The Syrian American Council Strongly Condemns Attack on United States Capitol
The members, staff, and supporters of the Syrian American Council and Americans for a Free Syria watched in disbelief as the basic values of American democracy were threatened in the Capitol on Wednesday.
WASHINGTON D.C., January 13, 2021 – The Syrian American Council and Americans for a Free Syria mourn the senseless loss of life and strongly condemn the horrific attack on the U.S. Capitol last week. We also call upon the U.S. government to ensure that those responsible for these heinous crimes are held accountable, and specifically urges Congress to conduct an investigation into the incitement and disinformation which led to the attack.
The Syrian American Council and Americans for a Free Syria join fellow Americans in calling for a renewed national commitment to the basic tenets of American democracy — peaceful transition of power based upon the will of the people to choose their elected leader. These are the democratic aspirations that are shared by the Syrian people, and for which the Syrian American Council and Americans for a Free Syria will continue to advocate. We have called for democracy and the peaceful transition of power abroad and are now witnessing the rise of rhetoric that refuses to honor legitimate democratic political processes and has fostered violence and extremism. American citizens must hold their elected officials to account, and ensure that the will of the people through free and fair elections is maintained.
“As Syrian Americans, we know despotic leadership that seeks to undermine the democratic process when we see it. We have long seen the United States as a beacon of hope for the values of freedom and democracy that the Syrian people have fought to implement. Wednesday’s events remind us that the United States’ democracy can be fragile and that all of us have a civic duty to hold our leaders accountable when they enable this violence,” said Dr. Zaki Lababidi, president of the Syrian American Council. “I was saddened to watch the violent attempt to prevent the peaceful transition of power.”
As organizations, the Syrian American Council and Americans for a Free Syria have always upheld the principles of freedom and democracy in Syria and have an obligation as representatives of a coalition of Syrian Americans and supporters of a free Syria to stand up against the attacks on democracy in the United States.
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