November 21, 2012

As news continues to pour out over the current conflict between Hamas and Israel, we cannot forget the ongoing crisis in Syria. To date, the total death toll of Syrians is almost at 40,000. The Syrian revolution has been ongoing since March 2011, but after the formation of a coalition of Syrian opposition groups in Doha on Nov. 11 known as the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (NCSROF), MPAC views this development with hope for the future of Syria.

While many Arab Spring revolutions generally saw less violence throughout their campaigns to freedom, the Syrian story has been much different with difficulties and horrible calamities. What is reassuring is that NCSROF, which has been formally recognized by France, England, Turkey and members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, is taking a much needed first step in the Syrian quest for freedom. In amassing a diverse coalition of Syrians, the opposition is showing its strength in pursuing a pluralistic Syria in a post-Bashar al-Assad era.

We call on the international community to reiterate their demand for al-Assad to end the atrocities against the Syrian people and for him to step down. MPAC calls for a no-fly zone in Syria and for humanitarian aid to be delivered, without obstruction, to those in need. We call on President Barack Obama’s newly created Atrocities Prevention Board to lead efforts in working with the international community to allow NCSROF to further their journey to freedom and uphold important principles that will play an important role once they replace the al-Assad dictatorship.

In addition to the humanitarian relief Syria needs, we maintain that certain principles must be upheld in order for the opposition coalition to remain a relevant and viable governing power. These principles include:

• Upholding the human rights of all people and preventing further atrocities in Syria;
• Developing means to protect religious minorities in Syria;
• Maintaining representation within the government that reflects Syria’s diversity and pluralism;
• Developing political means to address concerns of the Syrian people; and
• Establishing mechanisms to deter the rise of any militia to act as the agent for any Syrian group.

This revolution is about taking Syria back for Syrians; it cannot be hijacked by extremists seeking to lay claim to a movement that is so clearly not theirs.

MPAC hopes to see positive movements toward peace and justice for the Syrian people who so desperately seek to reclaim their nation from a longstanding dictator.