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A Soaking Success: Walk for Children of Syria

Atlanta police cars slowly arrived at the corner between the CNN Center and Centennial Park at noon on Saturday, September 8th. “Who is the organizer of this event” they asked a large group of Muslim and Christian students, mothers, fathers, and children. They all pointed to a young, petite 14 year-old girl wearing a red T-shirt displaying birds - spelling the word freedom. They questioned her with what she was planning, and she calmly reassured them by saying, “Don’t worry officers, I know the rules.”

Having only 14 days of planning the Atlanta “Walk and Flash Mob for the Children of Syria,” Huda Saeb, with the collaboration of a few other organizers whom each played an equally important role in planning and preparing, successfully organized the walk. With a hardworking group of a few people, anything can be accomplished. The organizers consisted of four young ladies including Huda Saeb, Yasmeen Shahout, Noura Machhour, and of course, SAC Georgia President Abboud Malla, Ranya Haraba Bucci, Hamzeh Bouchi, and others. The walk took place nationally in 19 cities across the nation, and Atlanta organizers decided to add a twist to the walk by starting out with a flash mob to raise more awareness.

Flash mobs have become a common tool for activists to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis in Syria. Men, women, and children all participated in this exciting activity. The goal is to have the participants re-create a large scene (made up of several scenes) that happens every day in Syria. Men stood above beaten men pointing “guns” toward their heads. One man held a “chain” that tied three young women down to the ground. One mother cried over her killed daughter laying in her arms. Another mother held her children close to her to protect them from the attacks. Innocent children tried to make their murdered father wake up. One couple sat in fear while a man held a “sniper” above them - about to blow their heads off. Spray “blood” and bandages covered most of the victims.

Putting the entire act together and having 20 to 30 people stand or sit still in their scene correctly took about 40 minutes to one hour to prepare. They froze in the scene for about 30 minutes. Across the street were about 200 other participants who held Syrian and American flags, posters, and a large banner that said “Human Crisis: Syria.” Many cars that drove by supported the cause by honking for a free Syria. Pedestrians stopped to take pictures of the frozen flash mob and large number of people gathered to walk for the Syrian children. The only media coverage that was present was one journalist recording the entire event on his iPhone and one photo journalist who took photos of the flash mob at the beginning of the event.

The flash mob ended and the participants stood up relieved that the horrifying scene they were portraying was only an act that ended within half an hour, while children in Syria suffer far more every living day. Emory University student and flash mob participant, Rami Tabbaa, described his violent scene as “very awkward and mentally conflicting.” The walk began with traditional arabic drumming and young Huda Saeb leading the crowd with a megaphone chanting “Free free Syria” and “Russia, China you will see, Syria Syria will be free.” Suddenly, clouds began sprinkling.

The best part is yet to come. 200 people walked about one block to find that the sprinkling became raining, then the raining became pouring. Umbrellas came out - for the lucky ones. Had a street vendor miraculously been walking by selling umbrellas, he would have made a fortune. That did not happen. However, it did not matter to the “Free Syria” supporters; they kept on walking, chanting “In the desert, in the rain, Freedom we will gain!” The participants walked in the rain, crossing streets, soaking their feet in puddles of water, dedicated to continue what they had started. They were there to show support for the Syrian children and raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis. They were not ready to leave yet.

When they reached Woodruff Park, more chants filled the air and the voices of passionate supporters were raised above the sound of pouring rain. They all chanted in union “1,2,3,4, Kick the Bashar out the door, 5,6,7,8, Stop the killing, stop the hate” and “The people united will never be defeated.” They also chanted messages to the White House, “The people want a no fly zone!” The rain slowed down a bit and the large group of chanters walked back to the starting place where they ended their chants with more traditional drumming and Syrian revolution songs. Participants remembered when Assad and his regime had cut off all the water on cities in Syria, and God answered their prayers with pouring rain. Hope and mercy had just showered the participants and purified their souls.

“You did the right thing today,” one organizer told the participants before they returned home. “You showed that you care about the suffering Syrian children. You spent your Saturday morning standing with the oppressed against injustice. Great job.” “But don’t stop here,” she reminded them. “The revolution is not over. Write to your US Congressmen and Senators, write to your Secretary of State, and write to President Obama, tell them to send aid inside Syria. Tell Obama what we want.” Together, the crowd chanted, “The people want a no fly zone.”

In Syria there are over 29,000 innocent victims because of Assad's brutal regime, one of the most violent regimes in history of a government against its own people. Women have been raped, children slaughtered, and men tortured in countless numbers. Injured children to not have enough aid or medical help and are being killed in their own homes. The rest, over 200,000 people, have fled to neighboring countries. The “Walk for the Children of Syria” is a nationwide event that took place in about 20 cities across the country to raise awareness about the humanitarian catastrophe and generate funds for the Syrian children.

 

Click To View:  Walking For The Chidren Of Syria Atlanta, Ga.

Walk for Children of Syria - Coming to a city near you!
Walk for Children of Syria - Coming to a city near you!

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