Syrian Americans call for Immediate action to stop the brutalization of the Syrian people by the Assad Regime

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Save Syria Now! pleads for President Obama to rally international community against Bashar Assad

PHOENIX (April 27, 2011) – A leading group of Americans of Syrian descent have joined together today to form Save Syria Now! These Syrian American leaders sent a letter today calling for President Obama to unite the international community into action against Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria. The group of patriotic Americans expressed their outrage and horror at the ongoing brutality of the Assad regime against the Syrian people of their motherland and the group demanded that the international community act now to stop the violence that is being perpetrated on the Syrian people.

The group demanded that the United States do all in its power to help the Syrian people to remove the Assad regime once and for all. The public letter from Save Syria Now! sent to the President and copied to Members of Congress, the Secretary of State, and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations is in full below:

We are asking all of our supporters to do the following:

1- Spread the message below and the homepage link to our website featuring the letter at www.savesyrianow.com

2- Direct all of your contacts to our ONLINE PETITION with our letter and ask them to sign and get everyone they know to sign on! http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-syria-now/

3- Please join our campaign on FACEBOOK and friend/Like our SAVE SYRIA NOW! Facebook page to keep close to our progress and action items.

4- Watch for us on Twitter in the next day or two.

M. Zuhdi Jasser, Save Syria Now!

April 27, 2011

President Barack Obama

1600 Pennsylvania Ave

Washington, DC 20500

RE: Americans of Syrian Descent Demand International Action to Protect and Liberate the Syrian People

Dear President Barack Obama:

As deeply concerned Americans of Syrian descent, we come together to plead that you instruct Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, to do everything in their power to recruit the international community to stop the Assad regime from continuing to brutalize its own people.

Today there are more Syrians living outside Syria than in Syria after almost half a century of the ruthless and barbaric oppression of the Ba’ath Party and the Assad dynasty. The recent uprisings in Syria are on behalf of generations of abused and oppressed Syrians everywhere who have been slaves to the Ba’ath and the ruling Assad despots. So far, in just the past few weeks, hundreds of courageous Syrians have given their lives for a chance to change the miserable condition of their existence.

The protests across Syria in the streets of Dara’a, Homs, Hama, Latakia, Isra, parts of Damascus, Banias, Duma and other cities against the Syrian despots will only continue until the Assad regime is finally ousted.

This is about the long overdue liberation of the Syrian people from their oppressors, some of the worst the history of humanity has ever seen.

Since Hafez Assad took over in a coup in 1970, the Assads have overseen an authoritarian, barbaric rule of epic inhuman proportions. For decades hundreds of thousands to millions have suffered the brutality of a totalitarian regime that rather than being held accountable for crimes against humanity has been tragically immune to world attention, opinion, and pressures.

From Tadmur to Hama to the thousands of Syrian citizens who disappear annually because of the thuggery of the Syrian Intelligence services, the time for an international accounting has finally come. If not now, when? We can no longer stay silent.

Nothing, not one reassurance uttered from the lips of the Assad regimes has ever been or will ever be true. No self-respecting Syrian will ever believe anything that the Syrian government tells them or promises them. The Assad regime speaks about reforms, removal of emergency laws, and new ministers only as facades to pacify the Syrian people so that they can return to their pogroms against those who dare to speak out.

Syria is a “republic of fear” that has finally at long last with the courage of its people and its dissenters in the streets now begun to breach the divide of its own government’s terror.

They desperately need the support of every humanitarian in the world in order to push back against the evil that is the Assad regime.

As innocent civilians now are being murdered in cold blood in the streets of virtually every town in Syria for simply assembling, protesting, or even attending funerals of their dead, the world can finally plainly see what the Assad regime is. The Syrians have long been suffering at the hands of Assad’s henchmen for over 40 years. Now, they are finally saying, for the entire world to hear: “it must stop, now!” And we, in the lap of freedom cannot, and we will not, fail them!

While the revolts in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya have been brave and courageous, none of those Arab nation’s despots and nations match the barbarism and rampant fear that characterizes life in Syria under the evil that was Hafez and is now Bashar Assad.

The United States, the United Nations, and the Free world must acknowledge publicly that if the protesters were to return to their homes now, a return back to the “normalcy” of the past 40 years is another death sentence for every Syrian and their family who uttered a critical word.

As Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) stated on April 24, 2011,

“We should use the diplomatic weight and authority of the United States to undermine the Syrian dictatorship. I think we are witnessing the slow end of the Assad dictatorship, and we should stand with the people of Syria.”

The International Committee of Jurists (ICJ) also stated on Easter weekend,

“Those ordering and carrying out these attacks, including those firing live rounds into crowds, must be held criminally accountable, for crimes against humanity.”

We must acknowledge that any American lip service or weakness against Assad empowers him to continue to willfully commit crimes against his own people while distancing the people of Syria from trusting America. The recent divergence of our U.S. policy against the actions of the Syrian regime from our policy in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya is incomprehensible. Of all these nations, Syria’s Assad is the greatest violator of the human rights of his own people equaled in the world only by North Korea.

No Arab nation’s move toward democracy would be more significant to American interests than Syria.

