May 4, 2016

‎Aleppo is currently facing some of the worst bombardment in the history of the Syrian Civil War. Hundreds of people have been killed in the last week alone, the result of Russian air strikes and Assad regime barrel bombs, one of which struck a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders. All this in violation of the ceasefire agreement.

The atrocities in Aleppo against civilians are not only a Syrian issue but an issue that directly impacts the American Muslim community.

The flagrant violations of the ceasefire by both the Assad regime and the Russian government must be widely condemned. We implore the Administration to take urgent measures to protect Syrian civilians. Furthermore the international community must act to make the protection of civilians an immediate priority, particularly because aerial bombardment has been the number one killer of civilians in Syria.

Maintaining the status quo has only served to worsen the tragedy in Syria. If peace talks are to succeed, they must be supported by serious measures that will protect civilians and deescalate the violence. Doing nothing or a weak response at this juncture will be seen as tacitly condoning the current killing and violence.