Dear John,

What a weekend! I wanted to share with you two important events that I was honored to participate in.

Marking the 11th Anniversary of the Syrian Revolution

On Saturday March 19, I emceed the congressional portion of the ‘For Syria Conference’ that was held in Washington D.C. to commemorate the 11th anniversary of the Syrian Revolution. Sponsored by the American Coalition for Syria, activists from around the country came to Capitol Hill to connect with lawmakers about the importance of not forgetting the Syrian people’s struggle for freedom and dignity. Despite 11 years of violent repression by the Russian-backed Assad regime in its bid to hold on to power, the Syrian people remain steadfast in their call for a democratic and free Syria. Michigan Congressman Andy Levin promised to continue to demand accountability for war crimes committed in Syria and correctly observed that imputing for those crimes was “deeply connected to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.”

Other members, including Rep. Marie Newman (IL-3), Rep. Lou Correa (CA-46), and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-8) also pledged congressional support to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people and to hold the Assad regime accountable.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has certainly awakened the world to its failure in Syria. The inability to end Russia’s aggression against the Syrian people created the impunity that made the invasion of Ukraine possible. The welcoming of Ukrainian refugees by European countries also stands in stark contrast to their treatment of Syrian refugees, with the exception of Germany. Emgage supports human rights at home and abroad, and calls upon the U.S. government to increase its humanitarian support to the Syrian people, to admit more Syrian asylum seekers, and to redouble its diplomatic efforts in support of a political solution.

The State Department Comes to Virginia

As part of our Policy Outreach Series, where we connect local communities with policy professionals in government, think tanks, and academia, I moderated a discussion with the State Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Assistance Coordination, Press, and Public Diplomacy on the Biden Administration’s policy in the Middle East. The event was hosted by the McLean Islamic Center in Virginia. Deputy Assistant Secretary Chris Hodges fielded a wide-range of questions regarding the United States’ economic, political, and security priorities in the region, as well as available programs for Muslim American communities to participate in.

We were fortunate to also be joined by Razi Hashmi who serves in the Office of International Religious Freedom at the State Department. Many thanks to all those who attended the event and to our gracious hosts at MIC.

To learn more about similar upcoming events, make sure to follow us on social media and to subscribe to our newsletter.

Sincerely,

Wa'el Alzayat

Emgage CEO

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