was born in the camp. This man had what is called sniper injury that caused spinal cord injury and paralysis from chest down. He was lying in the tent unable to move with large bed ulcer because of the hard bed. This patient should have been treated in a special rehabilitation center but because of his refugee status and the less than perfect medical care following initial surgeries he ended up in the camp in that sad situation.

v In Jordan, the plight of the wounded refugees is even worse as they are required to pay for surgical treatment. So a man who has a bullet in the head or gangrene in the foot, will have to wait until a donor can sponsor his/her surgery. The cost of these surgeries is very high. Rehabilitation is also is a big deficiency. SAMS and other medical relief organizations and private donors have been contributing to the care of these patients.

v Syrian doctors are being targeted. More than 60 doctors are killed and more than 600 are tortured and detained. Detailed lists are available by request.

v Patients do not have safe access to hospitals, especially wounded patients from shelling or

v There is destruction of Medical infrastructure. In the City of Homs, a city of more than 1.5 million, most private hospitals were destroyed or forced to close. Only one community hospital in Homs is open and able to provide hemodialysis for the whole city.

v Women under siege reported systematic use of rape of women, children and boys by paramilitary and in detention centers.

v There is Psychiatric trauma especially among children and women. The incidence of PTSD is about 30% among refugees. Every child I saw had nightmares and bedwetting problem. Men were clearly depressed.

6- Main challenges:

There are many challenges that are impeding the humanitarian relief to affected populations in Syria

v Fighting

v Insecurity

v Lack of access to trapped population

v Slow granting of Visas to Humanitarian organizations

v Administrative procedure

v Lack of facilitation by Syrian Government

v Low capacity of SARC and local NGOs

v Targeting doctors and humanitarians

v Low or slow donor response

SAMS response to the Crisis:

1. Sending medical mission to the refugee camps. More than 45 American healthcare professionals volunteered under the auspices of SAMS to provide direct medical and psychiatric treatments to Syrian refugees. SAMS provided orientation, clearance by Turkish authorities and logistical assistance.

2. Sending medical supplies to areas in need inside Syria

3. Supporting filed hospital inside Syria

4. Establishing two liaison offices in Amman and Turkey

5. Provide online training for basic ATLC and first aide. Awareness and Management of chemical weapons.

6. Direct financial support to local Red Crescent in Homs and some private hospitals that are providing treatment to the needy.

7. Working with Jordanian and Turkish Government to improve the situation of Syrian refugees and address some of the challenges

8. Starting Psychiatric support group to Syrian refugees especially children in Jordan.

9. Partnership with other Syrian and International Relief organizations to coordinate medical relief.

Policy Recommendations:

1- Establish protected areas or humanitarian corridors in order to facilitate access to areas in need, transportation and evacuation of patients and delivery of much needed medications and medical supplies. That requires establishing “No Fly Zones”

2- Donation of Filed trauma hospitals to the Jordanian, Lebanese and Turkish Government by the American Government to be used at the border areas for surgical and emergency management of wounded Syrians (Similar to the Italian donation of filed medical hospital to Jordan). Hospitals can be staffed by doctors from SAMS and local staffers. This is a priority but it needs approval of host countries. The Italian Government donated tent hospital to the Kingdom of Jordan that is used to treat medical Syrian patients at the border area.

3- Establishing rehabilitation Centers at the borders areas to be used for wound care, artificial limbs, in addition to physical and occupational therapy of wounded patients.

4- Direct financial support to local NGOs in affected areas, especially areas that are difficult to reach, using creative ways in transferring funds to increase their capacity.

5- Apply pressure on the Iraqi Government to be more hospitable to Syrian refugees.

6- Capacity building to Syrian American relief organizations in order to better prepare them to deal with the ongoing crisis and plan for the next phase. SAMS has established Global Health Team to plan for overhauling the healthcare system and prepare for the transition.

Addessing Muslim-Jewish Dialogue, speech at Beth Emit Synagogue

2012-08-04T12:50:00.001-05:00

Growing Together for the Better

Assalam Alaikum/Shalom

Thank you for inviting our community to break our fast in your synagogue. This is very important event to me, to my family and to the Muslim community in Chicago.
In April, my family had the honor to share a meal with Rabbi London and her family in Passover Seder and now we are sharing an Iftar in your house of worship.

My friend Kalman often reminds me of a virtue that he learned from his Muslim Palestinian friends. He told me " It is much more important how to be heard than what to say". I pray to the God of Ibrahim, Moses and Mohammad to open your hearts before your ears so you can hear what I say. The Holy Quran asks us when speaking to people of other faiths to “Speak with wisdom, nice stories and with the best of style". I will do my best to follow the Divine instructions.

