anti war protest/ Syria/ simeon stylites 2

anti war protest/ Syria/ simeon stylites 2

fiction
edward w pritchard

Confused by the violence in Syria occurring between rebel and government forces, rather than mind my own business from thousands of miles away; I decided to arrange a symbolic protest against the killing and destruction in one of the world's most historically important areas, Aleppo, Syria.

Being raised a Christian I decided to imitate the example of Syrian Christian Simeon Stylite the Elder. In  the fifth century AD  Simeon was an ascetic who spent all of 37 years on a platform on top of a pillar near Aleppo in Syria as a way to worship his God.  A major battle was due to commence any day in the Summer of 2012 in Aleppo, Syria  for control of that City between Government and Rebel forces and I wished to make a statement against the violence now occurring in Syria by sitting on a pillar here in America.

At the local library near my home of Akron, Ohio in a small garden near the entrance there are four small Greek style Doric columns. Although much shorter than the column Simeon Stylite sat  and stood on they were an appropriate symbolic means for me to use to express my feelings about the violence occurring in Syria in July of 2012.

The Librarian has asked me not to climb up on the fragile low column when she heard of my intentions. Being a law abiding citizen and a friend of the library I decided not to climb and stand at the top of the column. Instead I have been sitting on a bench near the entrance door of the Library and reading and studying about the Civil War occurring in Syria.  Not as uncomfortable as what Simon Stylites endured but challenging for me never the less.

Many people have taken to stopping and asking me my motivations for what I do, what I hope to accomplish, and how long will I sit on the metal bench at the local library day and night  to protest the violence in Syria. Often people here in America will ask me if I have lost weight from my ordeal.

I don't have information to know who is in the right or wrong, Rebel or Government troops in Syria today. I do know however, I can no longer ignore violence against civilian populations without making my opinions known. I have chosen to sit on a bench in front of a library until the situation is peacefully resolved. Maybe immediate elections of officials from anyone who wishes to campaign and run [ from both sides in the conflict in Syria] is a good starting point to end the violence in Syria without  further destabilizing a potential powder keg in a strategically critical area of the world.