"[American Muslims for Palestine] supports the Syrian call for a no-fly zone for the safe passage of refugees," Szremski stated. "We also call upon the administration of President Barack Obama to open America’s borders to those who are fleeing the nightmare that they are witnessing and experiencing."
On Thursday, White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said the US government does not plan to change existing immigration policies and allow Middle Eastern refugees into the United States.
Szremski, however, noted the scale of the humanitarian crisis created by the conflict in Syria has not been seen since the Second World War, and urged the US government to take action.
"No parent would knowingly put their child into a rickety boat unless they felt the swelling sea was safer than the land," Szremski said. "Human trafficking is adding tragedy upon tragedy."
More than 90,000 Syrians have arrived in Greece between January and July 2015, and about 60,000 have passed through Macedonia and Serbia seeking entry in EU countries. However, thousands have sought and been granted asylum in these countries as well as throughout Europe.
The State Department said in August that the United States planned to admit up to 8,000 Syrian refuges in 2016.
