Syrian-Born Burbank Pastor: 'Something Should Happen...To Stop This Killing'
BURBANK (CBSLA.com) — As turmoil continues to rise in Syria, a Syrian-born pastor, living in Southern California, is speaking out.
Father Abdulahad Shara, of St. Ephram Cathedral, spoke with CBS2's Chase Cain, and says that something needs to be done to cease the deaths of innocent lives in the country.
"Something should happen, should be done, to stop this killing," Father Shara said. "Anything, anything. Anyway. The people are living in misery-life, both sides. The people are with the government and the people are against, because the war is all over."
Reports of the use of chemical weapons on civilians in Damascus at the hands of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's regime have stirred world-wide emotions and have sparked global debate over how the United States, and other U.N. powers, should respond.
Meanwhile, Southern Californians with ties to the war-torn country, are experiencing worry and uncertainty over the inability to reach family and friends in the region.
"We don't want any troops on the ground," , Southern Californian Hassan Twiet, whose family is in Syria, said. "We want a decisive, swift action against the air defense missiles of the Assad regime, which has turned out to be a mafia that is killing it's people."
"When we call some people, and there is no answer, we start to be so worried," Father Shara said. "Either he is killed, or kidnapped, or run away, and we start to worry. We cry, we pray."
The United States and France are now both in position for a possible strike against targets in Syria. While President Obama has left no doubt that he does not want to engage the U.S. in another ground war, members of his cabinet, including Secretary of State John Kerry and Vice President Joe Biden, have made it clear that Tomahawk missile strikes from sea are a very real possibility.
