Syria Support Movement solidarity with the Syrian people
Contact: Dan Buhrdorf – 402-610-5552, United Front Against Austerity Midwest, ufaamidwest@gmail.com
Mother Agnes-Mariam of the Cross will discuss the situation in Syria at a news conference hosted by Nebraskans for Peace and the Lincoln NFP Chapter Monday, November 18, 2013 at the Courtyard by Marriott Lincoln Downtown/Haymarket, 808 R Street, Lincoln, NE starting at 10:00 a.m. Street and off-site parking is available.
Paul Olson, NFP President Emeritus and Co-Chair of the NFP Anti-War Committee will join Mother Agnes-Mariam. Dan Buhrdorf, local organizer and member of the United Front Against Austerity (UFAA), will introduce them.
Mother Agnes-Mariam is Mother Superior of the monastery of St. James the Mutilated, the oldest monastery in the Qalamoun area of Syria. She is leader of the Institute for Peace, Justice and Human Rights in Syria and one of the main organizers of Mussalaha (“Reconciliation”), a popular movement in Syria that mediates disputes and organizes ceasefires between opposing forces. She and her colleagues have provided shelter and assistance to the needy without regard to religious or political affiliation and have reportedly rescued thousands of women and children in the besieged city of El-Sham Mouadamieh.
Mother Agnes-Mariam has criticized the Syrian rebels for the brutality of their methods, and although she has often been a critic of the Syrian government, she challenges the claim that Assad used sarin gas on civilians. Her challenge came after she closely examined the editing of the films purporting to show the gassing, an incident whose validity other groups have also subsequently challenged through even closer analysis of the data (AP story, September 8, 2013, “Doubts linger over Syria gas attack responsibility” http://bigstory.ap.org/article/lingering-doubts-over-syria-gas-attack-evidence.) Mother Agnes-Mariam is endorsed by Nobel Peace Laureate (1976) Mairead Maguire, by the Fellowship of Reconciliation, and was commended by The Mussalaha Delegation to Syria peace mission in 2013.