I am humbled and honored to speak for the second time in this place of prayer and wisdom. The first time I spoke was about Prophet Jacob in the Holy Quran. The Holy Quran describes prophet, peace be upon, as wise man, extremely patient and a loving father.

The month of Ramadan teaches us to be wise by controlling our urges and reading the divine words of the Holy Quran. Ramadan teaches us patience by abstaining from what is nutritious and thirst quenching from sunrise to sundown everyday for 30 days. Ramadan teaches us how to be loving to our families by fasting together, breaking the fast together and praying together. Ramadan teaches us much more.
Ramadan teaches us to love our neighbors and share meals with him. It teaches us to appreciate the mundane blessings of our Lord, among which are water and food. It teaches us to be responsible and self-disciplined. It teaches us to love those who are less fortunate and to be generous to them. The Prophet Mohammad peace be upon him was most generous during the month of Ramadan.
It teaches us to clear our hearts from jealousy, hate and arrogance the same way we clear our stomach, to cleanse our tongue from lying, backstabbing and gossiping, to cleanse our eyes from looking at the other gender with lust.

The Prophet Mohammad peace be upon him said " If you don't stop lying and false witness, you don't have to stop eating and drinking". He also said" I feel sorry for those who gain from their fasting nothing but hunger and thirst".

The theme of this Iftar is to “Grow together for the better”. Togetherness is not a choice for us, it is a must.

It has been 4 years since I got to know Rabbi London and my friend Kalman during the war on Gaza. In these 4 years we have grown together. I remember the first meal I had with Kalman after he gave a speech at the Mosque Foundation about his powerful experience when he spent two and half weeks with a Palestinian family in Kalkylia in the occupied West Bank. I remember his heartfelt words on how he got to see the human side of the Palestinians and the ugly side of the occupation. How he told his Palestinian hosts that his faith, Judaism encourages him to oppose the occupation and the oppression of other people.

I remember the first meal my family had with Rabbi London in our home during the Israeli war on Gaza, I remember how surprised and encouraged when she signed a statement calling to end the war and to end the occupation.

Since then, I had many meetings and events with Rabbi London, Kalman and members of JCUA especially its director Jane Ramsey and the director of Jewish Muslim Initiative Asaf Bar Tora. I remember how many times Rabbi London and Jane Ramsey stood in solidarity with the Muslim community during Quran Burning, Ground Zero Mosque ( which was neither a Mosque or in ground zero), and calling for Dupage county to allow building a house if worship for Muslims.

Last year we sent a delegation of Muslim-Jewish and Presbyterian youth to Springfield during Illinois Muslim Action Day to advocate for healthy food in the inner city, advocate for social services to immigrants and for clean environment. That was a powerful demonstration of Interfaith in action focusing on local issues for the betterment of all.

We issued press releases condemning terrorism and killing of innocent civilians no matter who are the perpetrators. Couple of years ago, CIOGC issued a press statement condemning the terrorist plot to send explosives through cargo airlines to Jewish organizations in Chicago. We wrote "Illinois Muslims stand united with our Jewish partners and organizations in condemning this terrorist and heinous act. There is no place in Islam for terrorizing innocent people or spreading mayhem.” Rabbi Asher Lopatin wrote in his blog after the press release: "We have come to the point where the local Jewish and Muslim communities can work together as “faith partners. Words do mean something, and the words are sweet". He wrote.

I remember the article that Rabbi London wrote after the Freedom Flotilla massacre titled “For Zion’s sake, I will not be silent” that is calling to end of the siege of Gaza, she wrote: “According to Gisha, an Israeli human rights organization, Israel also bars such items as sage, dried fruit, chocolate, potato chips, notebooks, and writing implements in Gaza. Nearly all exports are also banned from leaving Gaza, a policy that is helping to destroy agriculture and causing factories to close”. That reminds me of the recent racist comments of Candidate Romney about the Palestinian people in the last week fundraising event that was held in Jerusalem. The event was attended by a major Republican Jewish American donor, Sheldon Adelson, who donated 100 million dollars to Romney’s campaign. Romney said “and as I come here and I look out over the city and consider accomplishments of the people of this nation, I recognize the power of at least culture and a few of other things”. He said “As you come here and you see GDP per capita in Israel about 21,000, and compare that across the areas managed by the Palestinian Authority, which more like $10,000 per capita”. Mr. Romney forgot the impact of the occupation.
Of course the real audience for Mr. Romney was not the Israelis nor the Palestinians, but Jewish Americans and Evangelicals. (100 million dollars can buy a lot of TV spots).

