Mouaz Moustafa was born and raised in Damascus, Syria before moving to the United States as a teenager.  He earned a degree in political science from the University of Central Arkansas and went on to spend four and a half years working in Congress as a staffer for U.S. Congressman Vic Snyder and for U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln.  Mouaz left the Hill to work briefly with the U.S.-based branch of Egypt’s opposition party at the onset of their revolution. Mouaz then transitioned to working with leaders of the Libyan revolution as the Executive Director of the Libyan Council of North America and Political Director of the Libyan Emergency Task Force.  In 2011, the wave of Arab Spring revolutions reached his native Syria and the conflict quickly turned violent.  Mouaz sprang into action, helping a group of his fellow Syrian-Americans to launch the Syrian Emergency Task Force.

The Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF) aims to support the demands of the Syrian people for freedom and democracy while also addressing the colossal humanitarian crisis the war has created.   SETF works with leaders in Congress, the White House, the State Department, NGOs, and the United Nations to advocate for the protection of civilians in Syria.  SETF also operates several humanitarian projects inside Syria including a school for orphans in the Northern Idlib Provence and a bakery that provides bread to thousands affected by the war.  SETF also helps to document the horrendous war crimes that have been committed against Syrian civilians to bring justice and accountability to those in power.