Allentown has one of the largest Syrian Christian communities in the United States. Most members of that community attend St. Georges Orthodox Church, and have been in Allentown for three or more generations. Like other ethnic groups they settled in the 6th Ward in the early 1900's. Although a minority in Syria, they are protected by Assad and his father before him. The Morning Call has been featuring their defense of Assad and their objection to the recent missile attack by the United States. It is their position that the gas attack was anti-Assad propaganda, and not carried out by the Syrian Government.
The Syrian civil war continues to be a tragedy. With over 400,000 deaths and 5 million refugees, a missile attack on possible gas production facilities is the least of Syria's problems. Putting aside the Syrian Christian objections, the attack has also become a political football with other factions. The anti-Trumpers find fault with it, or anything he would do. Because both Britain and France participated in the military action, the opposition parties in those countries accuse both Theresa May and Emmanuel Macron of kowtowing to Trump.
United States and its allies cannot turn a blind eye to the use of gas and poison even in the most horrendous of wars. Likewise, the coalition cannot be deterred by threats from Russia. The response was both measured and appropriate.
photocredit:April Gamiz/The Morning Call
If these local yocals from Syria love Mr. Assad so much, why not return to their lovely country?
ReplyDeletebartee@7:09, although i found the military response by USA, Britain and France appropriate, I respect the Syrian community's right to protest. That community has and does contribute richly to Allentown's history.
ReplyDeleteEssentially, these are the same people who helped and voted for an Indicted mayor and got him reelected. What is wrong with these individuals? They believe that crime, being federal or international, is no problem in government institutions, administrations and operations. I respect their right to protest, their freedom of speech and their right to associate, however, to support a dictator who flagrantly bombs his citizens, [including women and children], with WMD or any other source of mass killings, a candidate for war crimes and should be strung up like his brother Saddam Hussein.
ReplyDeleteI personally support the Arab community in Allentown and patronize their stores and businesses. Apparently, these people are blindly led by a parasitic group of individuals who engage in back door politics and control. The community follows, thus the support for criminals is essential for survival and unity.
fire@7:57, the only country in the middle east that isn't really tribal in nature is israel. it has pretty much required a dictator in the arab countries to hold them together. without the dictators anarchy prevails. the christians in syria may literally owe their survival to the assad family.
ReplyDeletehere is allentown they were politically organized by the DA george joseph back in the 1960's. The 6th ward democrats became a reliable power broker back then. pawlowski was wise enough to court their influence.
i do not mean to speak for the syrian community, but in lieu of their silence here, i will rely on my third generation background to response.
I respect the local Syrian community in many ways. I could appreciate their protest if it came with angst, rather than vitriol. It would be nice to see that they cared about the use of chemical weapons in their country as well as the 'protection' of Christians by the Assads.
ReplyDeleteTens of thousands of Italian-Americans were literally sent to their homeland (or homeland of their parents) in WWII. Few, if any, protested the US war with Mussolini. Italian-Americans knew the evil of Hitler and his Axis powers and dutifully served.
Thanks Mike for the history lessen. I worked for Charles "Chinkie" Charles for numerous years. With my business degree in tow, I helped him write the Allentown Police budget for two mayors. He was a great guy and gave me numerous lessons on local Syrian politics. And you are right, the Assad family did protect the Christians in the country, especially the ones from Amar, where most of the Allentown Syrians hail from.
ReplyDeleteStill, if they were living today [Charles & Joseph], they would not support the use of WMD against its own citizens with impunity; yet alone women and children. I understand the need to root out the rebels, however, the way their doing it is against all laws and should be dealt with.
The problem, whether it be Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, or any tribal country, is that bombing alone can not secure the country. Hell, bombing alone was not enough in WW2; we still had to occupy Germany & Japan to ensure civilian peace. The moment we leave, pull out troops, we are back to square one. So, then the question becomes, does the United States want to remain an occupier forever in these Muslim lands? Is it worth the candle? It is to DOD vendors and a professional military, and as long as there is no draft, it appears the general public is indifferent. Fewer & fewer Congressmen, and certainly those under 40, have ever served in the military. Fewer middle & upper class economic Americans even know anyone in the military.....it has become a segment of society that fewer folks ever interact with.
ReplyDeleteSo, the bombing of three empty buildings changes nothing on the ground. It is a political act, for domestic PR consumption, of no consequence to the parties on the ground, who will continue to die from conventional Syrian/Russian/Iranian/Hezbollah bombing/armaments, and no doubt from future chlorine gas.
The Middle East is the home of the "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" doctrine, and that is all it takes to explain American Christian of Syrian descent support for Assad. It has nothing to do with good guy/bad guy analysis.
Jews had no future in the Europe of the 1930's; Christians have no future in the Levant now.