And actually Mr. Romney has his numbers wrong; the actual GDP per capita in Israel is $29,800 while the actual GDP in the occupied territories is $2,900. Secondly, the reasons for the disparity is not that the Palestinians culture or religion are inferior to that of the Israeli, but it is what Rabbi London described in her piece, the occupation, the siege, the separation wall, the daily challenges that average Palestinians witnesses living under rule of the IDF in the West Bank and Gaza, as witnessed by my friend Kalman who experienced the occupation himself.

That is why members of the Muslim community voiced strong concerns to hold our Iftar in your Synagogue, not because they are against dialogue between Muslims and Jews, but because at your website there is a picture of your youth in their visit to Israel, laughing and celebrating riding on an Israeli Abramoff tank that belongs to IDF. To many in the Jewish community that may be a normal expression of support to the State of Israel, to many within the Muslim and Palestinian community that is considered a support of the occupation, of the oppressive policies of the State of Israel, of uprooting of olive trees and destroying of houses.

As members of faith communities we have to be the voice of justice and stand up for our values even if it means opposing our friends. We have also to focus on our local challenges. All politics are local. We have to focus first on our backyard, our youth, our neighborhoods, our city and our State before tackling more complicated global issues. We can build confidence and trust if we work together for the common good.

Both of our communities are religious minorities. Both of our communities have faced similar challenges including Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. Both of our communities have history of being targeted, near terminated and expelled from their lands. In most of our shared history we lived in peace together, learned from each other and grew rich tradition and strong civilizations together.

Ibn Maimon or Maimonides, (RAMBAM) one of the most influential Jewish Philosopher is a product of that shared history. He is claimed as a great scholar and great philosopher by both Muslims and Jews.
I was in Granada In Andalusia Spain last year tracing the history of that great civilization. I happen to stumble on very nice Statue of Ibn Maimon in Cordova Jewish Quarter. I made sure to take a picture with him.
Both of our communities have strong religious identity that we want to preserve among our youth.
Both of our communities are quite diverse from the most liberal to the most conservative.
Both have their extremists and their criminals who disguise their crimes by their perverted interpretation of religion.
18 years ago in the month of Ramadan, Dr Baruch Goldstein, an American Jew from Brooklyn, who was a volunteer doctor in IDF attacked and killed 29 Palestinians and wounded another 120, while they were prostrating in prayer at the Mosque of Prophet Ibrahim, at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, IDF killed another 25 Palestinians in the demonstrations that happened afterward. He was an observant American Jew. Yigal Amir and Osama Bin Laden are other examples.
Both of our communities are struggling with integration versus dissimulation. Both of our communities have a strong sense of Justice, strong rejection of oppression and discrimination.

One of the most powerful experiences I had with my family this year was our visit to the Holocaust museum in Washington DC. I could not imagine the evilness of a system that terminated more than 6 million innocent lives. But unfortunately humans don’t learn from their history. Today in my country of origin, Syria, tens of thousands are killed, millions are internally displaced and tens of thousands are detained and tortured, using the same torture methods of Nazis, by an oppressive brutal regime.
In Myanmar, more than 25,000 Muslims have been killed by the Buddhist regime and more than 90,000 were ethnically cleansed. Our Government said nothing so far, because we have just normalized the relations with Myanmar and our Oil and Gas companies are hungry to invest over there.

In Israel, the Palestinians are the only people in the globe who are still living under military occupation, they are treated as second class citizens in their own land and 5 million of them are still refugees.

On one of the walls of the Holocaust museum, I saw a quote by Henriech Heine, a famous German Jewish author, who 100 years before the Nazis, wrote a play called “Almansor” describing the last days of the Islamic civilization in Andalusia. Do you remember? He wrote: "On the tower in Cordova where the muezzin called to prayer there is now the melancholy tolling of church bells. On the steps where the Muslim faithful sang the words of the Prophet, tonsured monks are acting out their sad charades."
The largest Library in the world at that time, Madrassah Library in Granada was attacked by troops of Cardinal Cisneros in 1499; the books were taken to the Plaza Bib-Rambla, where they were burned in public. To commemorate the terrible event, a famous lines from his play Almansor was engraved in the wall at the site: ("That was but a prelude; where they burn books, they will ultimately burn people also.")

Henreich Hein’ books were burned among the thousands of books burned by the Nazis in Berlin’s Opernplatz in 1933 when they started their campaign of terror. There are people and priests who are burning the Quran in this country in public, Do you Remember Pastor Terry Jones?

