On March 13 2014, NAAP members across the country joined the Global #WithSyria Vigil campaign to stand in solidarity with the Syrian people. The initiative marked the third anniversary of the Syrian revolution and three years of failure by the world to end the appalling suffering – what the UN has called the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century where:

40% of the population has been displaced
more than 2.4 million registered Syrian refugess are living in neighboring countries
~ 9 million people inside Syria are in need of humanitarian aid
Over 140,000 people have been killed
We stand #WithSyria and all those in our home countries striving for freedom, dignity and empowerment and encourage all to support the people of Syria in their time of need.

NAAP-Boston, Harvard Square

“Our Boston community stands in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in Syria as they continue their struggle for freedom and justice. It’s importand for us to commemorate the 3rd anniversary of the revolution, to show those struggling that we have not forgotten about them, and to continue to inform our community about what is taking place in Syria. Members from different Arab countries attended the vigil, such as Sryians, Lebanese, Egyptians, Saudis, Palestinians and Jordanians. We even had friends from different nationalities like Bosnia join us, which shows that the Syrian struggle is a shared one of freedom and justice.” – Tarek Abu-Jbarah, National Treasurer & NAAP-Boston President.

NAAP-DC, Capitol Reflecting Pool

“An anniversary is traditionally thought of as being an occasion of togetherness and joy but occasionally our world shows us that anniversaries can bring sadness. As a community we remained glued to our televisions and our respective newsfeeds while awaiting news of hope that our brothers and sisters in Syria would be given some sort of break to catch their breath and look forward to a day without the loss of life and absence of basic human rights.

Unfortunately, this past weekend marked the 3rd year anniversary of no such break for the Syrian people. While NAAP-DC maybe be a collection of Arabs and non-Arabs form all walks of life, we have all united our efforts to show support for all those affected. On March 13, NAAP members stood in subfreezing temperatures to show support for the Syrian people by participating in a vigil overlooking the US Capitol.

On March 14, we also had presence in front of the White House as the 100,000+ individuals who have fallen in this crisis had their names read aloud for over 72 hours straight. NAAP-DC supported the people of Syria from the initial life lost and will support this humanitarian crisis until our brothers and sisters can emerge from the madness their lives have become regardless their banner or direction of their prayers.” – Said Durrah, National Board member and NAAP-DC Chairman.

NAAP-NY, Washington Square Park

“The candlelight vigil for Syria was a global movement, not just Syrian, or Arab, or Regional. It showed that people around the world recognize the atrocities and injustice in Syria and haven’t forgotten the Syrian people.” Reema Hibrawi, NAAP-NY member and student organizer.

NAAP-SFBA, 14th and Broadway Streets, Oakland

“The conflict in Syria is the greatest humanitarian crisis of our times. We’re thankful that NAAP is raising awareness and the IRC looks forward to helping Syrian refugees rebuild their lives here in the United States.” – Lara Shbeyr-Maxey, National Board member & NAAP-LA co-founder.