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Where's the evidence that the Syrian government gassed its own citizens?
That was the question posed by many among the 150-plus protestors in Dearborn who demonstrated against U.S. militarism in Syria Thursday evening.
The answer is significantly important to approximately 40,000 Dearborn residents of Arab descent.
Many fear U.S. meddling could cause unnecessary violence in the Middle East.
Among the protestors, there was a feeling that an attack is imminent. Numerous activists once lived in Syria. Some of their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, cousins and friends still do.
Red, white and black Syrian flags with green stars waved. Demonstrators wore them as cloaks.
Manor Kodamah, 38, of Dearborn applied lipstick patterned after the Middle Eastern country's flag.
"Hands off Syria" and "no more blood shed," read some of the signs. Honks and shouts of support periodically emanated from passing cars on Michigan Avenue in front of Dearborn City Hall while several speakers explained why intervention is wrong.
U.S. officials, without the support of the United Nations, have stated their intent to commence a "limited strike" on Syria in response to a chemical attack in a suburb of Damascus on Aug. 21 that killed 355 people.
U.S. officials believe the Bashar al-Assad-led government is to blame. The U.S. is arming rebels who are fighting al-Assad for political control of the country.
Members of Dearborn's anti-war contingent oppose the rebels, whom some referred to as Al Qaeda terrorists Thursday, and feel this is a civil war, not one requiring U.S. intervention.
Some of the speech, especially from Osama Siblani, the publisher of the Arab American News, harshly criticized the expected U.S. action.
"There is a Syrian national army that is waiting for any invaders," he told the cheering crowd. "I am not going to be shy today telling Obama, stay out of Syria."
Ziad Fadel, a Dearborn attorney and coordinator for the Syrian-American Forum, says the U.S. is arming terrorists.
"We are trying to remind the American people they still have the ability to oppose ridiculous adventures overseas, prosecuted by old men in Washington with young men over here — and young ladies now, by the way — to die and come back in body bags for nothing," said Fadel, who has "many" family members fighting in the Syrian army. "We don't want to see the United States destroy Syria."
Syrians protest outside of Dearborn City Hall Less abrasive with his message was 30-year-old Modar Horani from Troy who came to the U.S. from Syria with his bride of seven months, Nathalie Abbas, 29, to attend medical school.
The couple hopes to return to Syria once Horani finishes school in four years.
"It's just a peaceful message," said Horani, whose mother, a retired teacher Syrian resident, spends her days indoors hiding from gunfire and explosives. "Enforce it with all the power you have, but enforce the peace, not violence."
"When you look at it as Americans, I agree that it is difficult for you to understand what is happening there because it's a totally different system in that part of the world is running," Horani said, analogizing the contrasts to that of a PC and Mac.
"It's a totally different operating system and just because you have good software that runs on your Windows doesn't mean it's going to run on your Mac," he said. "Destroying the Mac is not the solution. The solution is to understand how the Mac OS works and then make the software that works for that computer.
"I think if all the powers of the world... took out the fighting option and said you guys should sit down and talk and figure out the solution that fits you, I think it could work."
Right now, Horani says, nations of the world are playing sides and inciting a potential war.
Dearborn protestors tell Barack Obama to stay out of Syria | MLive.com
That was the question posed by many among the 150-plus protestors in Dearborn who demonstrated against U.S. militarism in Syria Thursday evening.
The answer is significantly important to approximately 40,000 Dearborn residents of Arab descent.
Many fear U.S. meddling could cause unnecessary violence in the Middle East.
Among the protestors, there was a feeling that an attack is imminent. Numerous activists once lived in Syria. Some of their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, cousins and friends still do.
Red, white and black Syrian flags with green stars waved. Demonstrators wore them as cloaks.
Manor Kodamah, 38, of Dearborn applied lipstick patterned after the Middle Eastern country's flag.
"Hands off Syria" and "no more blood shed," read some of the signs. Honks and shouts of support periodically emanated from passing cars on Michigan Avenue in front of Dearborn City Hall while several speakers explained why intervention is wrong.
U.S. officials, without the support of the United Nations, have stated their intent to commence a "limited strike" on Syria in response to a chemical attack in a suburb of Damascus on Aug. 21 that killed 355 people.
U.S. officials believe the Bashar al-Assad-led government is to blame. The U.S. is arming rebels who are fighting al-Assad for political control of the country.
Members of Dearborn's anti-war contingent oppose the rebels, whom some referred to as Al Qaeda terrorists Thursday, and feel this is a civil war, not one requiring U.S. intervention.
Some of the speech, especially from Osama Siblani, the publisher of the Arab American News, harshly criticized the expected U.S. action.
"There is a Syrian national army that is waiting for any invaders," he told the cheering crowd. "I am not going to be shy today telling Obama, stay out of Syria."
Ziad Fadel, a Dearborn attorney and coordinator for the Syrian-American Forum, says the U.S. is arming terrorists.
"We are trying to remind the American people they still have the ability to oppose ridiculous adventures overseas, prosecuted by old men in Washington with young men over here — and young ladies now, by the way — to die and come back in body bags for nothing," said Fadel, who has "many" family members fighting in the Syrian army. "We don't want to see the United States destroy Syria."
Syrians protest outside of Dearborn City Hall Less abrasive with his message was 30-year-old Modar Horani from Troy who came to the U.S. from Syria with his bride of seven months, Nathalie Abbas, 29, to attend medical school.
The couple hopes to return to Syria once Horani finishes school in four years.
"It's just a peaceful message," said Horani, whose mother, a retired teacher Syrian resident, spends her days indoors hiding from gunfire and explosives. "Enforce it with all the power you have, but enforce the peace, not violence."
"When you look at it as Americans, I agree that it is difficult for you to understand what is happening there because it's a totally different system in that part of the world is running," Horani said, analogizing the contrasts to that of a PC and Mac.
"It's a totally different operating system and just because you have good software that runs on your Windows doesn't mean it's going to run on your Mac," he said. "Destroying the Mac is not the solution. The solution is to understand how the Mac OS works and then make the software that works for that computer.
"I think if all the powers of the world... took out the fighting option and said you guys should sit down and talk and figure out the solution that fits you, I think it could work."
Right now, Horani says, nations of the world are playing sides and inciting a potential war.
Dearborn protestors tell Barack Obama to stay out of Syria | MLive.com