This leads me to Rep. Michele Bachmann, at one point the front-runner for GOP presidential candidate. She sent letters to the State Department, Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security asking them to investigate American Muslim organizations, individuals and government employees to determine if they are infiltrating the government and sabotaging it from within. Newt Gingrich wrote an op-ed defending Bachmann's request. I admit that there is an infiltration of Muslims in the US, we are infiltrating hospitals. There are more than 20,000 doctors in the US. We are infiltrating the army, even the congress. But I guess every other community in the US is doing the same. Our national myth is based on opening the doors of our nation and hearts of the American people to immigrants and minorities from everywhere so they can live and worship freely, so they contribute to the welfare of this great nation. Muslims are not different.

Let me end with where I started with the Seder Passover meal. Each guest is encouraged to bring one item that, for him or her, represents liberation from enslavement similar to the liberation of the Israelites from the enslavement to Pharaoh.
I said when my turn came that we are enslaved to prejudice, to stereotype and to fear from the other. We can only liberate ourselves by shedding our prejudice and our fear.
We can only liberate ourselves if we get to know the other, trust the other and grow together.

Thank you.

Muslims prepare for long, hot days of Ramadan fasting

2012-07-20T19:40:00.001-05:00

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120720/news/707209937/
As the moon rises over North America, the holy month of Ramadan begins.
But the intense heat and dry conditions will make this year's fast even more challenging than usual when Ramadan falls in the middle of the Northern Hemisphere's summer.
Personal trainers and physicians say it is challenging, but possible, to stay hydrated in the long hours from sunup to sundown.
“Dehydration is a very big concern,” said Mubarakah Ibrahim, a personal trainer and founder of FitMuslimah.com, a fitness site for Muslim women. “You're going to go 16 hours without eating or drinking anything and most people don't drink enough anyway.”
Going without water during a hot July day can be dangerous, but Ibrahim advised against overcompensating by waking up in the middle of the night and chugging several bottles of water. The body can't absorb it quickly enough, she said.
Instead, she suggests drinking 10 ounces every half-hour or so throughout the evening.
“Create a plan, literally write down how much water you're going to drink and when,” Ibrahim said. She recommends people drink half their body weight in ounces of water each day.
After a long day of fasting the temptation might be to fill up on sweet or greasy foods, but Ibrahim said nutrient-rich foods such as collard greens, kale, broccoli and other vegetables are all better choices when breaking the fast.
“People think we would lose weight during Ramadan, but actually we usually gain weight because by the end of the fast you're so hungry that you're eating things you normally wouldn't touch,” she said. “You just eat everything in your path. Do not stand in between a fasting Muslim and a plate.”
But, Ibrahim said, for a healthier fast it's important to resist that temptation and eat healthy first.
“When you do eat, your food has to be fuel and you have to get all of your nutrients whenever you can,” she said, adding an early morning protein shake can keep you full hours longer than a doughnut or sugary cereal.
Ibrahim also suggested taking a multivitamin daily to supplement the nutrients observers may miss out on during Ramadan.
This year is the first time in more than 30 years Ramadan has started in mid-July. Like other faiths, Islam follows the lunar calendar, meaning Ramadan falls about 11 days earlier each year.
The first day of fasting began Friday in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holiest shrine.
In North America, mosques usually wait for the moon to be sighted locally before announcing the beginning of Ramadan, which will happen either tonight or Friday night.
Getting enough sleep is also a challenge, since observers wake up in the wee hours for a meal before sunrise and stay up for congregational prayers after 10 p.m. each night at area mosques.
Dr. Mohammed Sahloul, a member of the Mosque Foundation of Bridgeview and chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, said people with chronic diseases need to discuss fasting with their doctor ahead of time to make a plan for medication and staying healthy.
People who are pregnant, traveling, sick, too young or too elderly to fast are exempt.
People whose work involves extreme exertion also may make up fasts at a later time. Muslim athletes competing in the Summer Olympics may not be fasting right now, given the intensity of their workouts and the fact they are traveling to London.
The body gets used to the fasting routine fairly quickly, Sahloul said, but what's really difficult for many is the withdrawal symptoms of not having coffee, soda or other sugary drinks throughout the day.
He said it is best if Muslims start weaning themselves off caffeine a few days before Ramadan begins and even take a small pain killer before sunrise to cut off a headache at the source.
“One of the benefits of fasting is to have better control of your body, so if you have addictions, it's the best time to get rid of those as well,” he said.
The summer dates of Ramadan may actually be easier on students because they don't have to worry about having enough energy for school, gym classes or studying.
Anisha Ismail Patel, a mother of three in Arlington Heights, said she and her oldest daughter will take time this month to read the entire Quran.
Patel will also be busy as executive director of the Muslim Women's Alliance. She has helped organize 14 different events throughout Chicago and the suburbs for the month of Ramadan, including preparing food baskets for needy families and helping at homeless shelters.
“Charity is a pillar of Islam and it's really important that we take care of our neighbors in need whether they're Muslim or not,” Patel said.
Patel's children are too young to fast during all of Ramadan, but charity work is a way for them to mark the holy month and give back.
“Ramadan is a really exciting time of giving and reflection,” Patel said. “Life gets hectic with kids and family, but during Ramadan you're really conscious of your prayer times, improving yourself, bettering yourself.”
It's also becoming trendier for young Muslims to use the month as a time to refresh and rid themselves of bad habits, such as devoting too much time to watching TV or the Internet, eating healthier and spending more time with family, Sahloul said.
“It's a time to really change your lifestyle and think of how to improve yourself, to recharge your spiritual battery so to speak,” he said. “During the year, we don't have a lot of time to reflect on that, but Ramadan gives us that chance.”

