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Vigil held on steps of Arkansas State Capitol in support of Syrian community

Dozens made signs and learned about the ongoing civil war that began in 2011 and has millions of Syrians threatened every single day.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A local group called the Syrian Emergency Task Force hosted a vigil on Sunday night to raise awareness in Central Arkansas about what's going on in the Middle East. 

The Syrian Emergency Task Force planned the event so that Arkansans can come together to stand with Syrians within the community.

The Syrian Emergency Task Force is a local non-profit that was founded when the Syrian civil war began in 2011.

One of the main takeaways from the vigil was the major impact our state has left on our friends in this war-torn nation. 

They invited everyone to make signs and come out and learn about the ongoing civil war that has millions of Syrians threatened every single day.

The United States has not had any diplomatic relations with Syria since the war began.

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Ganelle Holman, a Clinton school student, said they want Arkansans to know how important it is to show Syrians that the community supports them.

"We are here to celebrate the people that have come together and have been working on this project and we are also here because we need everyone to know exactly how important this is," she said. 

A project to stop an eight-year civil war that hits hard for Mouaz Moustafa.

"That's what's so heart wrenching is that there are humanitarian atrocities unfolding. Truly a never again moment. You never expect it though in a place where you were born or raised," he said. 

Moustafa moved to Arkansas when he was 12 years old, but Damascus, Syria is where he calls home.

"Whenever I moved to the United States I never thought that Syria would become the war that is," he said. 

A war that led him to become the Executive Director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force and bring the voices of the Syrian people to the halls of power in Washington. 

Mouaz said it has been overwhelming to see how Arkansas has stepped up. 

"It's really truly powerful to see this bridge that is connecting people on different sides of the ocean and to see how grateful Syrians are that Americans here, Arkansans, have felt their pain, care about them and are helping," he said. 

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A pain, that for some who have witnessed it, is unbearable to take in. 

"I didn't think there was an issue out there that I didn't want to work on and this was really eye-opening to me because this was the first time that I wanted to turn away. it was almost too much for me to handle," Holman said. 

A war that those who call it home say is shocking and heartbreaking, but at the same time, people in the natural state are still providing hope. 

"What Arkansans are doing is showing that ordinary people here can do extraordinary things," Mouaz said.

He said he wants Arkansans to learn the real truth about what is happening in Syria and he wants to share how proud he is of our lawmakers for stepping up to the plate and fighting to make a difference. 

The vigil began at 6:00 p.m. on the steps of the state capitol and ended around 7:00 p.m.

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