Screams, robberies, blood, killings, explosions, death and eventual displacement. All these things are still stuck in my brain. In short, this is my story as a Syrian refugee.
The Syrian tragedy started in 2011 and it is still going on. The question is “why” is all this happening. And here is the answer from my perspective. Strife was ignited among Syrians mostly due to racism. For example, Jihadists consider Christians as infidels, so, all Christians must be eliminated. If you come from another city or if you are a Kurd, you are not welcome in Syria. Additionally, foreign countries crave Syria’s economic wealth and its distinguished geographic position which contributes to the existent turmoil. These factors have led to a political and social crisis in Syria that has severely affected my life.
While I was living in Syria, people were feeling so unsafe and expendable that they were hugging and kissing their children every day before school. They were afraid they would never see their kids again. We were living in fear. During warfare activities between the national army and the Jihadists, if I wanted to cross the street, I had to walk under the balconies to protect myself from incoming bullets and missiles. Many people prevented their children from going to school or college out of fear. Moreover, many families could not afford educational expenses due to financial inflation. Some kids resorted to getting a job in order to support their families.
The future was deemed as uncertain and there was no hope left inside me. In Syria, even if I had obtained a college degree, I would not be able to find a job so it would be pointless to spend money on education. Therefore, the only option for me and all Syrian boys would be to join the national army, even without my will and fight against the enemies.
In Syria, I did not have access to simple things like electricity or internet because the areas supplying my town with power were in the hands of Jihadists. Some people were buying generators to cover their needs but not all of them could afford one. At that time, it was hard to find petrol, so I ended up studying under the light of candles.
Many Syrian parties have distorted the Islamic ideology by implementing the norms and rules of the Koran in their own way. They seek to establish a different regime; thus, they justify their horrible actions by invoking the Koran.
In my opinion, we should all be united under a common cause. However, the hatred and arrogance of some people has impeded the victory of our nation. As I mentioned before, racism was the main reason of this national disaster. Religion, nationality, descent, colour can all be added up on the list. What is important for me is to be a human being in the true sense of the word. If we stand as one, we can build a better future for our country and the next generations.
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