Washington, D.C. | www.mpac.org | December 8, 2024 — The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) congratulates the Syrian people on the successful deposing of a 54 year long dictatorship which brutally reigned over every aspect of Syrian life. In the summer of 2011, MPAC was one the first American Muslim institutions stating that Assad had lost legitimacy after a brutal response to the peaceful demonstrations calling for democratic reforms as part of the wider Arab Spring movement.

The Syrian people have suffered immensely over the last 13 years, with over a half million killed, thousands tortured and wrongfully held in prisons, destruction of infrastructure and historical sites belonging to all faith traditions, and millions becoming refugees and internally displaced. The world will never forget the images of Syrian refugees escaping across oceans and countless people losing their lives to reach safety and security.

It is incumbent upon the international community, the United Nations, and both the Biden and Trump Administrations to support the Syrian people in their aspiration for self-determination, freedom and democracy. For too long, Syria has been a playground for regional and international powers and their proxies who have prevented democracy and self-determination since the end of World War I.

The Muslim Public Affairs Council stands ready to work with the Syrian American community and the incoming administration to ensure that our policy as Americans is focused on empowering the forces of democracy, pluralism, and self-determination. The post-9/11 war on terror policies coming out of Washington have failed at every step and have caused havoc and instability in the Middle East. The United States now has an opportunity to focus on diplomacy, engagement, and democratic reforms in the region. The language of war and terrorism must be a policy of the past and the focus must be on Human Security of the Syrians, Americans, and the people of the region.