Dr. Zuhdi Jasser on the Current State of Syria

Dr. Zuhdi Jasser is the Founder and President of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, Co-Founder, Muslim Reform Movement, Author of A Battle for the Soul of Islam: An American Patriot’s Fight to Save His Faith, Served 11 years in the U.S. Navy as a Medical Officer, Has a private practice in Phoenix specializing in internal medicine and nuclear cardiology, Co-Founder of Save Syria Now!, and Hosts, Blaze Radio Podcast: “REFORM THIS!”

FRANK GAFFNEY:

We’re back. It’s a distinct privilege to say joined by Dr. Zuhdi Jasser. Dr. Jasser is a friend, college and a man I’ve admired greatly for quite some time, notabley for the work he does on behalf of our country as the President and Founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy. He’s a medical doctor by training but a freedom fighter as I see it. The author of, “A Battle for the Soul of Islam: An American Muslim Patriot’s Fight to Save His Faith.” Among other things, Dr. Jasser has served in uniform of the U.S navy rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander and a great ally in these challenging times, who also was recognized for his leadership with an appointment to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (At the time he was the minority leader and now the majority leader in the Senate). Zudhi, so much to say about you but there is so much to say about so many other things. Welcome, it’s so good to have you back.

DR. ZUHDI JASSER:

Thank you frank, it’s always great to be with you, thanks for all you do.

FRANK GAFFNEY:

It’s a team effort here. In that connection, I want to spend some of our time talking with you about what is going on here in the home front and the fight I think you’ve been engaged in very courageously, for the “soul of Islam” as you call it. But before we do that, your family of course is originally from Syria, and I know this has been an extraordinary painful couple of years for you as you’ve watched what has been happening to that country. I imagine its particularly difficult at the moment. Your quick thoughts on what is happening and in particular what U.S. policy should be with respect to Syria at the moment?

DR. ZUHDI JASSER:

Thanks Frank. We always have to predicate this discussion today in 2019 with understanding that we got here in this mess in Syria because the previous administration handed with its Iran affiliates, millions in ransom, and just handed over Middle Eastern policy to Iran, empowered Hezbollah- the terror state of Iran, and stood idly by while half a million died and ten million got displaced, and empowered Erdogan and others. So, now we’re sort of left with this. I get the policy of withdrawing troops- I actually support that, we really aren’t doing that much there and it’s really not our problem if you will. But the question is, how do you do that? I think the impulsivity of which it was done in the past week and the benefit that it gives Erdogan to think that  somehow that served American security, I don’t get it. I think we could have telegraphed it a little better in saying: Why are American troops at this border? Erdogan already threatened you all with sending 3 million refugees into Europe, this is a NATO problem for Europe, not for the United States. Why don’t you have NATO troops doing what U.S. troops were doing? But instead, we pulled out so quickly we actually had to implode our own material that was there because we were scared the Turks would get it. We should have addressed their presence in NATO years ago because they are a radical jihadist state based on the AKP Party platform if you will. So, I’m not sure I understand what happened this week with our policy but I hope we can put it back together. The Kurds have long been an ally. I get the fact that the PKK are communists, maybe considered terrorists by some, but the Kurds are 40 million strong. The YPG Peshmerga have been our strongest ally and to Israel in the Middle east. Ad there isn’t one American that I know of ever hurt by the Kurds. There has been areas of peace when we’ve served with them, so abandoning them hurts our strength, hurts what we stand for, and it really breaks my heart to see this happen.