DEARBORN — More than 400 Arab Americans gathered here Friday, Aug. 2 at Greenfield Manor, where Dr. Bashar Al-Jaafari, Syria’s permanent representative to the United Nations and Archbishop Louka Al-Khour, deputy patriarch of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, spoke at an Iftar dinner. 

Those who attended the event are supporters of Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad, and against the opposition. Attendees expressed much concern about foreign intervention in Syria. 

The event was put on by the Syrian American Forum, a group formed to educate the Syrian community and the general public as to political, social and economic events occurring in the United States and Syria. 

Members of the community, who are against the Syrian regime, were disappointed about the event being held during the Islamic Holy Month of Ramadan.  The local Arab community is divided between those who support the Syrian regime, and others who are against it. The Syrian regime has been accused of war crimes against its people, and Al-Assad has been labeled by many as a tyrant. The opposition has also been accused of war crimes as well. 

Several young Arab Americans attended the event. Waad Thabet, 14, who was born in the United States and has parents from Syria, delivered a message to President Obama, before attendees, urging him to stop the United States involvement in the Syrian crisis. She asked the president to stop sending weapons to terrorists by arming the opposition. 

“What if all this was happening in America, would you try to stop them, or would you let the terrorists keep killing people? Please stop sending money and weapons to the terrorists,” Thabet said. 

Over 400 Arab Americans attended the event including a large number of youth.

“Finally, Mr. President I want you to help my cousins live the way I do, the way your own daughters do. God bless Syria and God bless America…I will always be a proud Syrian and American.” 

Outside of the youth who attended the event, a video was shown of Syrian youth from different religious sects, speaking out against the opposition. 

Syrian rebels stand accused of kidnapping two bishops. Much concern has been raised about the dangers minorities in Syria would face if Al-Assad’s regime was toppled. 

Local Pastor Joseph Antypas of the St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church said that as a Christian from Syria, he’s worried about minorities in the country.  He says Christians and Muslims in Syria didn’t have issues living together before the civil war started, but now the conflict is creating a division between religious sects. 

 “Of course it worries us. Christians are nearly 10 percent of the population. Christians are an important part of Syrian society. We’ve been living together peacefully, and know, with a situation like this, we are definitely worried about our togetherness and living in one society,” Antypas said.  

Speaking to The Arab American News Al-Jaafari said, “In Syria there is no majority and minority, there are Syrians, and this country belongs to all the Syrians. This is the kind of Syria we want to see. We don’t want Syria to be divided into minorities and many states. This is not the Syria we are looking for.” 

Ambassador Al-Jaafari said Syria is fighting the same terrorists that attacked the United States on Sep. 11 and told the crowd to write to their senators and congressmen about their concerns. 

The crisis in Syria, which started as part of the Arab Spring uprisings, has claimed the lives of more than 100,000 Syrians. 

“We want to protect our country from foreign fighters coming across the border from neighboring countries trained, financed, sent by foreign intelligences into Syria to commit murders and terrorist acts. This is not about political reforms; you don’t reform your country by destroying the infrastructure, by killing innocent people, by attacking schools and hospitals, by kidnapping bishops, by killing Islamic clerics. You don’t reform your country by relying on such appalling criminal acts,” Ambassador Al-Jaafari said.