The Syrian Refugee Crisis

Our January 10th Salon at Suite 101, Old Ashland Armory, will investigate the political and humanitarian issues of the Syrian refugee crisis. Len Eisenberg will discuss why the crisis emerged from the historical roots of the middle east: the Caliphate, the breakup of the Ottoman Empire, the imposition of current boundaries after WW1 and the Sunni/Shia divide, now manifesting in civil war in Syria complicated by the ISIS/ISIL insurgency. Richard LeVitt will focus on how the world-particularly the west-is responding to the crisis. Following this will be an open group discussion of alternative solutions to the crisis, given the political tensions in Europe and the US, as humanitarian goals conflict with fears enflamed by attacks in Paris, San Bernardino, and elsewhere.