Speaking at the United Nations, UAE Assistant Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Ahmed Al Jarman, revealed that the GCC has received 2.8 million Syrians since the start of Syria's civil war in 2011.

According to The National, Al Jarman told U.N. delegates that GCC countries were "careful" about not treating Syrians as refugees by offering them more legal concessions that would allow them access to basic welfare and job opportunities.

“Since the onset of the crisis in 2011, the UAE has welcomed more than 250,000 Syrian nationals, who enjoy full rights to free health care, education and work in accordance with the residency system in the country,” he said, according to state news agency WAM .

He also noted that the UAE has contributed more than $600 million in "humanitarian and development" aid to Syrians in refugee camps in the region, including the Mrajeeb Al Fhood camp in Jordan.

Al Jarman also cautioned that dealing with the refugee crisis should address the causes, such as "poverty, conflicts, extremist violence by committing to enhancing international cooperation for development, resolving conflicts through peaceful means and promoting values of tolerance, moderation and respect for sovereignty."

To date, more than 4 million Syrians have sought refuge in nearby countries Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey, and an escalating number has decided to cross the treacherous Mediterranean sea by boat to seek asylum in Europe.

Muslims in the West have suffered a great deal of persecution and bias since 9/11 because of terrorist acts committed by extremists, as well as racist policies that tie Islam to terrorism.

But the fact is that millions of Muslims live peacefully in the West, and tend to reach out whenever people seem to need help.

This is a list of a number of Muslims who performed heroic actions in Western countries.

A veiled muslim woman saved a child who was trapped on the train tracks in one of the stations in Sydney, and was able to pull her out seconds before the train passed.

The little girl had jumped down onto the tracks to get a ball she was playing with, but was unable to climb back onto the platform, which pushed the veiled woman to pull her out before the train came, as shown through the video caught on surveillance cameras at Flemington Station.

Bathily, an immigrant from Mali, led 15 hostages to hide inside a fridge at the Hyper Cacher where he worked, after a gunned man entered the shop and started shooting customers.

Bathily, who was 24 at the time, rushed to the aid of the hostages, which included 2 children, in the incident where 4 lives were lost.

This German of Turkish roots helped two teenage girls who were being harassed by a group of guys at McDonald's near Frankfort in west Germany in November 2014.

Later, 22-year old-Albayrak was hit on the head in the parking lot by one of the harassers, Sanel Masovic, and fell to the ground hard, which led to her death.

This young man from Libya saved a woman from getting raped in Kelvingrove park in Glasgow after he heard her calls for help in June of 2014.

Oun, who was jogging around the park, attacked the rapist and pushed him away from the woman.

This Bengali man defended 3 Jewish boys who were being attacked by a gang in a metro station in Brooklyn in 2007.

The brave man stood by these boys as they were being harassed and protected them during a fight started by the gang.

After evacuating his wife and 4 children ahead of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Syrian building contractor stayed in the top floor of his house.

With the storm gone, Zeitoun came out to entire neighborhoods flooded by the hurricane. So he used a wooden boat and began his six day journey in which he risked his life to saved tens of people.

However, the American authorities arrested him for 3 weeks during George Bush's time in office under false accusations of him working in alliance with Al-Qaeda before being released on $75,000 bail.

Dave Eggers released a book detailing the events of Zeitoun's life in 2009.

The Algerian university professor saved then-French President Jacques Chirac in 2003 from attempted murder after he snatched a gun from a man before he could shoot the second bullet at the president.

Shalali, who was in vacation in France with his family, jumped the shooter and tackled him in the middle of a crowd.

He was granted the Legion of Honor, the highest honor granted in France.

This post was originally published in Arabic on YallaFeed.