A six-year-old American boy's
letter to Barack Obama, offering a place in his family to a Syrian refugee, has
gone viral.
Alex, from New York , wrote the letter after seeing the
photograph of bloodied and dazed Omran Daqneesh, which prompted outrage around
the world.
Mr Obama said the letter was
from a child "who hasn't learned to be cynical, or suspicious, or fearful".
The video has been shared
more than 60,000 times on Facebook.
"Dear President Obama, remember
the boy who was picked up by the ambulance in Syria ?" Alex wrote in a letter
published by the White House.
"Can you please go get him and bring him to our home ... we'll be waiting for you guys with flags flowers and balloons. We will give him a family and he will be our brother."
"Can you please go get him and bring him to our home ... we'll be waiting for you guys with flags flowers and balloons. We will give him a family and he will be our brother."
Mr Obama quoted Alex's words
at a United Nations summit on the refugee crisis this week, before the White
House recorded Alex reading them himself.
"We should all be more
like Alex," the President wrote.
"Imagine what the world
would look like if we were. Imagine the suffering we could ease and the lives
we could save."
On social media, many users
applauded the president's approach - but reserved most of their praise for
young Alex.
"A six year old who has
more humanity, love, and understanding than most adults. Kudos to his parents,"
a Texas woman
commented on Facebook.
"I heard this earlier
today, as read by my president," said another. "Even with that pre-conditioning,
made me cry while reading it just now.
"Neither of these sweet
little boys, someone's sons, are Skittles," she said - referencing a
controversial Donald Trump campaign advert likening Syrian refugees to the
popular brand of sweets.
The US President has urged developed
nations to do more to help refugees from the Syrian crisis. In August, the
White House said it had admitted 10,000 Syrian refugees to the United States
this year.
It plans to to take another 110,000
in the 2017 financial year, Mr Obama said.