Syrians who have lived, studied and worked here in Saudi Arabia for years view the noble stance of the Saudi government on the crisis in Syria as bright rays of hope. They have already memorized by heart the words of Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal who spoke at the Arab League meeting in Cairo on Saturday. “The lax and shameful position of some countries has given the Syrian army a license to escalate its horrifying violence against its own people,” he said. In light of the futile efforts and failure of the world community to cease the bloodshed in Syria and to protect the defenseless civilians from the ruthless Syrian army, Syrian residents in the Kingdom have taken it upon themselves to share the responsibility of delivering packaged dates, food boxes, medical aid, blankets and clothing to the maimed men, widowed women, and orphaned children back in their turbulent hometowns. With reports of children dying from malnutrition in the town of Homs due to extreme food shortages, active Syrians here have come up with creative ways to collect donations for their suffering brethren. One of these is by organizating bazaars, festivals and open souks. At various bazaars, the Saudi flag floats above the stalls side by side with the new Syrian flag. Young women and girls volunteer to make a wide range of handicrafts that are sold at prices slightly higher than usual and the proceeds are sent to families in need in Syria. The bazaar participants sell bracelets, T-shirts, headbands, rosary beads, keychains, necklaces, knitted mobile phone cases, mugs and other accessories, all decorated in the colors of the free Syrian flag: green, white and black. Syrian-American seventh grader Leen tries not to miss any of the charitable bazaars. She said, “A year ago we used to go to the beach or the shopping mall, or visit friends on the weekends, but this year we go to a bazaar every weekend to help the people in Syria. Our house is filled with a huge collection of Syrian items we bought from the bazaars. We hope that our financial assistance will reach the people in need.” “I hope our efforts will help because I can no longer tolerate the sight of bombed houses, wailing mothers, helpless fathers, and children with gruesome bullet wounds,” said Huda Sibai, a Syrian-British mother living in Jeddah. Varied offerings Some Syrian women are especially adept at attracting a large number of not only Syrian families but also families from other nationalities, and their secret is mouthwatering Syrian food. All the delicious and famous Syrian dishes can be found at the bazaars: tabouleh, tangy stuffed grape leaves, kibbeh, spinach pies, the sweet dessert, kunafa, and homemade apricot jam. To cater to the young children who accompany their parents at the bazaars, organizers have face-painting corners and other activities that include drawing, painting, poetry recitals, singing, races and other fun games, all at a reasonable fee. Other stalls sell children's favorites like doughnuts and cookies, and yummy cupcakes with green, white, and black frosting. One of the skillful chefs at the bazaars for the Syrian cause is 50-year-old Umm Omar who is originally from the town of Dair Al-Zour in Syria but has been living in Jeddah for 20 years. She said, “I frequently volunteer at the bazaars and the visitors love my food. We organize these bazaars as a safe and lawful way to help our families that have been driven into destitution after the Syrian government has destroyed their homes, businesses, food warehouses, hospitals and pharmacies.” Even non-Syrians have lent their time and efforts into the cause and have been volunteering at the charitable bazaars. One of these volunteers, Ruqayah, said: “It is not a matter of being Syrian or Saudi or Egyptian or Indian. It is a matter of being human.” In addition to all the proceeds from the bazaars, the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) receives donations to be sent to the Syrian people. ‘We'll return the favor' Syrian expats were likewise keen to express their thanks to Saudi Arabia for its position on the Syrian situation. A number of them crowded the Jeddah currency exchange and remittance centers last week in order to send more cash to their relatives in the crisis-hit country. The chaotic scenes came a day after the Syrian lira dropped to its lowest level since the outbreak of the revolution on March 15, 2011. The currency exchange rate now stands at one dollar to 100 Syrian liras while one Saudi riyal is worth 22 Syrian liras. The weak currency is encouraging the Syrians to send cash home as the exchange rate is an opportunity that might not recur despite the high prices in Syria. Engr. Ahmad Abdul Lateef Al-Hadi from Homs said, “The Kingdom's stance toward the Syrian crisis is noble and humane. We'll never forget this stance and we'll return the favor, whether here by respecting the law of this good country or in Syria.” He added, “We feel the Kingdom is our second home country especially under the honorable stand by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The Saudi government authorities provide more facilities regarding visit approvals for our relatives who are escaping from the hell of the Assad regime forces.” Al-Hadi said Syrians make the best use of the drop in Syrian lira rate by sending more money to their families and relatives in Syria. He said, “It is true that the prices are on a constant increase, but those living within Syria are in the most urgent need for even a single lira under the continuous power outages.” Yasser Al-Kurdi, from Hamah city, said: “We are very grateful for the Kingdom's sympathizing with the Syrian people. This stand will remain in every Syrian national's mind, whether those residing in the Kingdom or in our country.” He lauded the facilities provided to Syrians by the Saudi authorities, particularly regarding the issuance of visas and visits for their relatives in Syria.” Al-Kurdi expressed his thanks to the Kingdom and promised that Syrians would never forget the Saudis' brave and noble stance toward the situation in Syria. He also wished the Kingdom more security and stability. Al-Kurdi said that since the Syrian army swept Hamah and started bombarding the cities and districts, it has become difficult to contact their families and relatives in Hamah, let alone transfer cash to them. They are living in extremely difficult conditions particularly in the bitterly cold winter across all of Syria. — Okaz/SG __
