Local club helps Syrian migrants through humanitarian fundraiser
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Syrian Lebanese America Club (SLAC) held a fundraiser on Oct. 10 in Portland aimed at supporting the ongoing migrant crisis in the Middle East. The event was created in order to raise funds for families fleeing Syria who may be lacking food, shelter, and other basic needs throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean region. The mass migration is due to the intense civil war being fought in Syria between Russian-backed President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime, various Syrian rebel groups aided by the U.S. and its allies, and the so-called Islamic State. The conflict, which began in 2011 amidst the Arab Spring protests, now threatens instability well beyond Syria’s borders.
“As a result of the civil war there are many people who are in need of help,” said Matthew Atiyeh, a member of the SLAC. “This event was formed with a purpose of raising money in order to give aid to suffering citizens in Syria,” he said. “The event was a chance for the Syrian community to come together for a cause that we all feel is important.”
The SLAC has put on similar events in recent years in order to raise funds for migrants, and plans to host more in the future. The fundraiser was also an opportunity for the Syrian and Lebanese communities of Portland to come together and show support of their culture and history.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, over 3 million Syrians have fled beyond the nation’s borders, and 6.5 million have been displaced from their homes within Syria. Both the civil war and the Islamic State gaining ground in the country have caused these numbers to grow. CNN has recently reported that there has been an estimated 310,000 deaths in the four and a half years since the start of the war.
The United States has been supplying the rebel forces with weapons and ammunition, and as of late the Russian military has been aiding the Assad Regime with air support, adding more international involvement in the conflict. The Syrian leader recently traveled to Moscow to discuss the military campaign against the rebels.
“Firstly, not all of Syria is against Bashar Al-Assad and his regime,” said Atiyeh. “The common belief in the United States, due to the media’s portrayal of the war, is that Syria is completely against the Bashar regime and that the Syrian citizens support the so called ‘freedom fighters.’”
The SLAC was created in Portland during the 1940s by a group of Syrian men with the hopes of keeping their history and culture alive even after leaving their home countries. The club meets on the first and third Friday of every month, and one of the more prominent goals of the group is to discuss ways to keep the Syrian and Lebanese culture alive outside of the Middle East. The Syrian Lebanese American Club is located in Portland at 11610 SE Holgate Blvd., and can be contacted directly through its Facebook page.