From bad to worse, the grave Humanitarian situation in Syria

2012-07-20T19:23:00.001-05:00

The Humanitarian situation in Syria can be described as disastrous, tragic, pathetic, outpacing the response, grave, much worse than last assessment, rapidly deteriorating, the outlook is not very promising and expected to get much worse.

v Civilians are suffering because of lack of political will

v Fighting in increasing and changing in nature

v Many Syrians lost their loved ones, health, homes, jobs, livelihoods and land

v There are attacks on hospitals, doctors, nurses and relief worker in clear breach of international law

v Humanitarians and healthcare professionals are killed because they are trying to help the population

v The most urgent need is fast political solution to the crisis

v Estimated of Internally Displaced People, IDPs in need of assistance ranged between 1.5-2.5 million Syrians or 10% of the population

v Public infrastructure is being destroyed

v There is dramatic impact of sanctions on populations and steep rise of food prices

v Public and private health services completely stopped in affected areas

v Water, sanitation and environmental health are ignored

v Outlook for agricultural crops and livestock is grim

v Wheat production is down from last year

v No communicable disease outbreaks reported do far

v Grave impact on children health, nutrition and psychological health

The Syrian Refugees in Turkey, the roles of Syrian American Medical Society

2012-06-28T17:47:00.004-05:00

http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2012/06/27/syrian-refugees-seek-protection-neighboring-turkey

As violent clashes intensify between the Syrian military and armed rebels seeking to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, the number of refugees fleeing their homes to neighboring countries like Turkey has swelled.
Nestled at the base of a hill on the Syrian border, the laughter of children can be heard -- temporarily distracted from the violence just a few miles away.
Their playground sits just a quarter mile from Syrian military snipers.
It’s called Kilis: a camp where thousands of Syrian refugees have come to live under the protection of the Turkish government.
Since the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime began some 17 months ago, the U.N. estimates more than 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
Tens of thousands more have fled and are now living in camps like Kilis, which is the largest and most well-designed of the camps in Turkey, with pre-fabricated structures able to house some 18,000 displaced individuals.
Dr. Zaher Sahloul, a Chicago area physician and President of the Syrian American Medical Society, has been leading teams of doctors into the camps for the past year.

Medical Team; Dr. Zaher Sahloul is second from the right

“I mean, there's a huge humanitarian crisis in Syria,” said Dr. Sahloul. “We’re talking about 60,000 refugees at least in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. There’s 1.5 million refugees inside Syria, internally displaced persons.”
Dr. Sahloul says each day his team could see the mental stress that refugees face.
“Every patient we saw had one member of their family who were killed or injured during demonstration, or snipers who shot at them, or shrapnel that went into their house,” he said. “Many of them had their livings and houses destroyed, and that created a lot of stress and trauma. And even after one year of being a refugee, you can still see that in their eyes.”

War Crimes then Crimes against Humanity and now Ethnic Cleansing in Syria

2012-06-12T23:41:00.000-05:00

Like Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur, Ethnic Cleansing now in Syria

The recent massacres in Houla (Homs), Al-Qubair (Hama), some sections of Homs city and Al-Heffa (Latakia) happened in villages of mostly Sunni Muslims surrounded by mostly Alawite villages. This is a new trend that could be explained by a new policy of ethnic cleansing by the Assad regime against Sunni populations in areas with Alawite concentration. There is no other clear military or political explanation of such massacres.

