I know many of you do not fully comprehend what's going on in Syria. To be honest, I don’t either. It is a complex crisis with many moving parts, and there are many sides to take and viewpoints to share. But a simple fact is this, a religious minority in Syria - the Druze - are soon to be attacked by ISIS. The Druze are a neutral, peaceful, and defenseless minority; not aggressive or trouble-seeking. All they want to do is to protect their land and to survive.
This campaign is not asking you to fund a war. This is just asking you to help give the Syrian Druze a fighting chance at surviving the impending and imminent ISIS attacks. The money from this campaign will be going toward helping the Druze in two ways:
Background:
The total human toll since the start of the Syrian civil war 4 years ago has been heavy. With 9 million in need of aid and protection, and 2.5 million displaced, the UN has declared it the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century.
Right now there are about 600,000+ Druze living in the southern part of Syria called Jabal al-Druze. ISIS and al-Nusra (sister terrorist group) have almost surrounded the whole Druze community and they are not backing down. Amongst the Druze, there are only about 160,000 able-bodied men who are willing to defend their families and homes with their lives, but their willingness is not enough to put up a good fight.
This campaign is a collaboration with the fundraising efforts of the Druze community in Israel, who are spearheading an effort to raise funds within local villages for their brethren in Syria. A similar endeavour by the Israeli Druze was made in the past during the Lebanese civil war to get money to Lebanese Druze, and because of that, the Druze survived the war. The current situation in Syria is already much more serious than what happened in Lebanon 25 years ago, and they need our help today more than ever.
How the funds will be used:
TO HELP WITH PURCHASE OF FOOD
A few months ago, flour cost USD1.29/kg. Today it is USD12.95/kg - a 1000% increase! There is great price fluctuation for food, and it is not clear how much prices will change in the days leading up to ISIS’ attack. The Druze need the funds so that they are financially able to overcome potential price shocks.
When ISIS attacks, the siege does not end till whole cities are captured. When this happens, the Druze need to have a ready and lasting stockpile of food as entering and leaving the community safely may not be possible. Helping the Druze build this stockpile will decrease unnecessary risks they may have to take while under attack.
TO HELP WITH PURCHASE OF DEFENSE EQUIPMENT
The Syrian Druze are no match to ISIS’ arsenal of battle equipment, weaponry, and seemingly endless funding. Neither are they being protected by any official armed forces. Some of the money will go to arming Druze men with weapons to defend the community.
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Last summer there was a video circulating on the Internet showing a helicopter rescue of desperate Iraqi Yazidis escaping ISIS. The Syrian Druze will soon find themselves in a similar circumstance if they are unable to defend themselves. Their situation is desperate.
Do not sit by and do nothing. Edmund Burke said all that is necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing. There is an overwhelming kind of helplessness that we experience when faced with conflicts like this. It often cripples us from taking action. But let's try to leave this helplessness behind and give just as we can. In these tough times, even the smallest donation can make a real difference.
$2,500 is a huge amount for me personally, yet I have faith that we can exceed even this goal. The Druze in Syria need all the money they can get. And if you are unable to donate, that's okay too. It would mean so much to me if you could just spread the word on your social media platforms :)
