Dear leaders

Perhaps by now you will have seen or heard the sad news coming out of Aleppo. News of missiles raining down from the sky onto the city, of those who have been driven from their homes, of lives that have been ripped apart, of fathers who have lost their sons, wives who have lost their husbands, mothers who have lost their babies, of the orphans, and of shattered dreams.

These stories are neither rumors nor fairytales. They are real and they are before our very eyes. The people of Aleppo are fighting to stay alive every minute of the day. They cannot sleep soundly because they know bombs could fall on them at any time. The lack of food means people are going hungry, while the limited number of safe zones makes it impossible for them to leave.

Our leaders, please look at the map, Syria is located not far from your countries. Indeed, for some, it is but a stone’s throw away. More so, Syria is arguably located right at the centre of the Muslim world. To the north is Turkey, in the east is Iraq, and to the south is Jordan. Keep in mind, Syria still has many neighbors that are not so far away; such as Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Oman.

These countries currently fall under your leadership. You are all number one in your respective countries. In your hands lies the power that is not shared by many on this earth. Your actions to end the vile stories coming out of Aleppo will definitely have considerable impact compared with anyone else in this world.

Our leaders, the people of Aleppo are waiting for you to take action. Their tears are already running dry. Their homes have been reduced to rubble and ash. Many of their families have returned to the Almighty due to the regime’s barrel bombs and warplanes. It is more than clear that their ongoing misery should end soon. All of their hopes lie with you, whom they consider to be brethren.

Whenever we look at the news concerning our brothers and sisters in Aleppo, some questions always occupy our minds; how many more deaths should occur until the Muslim world takes action? How many more buildings should be destroyed? How many more children should be taken away from their parents until our leaders make concrete efforts to end this ongoing catastrophe?

Our leaders, before we end this letter, allow us to remind you of the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in which he said that Muslims are like one body. If one part of the body feels pain, the rest of the body should also feel the pain. The pain of the Syrian people should be felt by all of us; especially you, as our leaders. We must no longer be spectators. Rather, concrete, real, and serious efforts should be made as soon as possible.

Even if the basis of religious brotherhood is insufficient to move your hearts, there is no harm in taking concrete steps on humanitarian grounds. Because the people in Syria are human beings, just like all of us.

Sincerely,

Those who care about the Syrians