Syrian Human Rights Organization: Open Message To President Barack Obama – OpEd

By The Syrian Human Rights Organization “SWASIAH”

Your Excellency Mr. President Barack Obama,

We are writing to express our disappointment with your complicity in the Syrian regime’s crimes, violations of human rights and threat to the international peace and stability that has been going on since 18 months. Your unhidden support to Assad’s regime has exposed the concept of human rights and the importance of the United Nations besides enforcing the policy of selective and double standards.

Your comments today shocked the Arab and Islamic people who are longing for freedom, democracy and respect to human rights

As the bloodshed in Syrian continues since 18 months, we only heard comments like “Assad lost his legitimacy”, “Assad must step down”, “Assad must secure a political transition in his country” and other inexpensive statements.

Such statements are being considered as an insult the Arabic and Islamic people in general and to the Syrian people in particular. Was Assad ever considered legitimate even after inheriting an authoritarian regime from his father?

Today, you commented that chemical weapons are a red line for your administration, because they also concerns your partners in the Middle East whose safety might be at a stake in case if those weapons fall into the hands of terrorist groups.

We assure you that Assad the son won’t use his chemical weapons against his people. He is well enough by using the cluster and Thermobaric bombs as well as the warplanes, military tanks and heavy artillery. He also won’t use his chemical weapons against Jordan and Lebanon, instead he will use heavy artillery, mortar shells and rocket launchers as happened yesterday in Jordan.

Mr. President, why do you seem like you lost of track of your American ancestors who promised to free America and then move on to free the rest of the world?

How far do you believe in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights whose article No. 1 says: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” while article No. 2 also says: “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

How far do you believe in the Charter of the United Nations which emphasizes on the basics rights, dignity and values of the human being and the equal rights of men and women that came to push the social development forward and improve the standards of living.

Mr. President, you’re only concerned with Assad’s chemical weapons which you considered as a red line for allegedly threatening your partners in the region. What kind of threat Assad’s chemical weapons may pose to your allies who keep a stockpile of weapons of mass destruction that can destroy the whole world?

The daily killing of women, children and the elderly with knives, warplanes, heavy artillery and rocket launchers is not considered as a red line for you and this is apparently because you consider them as humans with no value.

You’re adopting some disappointing policies that will further jeopardize the trust in Americans and that’s what you’re administration try to circumvent by saying that others hate Americans not because of their policy of selectivity and double standards but because of their way of living!

After a year and eight months, more than 26,094 Syrians were killed, including 2060 children and 1960 women. More than 944 died under torture, more than 76,000 are missing and 216000 are being incarcerated and subjected to severe torture In addition to the millions of refugees and displaced people. Apparently, all these were not enough for the U.S. to change its calculations, while the use chemical weapons is the only way for it to act outside the UN Security Council or the United Nations or any other organization.

Such selective policies are a disgrace to the international community which turns a blind eye to the grieving Syrian children, women and elderly but only care about what concern the Israelis.

The international community insists on going on with its political hypocrisy by talking about increasing humanitarian aids while there are no safe corridors or buffer-zones or even a no-fly zone.

On the other hand, we only witness indirect assurances by the international community which appointed the Russian Foreign Minister as the spokesperson of the UNSC which is giving more and more opportunities to the Syrian regime to blatantly kill its people and more over threaten the international peace and stability, the thing which makes us lament on the death of the UN Security Council and the international community, while the Russian and the Chinese position will surely leave a black spot in their history.

You still have a short time ahead in order to make the right shift in your policy and start taking responsibility towards the Syrian crisis based on chapter 7 of the UN Charter thus winning back the pride and prestige of the U.S. and the international community as a whole.

Muhanad Alhasani
Chairman of Administrative Board

The views expressed are the author’s own