NASHVILLE, Tenn.- As the fighting in Syria continues to escalate, a local west Nashville woman fears that her sister could be killed for speaking out against current leadership there.
Zainab Elberry is an Egyptian born woman living in west Nashville. She's been a U.S. resident for over 43 years, but still has loved ones living in war-torn Syria.
"My sister, her 3 children; her 6 grandchildren still live there. And a lot of our friends that I've met here and they went back," she explained.
Elberry said she doesn't regret leaving the city, after surviving three wars there herself.
"My niece was telling me, there were 12 explosions. She fears for her children going to school and the children are traumatized, of course," Elberry said.
She keeps a close eye on the latest news from Syria and tries to talk to her sister at least once a week. The sisters are careful to keep their conversation topics neutral though.
"I try not to call a lot and we try not to discuss politics, because I don't know who's listening," Elberry explained.
Elberry said her sister could be executed for speaking negatively about the current Syrian president, Bashar Assad. She said that even Syrians living in the U.S. have been targets from their political beliefs.
Elberry has joined other Syrians living in the U.S. to lobby in Washington and rally around the county, trying to make a difference in their home country.
