The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today reaffirmed its longstanding support for the Syrian people in their struggle for liberation from the war criminal Bashar Al Assad, condemned the regime and Russia for their latest desperate “terror bombings” of Syrian civilians, and called on the United States to reassess both its military presence in Syria and its policies toward Syrian rebel groups.
Earlier this week, Syrian rebel forces responded to a surge in bombings by the Assad regime with a military offensive that has freed Aleppo and numerous other cities from the dictator’s control for the first time in years. The Assad regime and Russia have responded by increasing their bombings of civilians in rebel-controlled areas.
In a statement, CAIR said:
“We reaffirm our strong, unwavering and longstanding support for the Syrian people and their struggle for freedom from the regime of the genocidal tyrant and war criminal Bashar Al Assad.
“Bashar Al Assad is a mass murderer who belongs in a cell at The Hague alongside the likes of Benjamin Netanyahu. Anyone who cares about justice, human rights and international law should condemn Assad’s crimes and stand with the Syrian people as they stand up against his illegitimate, tyrannical regime. Let’s also be clear: Assad’s nominal and toothless opposition to the Israeli government’s crimes does not excuse his own crimes or justify his rule. It is long past time for the Assad family’s murderous dictatorship in Syria to end.
“In the coming weeks, the United States should assess the conduct of rebel groups in Aleppo and other freed cities to determine if they clearly show a commitment to protecting civilians, upholding minority rights, collaborating with other stakeholders across Syria, and rejecting global extremist groups like Al Qaeda and Daesh. If so, the United States should then reevaluate its adversarial stance toward the rebel groups.
“The Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration should also begin making plans to ultimately phase out the unauthorized presence of U.S. troops in Syria and return the territory it illegally occupies to the Syrian people so that that they can retake control of their own land, free from Assad and foreign powers. The people of Syria must decide the future of Syria and the broader Muslim world must fight its own battles and settle its own conflicts politically and on the basis of justice.
“We congratulate Syrian-Americans who have been able to make contact with their missing or silenced relatives in Aleppo and other freed cities for the first time in years. We pray that the Syrian people succeed in freeing their land from generations of tyranny and establishing a just, representative government that upholds justice inside and outside of Syria.”
Since the start of the Syrian revolution in 2015, CAIR has expressed support for the Syrian people, condemned the Assad regime’s war crimes, and called for the international community to take action to protect civilians from harm.
SEE: CAIR Calls on Trump to Fulfill Syria Safe Zones Promise After Deadly Gas Attack on Civilians
SEE: Full DC News Conference Video: CAIR, Partners Demand Action on Humanitarian Crisis in Idlib, Syria
END
CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com