This is a recent report about the recent massacres and how that they fit into the scope of "Ethnic Cleansing

UN List of Shame on abuse of Children in Syria

2012-06-12T23:28:00.001-05:00

1- The United Nations has received reports of grave violations against children in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011 and throughout the reporting period, continuing into 2012. In response to the need for United Nations verified information, my Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict sent a technical mission to the region to conduct interviews with victims and witnesses in refugee camps, villages and hospitals in the region in March 2012. In almost all recorded cases, children were among the victims of military operations by Government forces, including the Syrian Armed Forces, the intelligence forces and the Shabbiha militia, in their ongoing conflict with the opposition, including the Free Syrian Army (FSA). Children as young as 9 years of age were victims of killing and maiming, arbitrary arrest, detention, torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence, and use as human shields. Schools have been regularly raided and used as military bases and detention centers. Information obtained by the technical mission is in line with the findings of the independent international commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic.

2- Interviews with former members of the Syrian Armed Forces and the intelligence forces indicated that civilians, including children, were targeted by Government forces if they were residing in villages where members of FSA or other armed opposition groups were believed to be present or where deserters were hiding, or if they were seen fleeing the country seeking refuge. In one instance, a former member of the Syrian Armed Forces stated that, during protests in Tall Kalakh in December 2011, he was given an order by his commander to shoot without distinction, although the soldiers were aware that there were women and children among the protesters. During the armed break-up of the demonstrations, the witness saw three girls between approximately 10 and 13 years of age who had been killed by the Syrian Armed Forces. In another similar incident in Aleppo in the fourth quarter of 2011, a former member of the intelligence forces witnessed the killing of five children in a secondary school during demonstrations.

3- The grave violations continued into 2012 and although this is beyond the reporting period, the gravity of the incidents requires their inclusion in the report. Witness accounts described a particularly grave incident in the village of Aynl’Arouz in the Jabal Azzawiyah in Idlib province. On 9 March 2012, Syrian Armed Forces, together with the intelligence forces and the Shabbiha militia, surrounded the village for an attack that lasted over a period of four days. Government forces entered the village on the first day and killed 11 civilians, including three boys aged between 15 and 17 years. Thirty-four persons, including two boys aged 14 and 16 years, and one 9-year-old girl, were arrested for interrogation about the suspected presence of deserters. Eventually, the village was reportedly left burned and 4 out of the 34 detainees were shot and burned, including the two boys aged 14 and 16 years.

4- There is no evidence of Government forces formally conscripting or enlisting children under the age of 18 years. However, the Syrian Armed Forces and its associated Shabbiha militia used children as young as 8 years on at least three separate occasions within the reporting period. In the incident mentioned above in the village of Ayn l’Arouz in March 2012, a witness stated that several dozen children, boys and girls ranging between the ages of 8 and 13 years, were forcibly taken from their homes. These children were subsequently reportedly used by soldiers and militia members as human shields, placing them in front of the windows of buses carrying military personnel into the raid on the village.

5- The United Nations collected dozens of accounts of eyewitnesses of both children as young as 14 years of age who were tortured while in detention, as well as former members of the Syrian Armed Forces who themselves were forced to torture or witness torture. The Shabbiha militia was also involved in the detention and torture of children, especially during military operations and often in makeshift detention cells in schools. Most child victims of torture described being beaten, blindfolded, subjected to stress positions, whipped with heavy electrical cables, scarred by cigarette burns and, in one recorded case, subjected to electrical shock to the genitals. At least one witness said that he had seen a young boy of approximately 15 years of age succumb to his repeated beatings. Children were detained and tortured because their siblings or parents were assumed to be members of the opposition or FSA, or they themselves were suspected of being associated with FSA. On one occasion, in May 2011, a 15-year-old boy was taken into custody by intelligence forces in the municipal building in Jisr Ash-Shughur and repeatedly beaten with heavy electrical cables during interrogation. The boy stated that there were at least 20 other children his age or younger held in detention.

6- The United Nations has received some credible allegations of the recruitment and use of children by armed opposition, including FSA and other armed groups, although FSA has a stated policy of not recruiting any child less than 17 years of age. Various sources reported on young children association with FSA carrying guns and wearing camouflage uniforms. My Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict reminded all parties of their obligations under human rights and international humanitarian law.

7- The United Nations recorded multiple accounts of the use of schools by Government forces, including the Syrian Armed Forces, the intelligence forces and the Shabbiha militia as military staging grounds, temporary bases, detention centers, sniper posts and centers for torture and the interrogation of adults and children. Several witnesses stated that the intelligence forces and the Shabbiha militia had gun emplacements installed on the roofs of schools while students were attending. Accounts also indicated that, on a number of occasions, children were killed or injured by Government forces during military operations on school grounds, and schools were looted and burned as retribution by Government forces in response to student protests.

