Middle Eastern synod seek aid for displaced Syrian Presbyterians
The Layman , February 27, 2012
A Middle-Eastern Presbyterian group is seeking help in its relief efforts for families caught in the crossfire of ongoing fighting in Syria.
In a recent letter, the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon (NESSL) asked the Outreach Foundation, a Presbyterian mission partner, to publish an appeal for funds to be used in helping 250 displaced families in the city of Homs.
“The instability within Syria has created a growing number of Christians compelled to find refuge in other safer parts of the country and beyond Syrian borders,” said NESSL General Secretary Fadi Dagher.
Homs has been the center of fighting between rebel forces and the Syrian army since uprisings and protests against the government began in 2011.
Protestors and rebels are demanding more political freedom and an end to the autocratic rule of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
According to media sources, government-led artillery forces heavily shelled Homs and other rebel-held towns on Monday. The town has been under government siege since May of 2011.
Since the start of the uprising, an estimated 8,000 people have been killed and up to 3,000 may be missing, according to international relief groups.
Dagher said the synod is offering funds for food, medicine, fuel and transportation and anticipate other needs, like housing, will grow larger as the conflict continues to escalate.
“We are working to stay ahead of [future conflicts] by laying the foundations for an effective, coordinated and sustainable effort for addressing the growing crisis,” Dagher said.
Syrian officials announced Monday that 89.4 percent of eight million voters had ratified a new constitution. While the new document does eliminate a clause that has given Assad’s Baath Party 50 years of uninterrupted rule – one of the protesters demands – it also could allow Assad to remain in office until 2028.
According to a report in the Jerusalem Post on Monday, “Syrian dissidents and Western leaders dismissed [the referendum] vote as a farce,” adding that “diplomats who toured polling stations in Damascus saw only a handful of voters at each location.”
According to Rob Weingartner of the Outreach Foundation, the group is accepting online donations at its website and by mail to:
The Outreach Foundation
381 Riverside Drive, Suite 110
Franklin, TN 37064
With a membership of about 20,000, NESSL serves as the administrative body for Arabic-speaking, Presbyterian congregations and groups. The synod also operates several schools with a total enrollment of 12,000 students.
“We pray that God will inspire others to join us so Syrian Christians will continue to have a safe and productive life in Christ,” Dagher said.