A democratic change in Syria could create one of the greatest obstacles to the continuing dangerous ascendancy of Iran, Hezbullah, and other pan-Islamist interests in the Middle East. The deep diversity of Syria with its Sunni, Christian, Druze, and Alawite populations has been a significant reason for its predominantly secular history. With democracy, Syria can then become a bulwark against Iranian and Islamist hegemony in the region.

As the United States stays incredulously at “arms length”, apathetic and indifferent, more and more innocent Syrian citizens fighting for a voice will die and disappear in the coming days.

As we write this letter, the protests are now on the verge of being met with mass murder and annihilation by evil henchmen of the Assad regime. In just the last week hundreds have died viciously in the streets.

The United States is duty bound to lead the United Nations and the international community into moral action in order to protect the human rights of Syrians against Assad, the enemy of his own citizens and the enemy of America.

We demand:

· The United States insist that Syria begin a transparent, humanitarian, genuine process of reform.

· Immediate economic sanctions to cripple the regime’s ability to inflict harm upon her people.

· Full unfettered access of international media to every street in Syria with full reporting about the truth of the murders, abuse, and massacres happening on the streets of Syria.

· All political prisoners of conscience need to be released immediately.

· The police state culture of fear and intimidation must end immediately.

· The entire Syrian government leadership must resign and welcome U.N. observers to oversee a transition of the current regime out of power with a clear roadmap toward democracy and civilian control of government and military institutions.

· A new opportunity for all Syrian citizens to have access to government and society.

This will happen organically if the yoke of the violent oppression from Assad’s henchmen disappears.

There is nothing more closely wedded to American and Syrian interests than the ouster of Assad and his thugs and a new spring for Syria.

Throughout the recent monumental changes in the Middle East we have seen that pressure from the international community has had significant impact on the decisions of these tyrants to finally vacate their seats of power. Mubarak in Egypt left office after it was clear the United States was no longer going to support his regime. NATO’s current intervention in Libya on behalf of the rebel forces while chaotic seems to be presenting an opportunity for Libyans to see a world without Qad
affi.

The Syrians deserve the same support and the same opportunity.

We call on all people of conscience to support the courageous demonstrators in Syria who risk everything they have for a better life for their families and countrymen by visiting our website SaveSyriaNow.com and signing our petition.

We are a group of concerned American citizens of Syrian descent who are calling upon our government, the United Nations, and free countries and peoples throughout the world to denounce the actions of the Assad regime.

Help Syria to step away from the shadow of Assad and into the light of liberty! Give her people the protection that can only come from international scrutiny.

Help Syria build the institutions that will secure the freedom of her people!

Freedom loving people cannot stand idly by and watch the brutality of Assad’s regime continue to unfold. It is incumbent upon us, if we cherish liberty, to do all that we can to eliminate the oppression that is taking place.

Please stand with us for Syria! Stand with us for Liberty! Engage for the freedom of the Syrian people!

Save Syria Now!!

Sincerely,

Americans of Syrian Descent

Ammar Alsheikh

Phoenix, AZ

Zachary Alzein

Chicago, IL

Ahmad Banna

Cleveland, OH

Moustafa Banna

Tucson, AZ

Shaza Banna

Cleveland, OH

Rana Barmada

Phoenix, AZ

Emilio Dabul

South Plainfield, NJ

Mountasir Dbeis

Phoenix, AZ

Amira Jalaghi

Chandler, AZ

Fadi Jalaghi

Chandler, AZ

M. Zuhdi Jasser

Phoenix, AZ

Gada Jasser

Phoenix, AZ

Samar Jasser

Scottsdale, AZ

Aiche Jasser

Scottsdale, AZ

Mofied Kassab

Phoenix, AZ

Seema Kassab

Phoenix, AZ

Suhir Lababidi

Scottsdale, AZ

Zaki Lababidi

Scottsdale AZ

Badiah Lababidi

Scottsdale, AZ

Hashem Lababidi

Scottsdale, AZ

Sammy Rayes

Chandler, AZ

Zeyad Rifai,

Phoenix, AZ

CC: Congressman John Boehner, Speaker of the House of Representatives

Senator Harry Reid, Majority leader

Senator Mitch McConnell, Minority leader

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader

Ambassador Susan Rice, United Nations

About Save Syria Now!

Save Syria Now! is a group of Americans of Syrian descent organizing to put pressure on the United States to call for immediate action to be taken against the regime of Bashar Assad of Syria and to bring true liberty to the people of Syria. We stand with the Syrians protestors in the streets to end the tyranny of the Assad family. For more information please visit our website at http://www.savesyrianow.org/.

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Dr. Jasser speaks to Eliot Spitzer on “In the Arena

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Eliot Spitzer speaks to Dr. Zuhdi Jasser about Muslim radicalization on “In the Arena” on CNN.