8- Reports also pointed out that, during the reporting period, hospitals were struck by heavy artillery by Government forces. Aside from the conduct of military operations that prevent civilians from accessing hospitals, reports also indicated that injured persons, including children and their families, were afraid to seek medical treatment out of fear of reprisals by the Government for suspected association with the opposition. Similarly, reports were also received of medical workers being intimidated and threatened by Government forces for having provided or being suspected of providing medical assistance to members of the opposition.

Chicago doctor is part of taskforce to help supply underground Syrian emergency system

2012-06-12T22:54:00.001-05:00

Chicago doctor part of task force is helping to supply Syria underground medical system

The violence that began more than 14 months ago continues to besiege Syria.
According to news reports, last weekend 108 people were killed execution style in the city of Houla, Syria. But the Syrian government has denied any responsibility for the latest attack and U.N. plan to stop the violence and protect civilians has so far had little impact. A U.N. plan to stop the violence and protect civilians appears to be faltering.

Dr. Zaher Salhoul, a member of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, tells Worldview about the group’s humanitarian efforts inside Syria and in the refugee camps in Turkey and Jordan. Yaser Tabbara, a Syrian-American attorney and member of the Syrian National Council shares his take on what the international community should be doing to stop the ongoing violence

The Houla Massacre in Syria: Anyone cares?

2012-05-30T02:06:00.000-05:00

In a protracted humanitarian disaster, some events are just too painful to tolerate, too gruesome to forget and too tragic to ignore. Such was the massacre of Srebrinica that was a truning point in the Bosnian war. The conscious of the civilized world could not tolerate seeing 8000 Muslims salughtered by the Serbs under the supervision of the UN observers mission. The world said "never again", forgetting that history has a tendency to repeat itself again and again under the eyes of the world. The Houla Massacre in Syria could become the turning point in the Syrian revolution. No one, with clear conscious, can see the faces and bodies of innocent slaughtered children lying as if they are sleeping peacefully and still think that things in Syria are ought to be as is. No one, with clear conscious, can still support the Assad regime knowing that it was responsible directly on the massacre.

Since the beginning of Annan’s mission on April 12, more than 1500 people have been killed in Syria, and more than 15,000 injured. More than 1.5 million Syrians including 70% of the people of Homs are internally displaced and dependent on ever elusive humanitarian aid. Even simple measures like delivering humanitarian aid by the UN directly to the affected populations are not allowed by the Syrian authorities.

In the Houla massacre that is committed by the Syrian troops and its paramilitary, more than 114 people were killed, among them 47 children, 32 children under 10 years old. The number of slaughtered civilians is expected to rise as more bodies are being discovered. "This appalling and brutal crime involving indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force is a flagrant violation of international law and of the commitments of the Syrian Government to cease the use of heavy weapons in population centers and violence in all its forms," according to Mr Annan’s official statement.

The massacre indicates the impotence and failure of the current observers’ mission and underscores that importance of different type of intervention to protect Syrian civilians from its own army and security apparatus.

The scenes of the massacres, images of bloodied and lifeless young bodies, the many body bags piled on top of each others, the mutilated young bodies and the stories about the barbaric action of the Syrian regime bombarding a small peaceful town will definitely fuel the sectarian tension and violence, invite extremism, lead to more revenge killings that will engulf the whole region unless the International community lead by our country intervened. Already signs of such scenario are happening in Lebanon.

Houla means in Arabic a truning point ! Is that just a coincidence? Only time can tell.

Debating role of NATO in Syria

2012-05-30T01:37:00.002-05:00

Debating NATO intervention in Syria

Dr Zaher Sahloul, Syrian American Leader, Ahmed Rehab, Director of CAIR Chicago and Prof. John Mersheimer of University of Chicago debating of the role that NATO can play in Syria.
Intervention or no intervention, that is the question.

Human Rights Watch report on Extrajudicial Executions in Syria

2012-04-10T09:15:00.001-05:00

Human Rights Watch Report on Extrajudicial Executions in Syria

Syrian security forces summarily executed over 100 – and possibly many more – civilians and wounded or captured opposition fighters during recent attacks on cities and towns, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.

The 25-page report, “In Cold Blood: Summary Executions by Syrian Security Forces and Pro-Government Militias,” documents more than a dozen incidents involving at least 101 victims since late 2011, many of them in March 2012. Human Rights Watch documented the involvement of Syrian forces and pro-government shabeeha militias in summary and extrajudicial executions in the governorates of Idlib and Homs. Government and pro-government forces not only executed opposition fighters they had captured, or who had otherwise stopped fighting and posed no threat, but also civilians who likewise posed no threat to the security forces.

