Malek Jandali Refuge

On November 5th, at Columbia University, I had the opportunity to attend a concert by the Malek Jandali Trio. This group, a pianist, a cellist, and an oud player, combines modern western style music with eastern traditions to create an entirely new genre of music, unlike anything I have ever heard before. Not only was it an incredible night of music, but it was also for an outstanding cause as well. All the proceeds this group makes benefits the organization Save the Children, in particular their efforts to support Syrian children who have become victims of the Syrian refugee crisis. Throughout the concert, a slideshow of youth that had fallen victim to this crisis played through. These kids were either suffering currently, impoverished
The pictures shown were sometimes gruesome, sometimes hard to stomach, but were also completely necessary. It is one thing to discuss a humanitarian issue, but once you see the face of a young child that actually fell victim to it, the issue becomes all too personal to just talk about anymore. Laurie Halse Anderson once said “Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance”. The Malek Jandali Trio’s mission has nothing to do with politics. Not once did any of the performers take a stance on the Syrian Civil War. Not once was there a mention of any country’s response, only the children. They do not advocate for the rebels nor the Assad Regime, only for the suffering children who have done nothing wrong to deserve to live this way.

It’s easy to get caught up in our daily tasks and forget about the world around us. That is what makes the work of groups such as the Malek Jandali Trio so important. They bring together people of all different backgrounds to unite against an act of inhumanity and seek justice together. Not everything in our world is easy to handle, but to impede on other people’s opportunity to see these difficult issues is an injustice to mankind and disrespectful to those who have suffered and are still currently suffering from this