U.S. Army decision to grant Pfc Nasser Abdo Conscientious Objector status a black day for American Muslim service members

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PHOENIX (July 18, 2011) – The American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD) takes deep exception with the U.S. Army’s recent decision to grant PFC Nasser Abdo Conscientious Objector status. Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, founder and president of AIFD and a former U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander, released the following statement condemning the Army’s decision:

“Recent allegations of child pornography by Pfc. Nasser Abdo have brought to light the grossly misguided decision by Secretary of the Army John McHugh to grant Abdo Conscientious Objector (CO) status. As with the Pentagon report on the massacre at Fort Hood, the U.S Army has once again fallen victim to the insidious influence of political correctness. Abdo’s assertion that his faith precludes him from serving ‘in Afghanistan, Iraq or any war the U.S. Army would conceivably participate in.’ is patently false. It is a slap in the face and extraordinarily offensive to every Muslim who has served the U.S. military honorably, like me. American Muslims serve with distinction throughout all commands every day and it is appalling that the U.S. Army did not recognize that granting Abdo CO status would have a direct impact on their service.

This decision has implications that are far reaching. Our country faces our greatest potential security threat from radical Islamists. That threat has been exponentially increasing since 9/11. In the words of Faisal Shahzad, the Times Square Bomber, and Major Nidal Hasan, perpetrator of the Fort Hood Massacre which killed 13 and injured over 30, they are “Muslim Soldiers.” Islamism (political Islam ) fuels Islamist terror groups by instilling the ideology among Muslims that the “ummah” is a single global political unit and nation state that stands against all non-Muslim states. This decision directly feeds that false narrative that Muslims are unable to participate in war against other Muslims. History tells us quite differently and our citizenship oath demands otherwise. The Army took the politically correct, easy way out and appeased a traitor who had a yearlong campaign against our nation and our military. Nasser Abdo is exploiting his Muslim identity and faith for his own political agenda. He represents a fringe group of radical Muslims who take their Muslim identity over their American identity. His argument that the Qur’an only allows Muslims to participate in “just wars” against non-Muslims is bigoted and inaccurate.

Abdo’s claims of conscientious objection clearly violate the requirements for CO status as delineated by DOD directive 1300.06. On August 21, 2010, he treasonously told the foreign Islamist media arm, Al Jazeera, “I don’t believe I can involve myself in an army that wages war against Muslims. I don’t believe I could sleep at night if I take part, in any way, in the killing of a Muslim.” In his own published web statement he further states that “being a soldier in the U.S. Army may not be permissible according to Islamic doctrine. It did not take me long to find an abundance of religious sources on the matter… fighting in an unjust war particularly against a fellow Muslim brother would be considered to be a form of disbelief or kufr”

According to DOD directive 1300.06 (May 31, 2007), CO status is given to those enlisted who have “a firm, fixed and sincere objection to participation in war in any form or the bearing of arms, by reason of religious training and/or belief.” CO status cannot be selective for any particular war. It is only against all war or any military service. The Military has made the application for CO status extremely clear so that soldiers, sailors and marines can not abuse the system and run from their military responsibility. Abdo entered the Army in April 2009 freely and knowing full well that he stood a significant chance of being deployed in one of two theaters of war. Abdo’s statements clearly demonstrate that not only does he exploit the CO provision, but he is a traitor who clearly is serving his Islamist loyalties and beliefs about the “ummah” above his sworn loyalties to the United States and our security. His actions are a cowardly attempt to use his faith to make a political statement about wars in Muslim majority nations.

Lest any Muslim be perceived as a future Nasser Abdo, AIFD would like to take this opportunity to make it explicitly clear that Mr. Abdo is not only a traitor but has departed from mainstream interpretations of Islam and our duties to the United States of America. In fact his interpretation is dangerous and part of radical Islam globally. It fuels a profound resentment against Muslims in America. It is imperative that other American Muslim organizations speak truth to emphatically denounce this decision by the Secretary McHugh. Abdo has essentially made it so every American Muslim serving in uniform should be questioned for their loyalty to service. As such Muslim organizations need to stand with American Muslims who have the courage to step on the battlefield to defend all of our liberties. Fore Muslim leaders there is no equivocating here. Abdo’s condemnation of their service is pathetic and deserving of condemnation, not CO status.

Abdo disgraces the pride of being an American which we instill in our American Muslim children. His use of CO status is not only false it is un-Islamic. Abdo’s obsession with Islamophobia is the same logic that drove the murderous rampage of Maj Nidal Hasan on Nov. 5, 2009 at Fort Hood. Abdo’s adherence to the global Islamist ideology above his American loyalty runs to the core of what we Muslims need to fight in real counterterrorism. Abdo’s actions are an affront to every American Muslim who has proudly donned a US military uniform. His assertions are not built on Islamic teachings but on a feeble adherence to the global political ideology of Islamism that threatens our security and radicalizes our Muslim youth.”

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Gregg Edgar
Gordon C. James Public Relations
gedgar@gcjpr.com
602-690-7977

About the American Islamic Foundation for Democracy
The American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. AIFD’s mission advocates for the preservation of the founding principles of the United States Constitution, liberty and freedom, through the separation of mosque and state. For more information on AIFD, please visit our website at http://www.aifdemocracy.org/.

Zuhdi Jasser joins Bill Hemmer in studio to discuss Muslim outreach

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President Obama announced a new plan for renewed Muslim Outreach after the killing of Bin laden.