Students Organize for Syria fights to help Syrian refugees and challenge misconceptions

As the images of bombings and the faces of struggling refugees are displayed on televisions and newspapers across the world, Students Organize for Syria at ASU fights to tell the story of the Syrian people and inform the ASU community and beyond.

Biochemistry and justice studies senior Zana Alattar first founded the group in the fall of 2012 as Save Our Syrian Freedom. It was later changed to Students Organize for Syria when Alattar took the organization to the national level in 2014.

Alattar said she wanted to inform the ASU community and beyond about the struggles that the Syrian people have encountered and the story behind the crisis.

“The purpose of the club itself is awareness, advocacy and humanitarian aid,” Alattar said. “We try to tell the story of the Syrian revolution and how everything that’s happening in Syria today all started. We also try to break down some of the complicated aspects of the situation that is happening in Syria.”

Alattar traveled to Syria back in 2013 where she was able to give humanitarian aid to the Syrian people.

She said people often don’t know the situation in Syria or have misconceptions about the ongoing situation and the refugee crisis many European countries are facing.

“What a lot of people don’t understand is that it started as a people’s revolution,” Alattar said. “It started with millions of people going out into the street and asking their government for change for human rights, for freedom and democracy. It really is a story of courage and bravery and a story that we can all empathize with.”

Alattar said these misconceptions can be challenged and changed by a simple discussion and giving people the real information and stories that the media often tends to overlook. It's through this information and their stories that she believes misconceptions will slowly fade.

“It’s just hard," she said. "A lot of times the media doesn’t choose to focus on that story and the narrative of the Syrian people and instead it focuses on the terrorists that have taken over Syria as well as the bigger world powers and how their role comes into play.”

Biochemistry senior Tej Hendel, who is also involved with Students for Organizing for Syria, said there are many misconceptions about Syria and people's "unfounded fears" surrounding the refugees' involvement with ISIS and other terrorist groups.

He said that at the club's mock refugee tent event last year, a lot for people would come up and question why the Syrian people wouldn’t just give into the Assad regime. Hendel said he thought it wasn't worth it to give up.

“It’s not exactly the best way to give into the power like that that’s causing them to suppress their freedom,” Hendel said. “It’s not how humans should live nowadays. We’ve moved past that.”

Hendel has had many great experiences during his time in the organization with guest speakers and events, but his favorite moment was when the organization held a carnival for local refugees and their families.

“It was really interesting hearing them talk about their experiences,” Hendel said. “And even after everything they’ve been through it’s like they're made of steel, they are still standing. Seeing that firsthand was pretty eye-opening.”

Mathematics senior Troy Hurley joined SOS in the spring of 2015 because of the experiences he had seen and heard from his Syrian friends and their families.

Hurley said his favorite experience was the carnival for the refugees, where he said he got to share a Thanksgiving meal with a refugee family.

“I was able to have a Thanksgiving meal with them,” Hurley said. “It was a humbling experience for me and I was able to appreciate what I have.” 

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Reach the reporter at sgreene6@asu.edu or follow @thesydneygreene on Twitter.

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