Washington rally urges support for refugees

One day before the US expects to welcome its ten thousandth Syrian war refugee, hundreds of concerned American citizens gathered here in the shadow of the Washington Monument to express their solidarity last week, to raise awareness about the global refugee crisis, and to urge continued US action — at home and abroad — to alleviate the suffering of refugees through relief efforts and resettlement.
The event, billed as the “DC Rally 4 Refugees,” featured performances by, among others, the Pihcintu Chorus of 32 female refugees, Syrian opera singer, Lubana Al-Quntar; and Iraqi pop/rock bank, UTN1. Speakers included award-winning journalists, songwriters, and former Iraqi ministers and ambassadors. Medical professionals who had volunteered in Syria also addressed the crowd.
Estimating that over 2,000 people attended this event, Kathy Hertz, founder and executive director of DC Rally 4 Refugees, told Arab News: “I decided to help organize this event after spending two weeks assisting refugees on the island of Lesbos, Greece. 
Hertz, who was accompanied by her 82-year-old father and 13-year-old son, had been on the Monument grounds since 5 a.m. “At the moment, this effort is my religion. Our goal today is to have everyone understand that every little bit helps. Too little means to do nothing, people just need to do something, anything.”
Organizers of DC Rally 4 Refugees informed attendees and volunteers to come to the event wearing orange-colored clothing. During the five-hour rally, the throng gathered around the outdoor Sylvan Theatre stage at times resembled a sea of orange humanity. Orange, of course, is the color of the life vests that so many refugees wore during their perilous journey across the seas from the war zones from which they fled. 
Feras Jawish, his wife Raheb, and their four-year-old son, Syrian refugees who arrived in Chicago 11 months ago — after enduring two years in refugee status in Greece — flew here to attend the event.
“Refugees are not poor people. We all want to contribute, and to be part of this great country,” Jawish, a physician from Damascus, told Arab News. “We were ecstatic when we learned we had been selected by the American immigration authorities to enter the US. 
“Once we arrived in Chicago, we were helped a lot by resettlement organizations such as Catholic Charities, and by the Syrian-American community.” 
Jawish, who is currently working as a receptionist for the Mount Sinai Medical Group in Chicago, is already studying to obtain his certification to work in Illinois as a medical doctor.
Fatima Abby, a Saudi-born Somali-American, arrived in the US in 1998 with her parents and siblings. She now serves with the D.C. Health Department and recently returned from volunteering to assist refugees on Lesbos. “I am passionate about helping people. When I went to Greece, I raised $4,800 to buy supplies for the refugees in Greece. This was in addition to the $2,300 I personally paid for my own ticket and expenses to be there.”
“We are all human,” Abby added. “We all need to open our doors to enable people to have a chance to obtain what so many Americans have — peace and security.”
Muslim-American students from Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC, were on hand to assist and answer questions. Sporting big smiles, young men and women from all corners of the Muslim world expressed their passion to help others, draw attention to the plight of the refugees, and increase awareness within the US government about the need for more humanitarian aid, assistance, and support.
“We must remember that all these refugees were taken from their homes, taken from their families, and lost their possessions,” said Amal Osman who emigrated from Egypt to the US with her family in 2006. “All they want is to live in a safe environment.” 

Source: Arab News