The Role of Mosques and Class in the Syrian Revolution

2012-04-02T09:34:00.001-05:00

The role of Mosques and Class in the Syrian Revolution

Syrian mosques constituted the backbone of the Syrian insurgency of the early 1980s, as armed Islamist groups recruited much of their membership in mosque-based study circles that had flourished among the urban middle-class during the previous decade. Islamic networks and, therefore, mosques, have been far less central to the current uprising, which relies on a broader, humbler and less urban popular base. Nevertheless, places of worship and men of religion have played a role that is not insignificant.

The mosque as a symbol and as a place of gathering has been crucial to ongoing events. Many of the early demonstrations witnessed in March 2011 took place in and around mosques after Friday prayer, which under Baathist rule has been one of the very few opportunities for mass gatherings. In Deraa, the first seat of the uprising, protesters entrenched themselves in the grand mosque al-Umari for a week until it was stormed by security forces. The Umayyad mosque in Damascus was also among the first venues for demonstration in the capital, as thousands shouted “God is greatest!” and “Freedom!” after Friday prayer on March 18 and 25. However, the mosque, located in the heart of the Old City, was rapidly ‘neutralised’ through various repressive measures including the creation of “mosque committees” – groups of thugs recruited by the regime to pack prayer rooms and to break up demonstrations on Fridays.

A Muslim Civic Agenda for 2012, Welcome to Illinois Muslim Action Day

2012-04-02T09:28:00.001-05:00

The preparation for our 5^th Illinois Muslim Action Day, IMAD, is in full force. It is expected that more than 1200 Muslims, young and old, joined by our civic and faith partners spend a full day in our State Capital, Springfield, on April 17^th discharging their faith and civic duties as citizens of the 5^th largest state of the Union.

IMAD may be only one day of advocacy in a whole year, but it means much more than that. It is the culmination of the whole year of community organizing, political empowerment, civic engagement, discussions, planning, collaboration with our faith and civic partners, leadership training and youth development. It is a true reflection of our diversity and our concerns.

In the past few years, our civic agenda was as diverse as our community but in general it is social justice oriented. We want to make sure that our policies and our State is fair and equitable. We also want to make sure that our environment is clean, our immigrants are welcomed and our students are given better chances to excel.

We advocated in the past for equitable public school funding, foreclosure mitigation, fresh food funds for inner city so-called “food-deserts”, inclusion of Arabic language and other strategic languages in high school curriculum, supporting “Green Ramadan” campaign to educate faith communities on how to link the fasting season to weaning ourselves from Carbon consumption, supporting social services and teaching English to immigrant families, against online gambling and supporting the rights of Muslim citizens to donate to their charities without fear.

This year our civic agenda include four main areas:

1- Stop the violence in our cities: So far this year, there have been 94 murders in Chicago. There were 66 in the same period last year. There have been 408 shootings so far this year, compared to 296 in the same period in 2011. We have to advocate for peace in our cities, where the streets belong to the families and children and not to the gangs. We have to make sure that we have less guns in our streets and that all faith groups unified in sending one message to our politicians and our Police departments: “You should do your best to Stop the Violence in our streets and neighborhoods and we are behind you until everyone feels safe in their neighborhoods”.

2- Overhaul our public education: We have inequitable public education systems where we have different funding of schools based on the location of the schools. So schools in wealthy suburbs tend to be better funded than schools in urban areas, and students in wealthy schools tend to be better equipped to deal with college and life and have brighter future. This situation is unjust and it has to be changed. The whole root causes of the failure of Public Education in urban areas needs to be tackled. Education boards have to be accountable to the citizens and not only to the politicians. Also we need to introduce new strategic languages, like Arabic, Urdu and Mandarin, that will open new doors for our students when they graduate because of their global importance.

3- Advocate for healthcare for immigrant families: Our state should continue to be a hospitable state to the immigrant and to provide them with social services including “AllKids” and “FamilyCare” programs.

4- Stand up against bigotry and Islamophobia: Islamophobia is the new form of bigotry and racism and we have to stand united against it. We should not support hate by staying silent. Anti-shariah laws are becoming a new trend in the Islamophobic agenda. Our legislators should take a stance against Islamophobia, hate and bigotry.

IMAD has become unique opportunity to translate our principles as faith community into civic action. In IMAD we can demonstrate the true essence of being Muslim in American, to be true to our values and to transform ourselves and our neighborhoods to the better. The doors are still open, join us on April 17^th and prove by action, not by words that you are a true faithful citizen.

Serious Discussion among the Experts about Syria

2012-02-10T00:14:00.002-06:00

Serious Discussion among the Experts about Syria

A discussion about the the crisis in Syria with Fouad Ajami of Stanford University; Thomas L. Friedman of The New York Times; Joshua Landis of the University of Oklahoma; and Anne-Marie Slaughter of Princeton University