WASHINGTON
The U.S. needs to immediately help establish a no-fly zone in Syria to protect civilians from ongoing attacks, Syrian Americans and Muslim groups said Friday.
The demand came from eight Muslim NGOs after Syrian 2-year-old Aylan Kurdi’s body washed ashore in southwestern Turkey with several other migrants who were trying to reach the Greek island of Kos. The images of the toddler quickly circulated on social media and caused worldwide condemnation at governments for failing to do more to protect illegal immigrants.
During a press conference at the headquarters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Aylan’s picture was displayed next to the speakers' dais.
The national executive director of the nation’s largest Muslim advocacy group urged the Obama administration and Congress to "work with key allies to establish more than one fly zone to protect the Syrian population”.
Nihad Awad said the image of the toddler haunted the conscious of the world community but that more than 300,000 people had drowned since 2011, when the war in Syria began. Pictures of those victims were not seen by the world, he said.
"I hope that this image is going to be an iconic image to awaken our conscious in defending the Syrian people," he said.
Robert Marro, chairman of government relations for the All Dulles Area Muslims Association, could not hold back tears while looking at the pictures during his speech.
He said it reminded him of his time working with illegal immigrants in Malaysia.
"It brings back the memories," he said. "We cannot simply ignore those images. Anyone who has a heart would be absolutely devastated to see that. Don't let that happen again."
Approximately 2,500 illegal immigrants who have fled war-torn countries or desperate economic conditions in the Middle East and Africa, have died or gone missing this year while trying to reach Europe, according to the U.N.
