[Peace] FCNL: call Durbin and Kirk on helping Syrian refugees

[Robert Naiman]

This is a winnable fight - even with Kirk, ordinarily so awful on anything
to do with U.S. policy in the Middle East. It doesn't require anyone to
take a position on the underlying causes of the war or how it should be
eventually resolved. It just requires them to say that helping Syrian
refugees is better than not helping them. On the other hand, since there is
an effort underway to use Syrian refugees as a "casus belli," it's helpful
to anti-war efforts to say, no, actually, we have a better way of helping
people than bombing them. Let's give them food and shelter instead. It's
cheaper. And it doesn't kill anyone.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Yasmine Taeb, FCNL <fcnlinfo at fcnl.org>
Date: Mon, Nov 9, 2015 at 9:24 AM
Subject: The cost of war in Syria
To: Robert Naiman <naiman at justforeignpolicy.org>




Dear Robert Naiman,

The cost of war is not measured solely in bombs dropped or dollars spent.
It's measured in lives lost, families uprooted, and homes destroyed. In
Syria, years of civil war have taken their toll.

There are nearly 4 million Syrian refugees and 8 million Syrians who have
been internally displaced. The U.S. has committed to resettle at least
10,000 Syrian refugees in FY2016, but funding for even that small response
has not been met.

*Act now: Urge your senators to co-sponsor the Graham-Leahy emergency
funding bill for Syrian refugees.*

Call the Capitol Switchboard at *1-877-429-0678 <1-877-429-0678>* and ask
to be connected to your senators' offices. Here are some talking points to
help you make your call:

   - My name is ______ and I'm a constituent from [city, state].
   - Please co-sponsor S. 2145, the Graham-Leahy Emergency Supplemental for
   Syrian Refugees.
   - This legislation provides vital help for Syrian refugees abroad and
   ensures that refugees resettled in the U.S. have initial assistance to
   rebuild their lives.
   - Thank you.

Now is the time for your senators to show compassion and leadership. As a
nation of immigrants and refugees, the U.S. has a special responsibility to
people affected by ongoing violence in Iraq, Syria, and neighboring
countries.

Your senators will be making decisions on this emergency funding bill in
the coming weeks. And we've heard that congressional offices are receiving
a high number of anti-refugee calls, so it’s vital that your senators hear
from you. *Please call today.*

Sincerely,

Yasmine Taeb
Legislative Representative
Human Rights and Civil Liberties


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