- Banned
- #1
As we watch millions of refugees struggling to survive, hundreds of thousands of them seeking refuge in a Europe which has by and large shut its doors to them, it is all too easy for those in the U.S. to piously implore the Europeans to do more. Or for the U.S. government to take in a few thousand of them.
Most Americans seem completely blind to the way that we have played a major role in creating the problem, and have a major responsibility to fix it. Instead, many Americans are rallying behind Donald Trump and other Republican politicians who are competing with each other on who can be more ruthless toward our own domestic refugees who came to the U.S. without official government sanction.
The U.S. got involved in Middle East wars, eventually overthrowing Saddam Hussein and throwing out of government and the Iraqi army leadership everyone associated with Saddamâs Sunni Muslim allies. Those thus disempowered began a war with the U.S. occupying forces which the U.S. pursued with torture at Guantanamo and at many torture locations around the world and in Iraq. Millions of Iraqis fled their homes. Eventually Americansâ patience with that ongoing war led to the decision to leave the area.
Not surprisingly, many of those who had felt resentful at the U.S.âand resentful at the Shiite government that the US empowered and left behind in Iraq, and which continued to oppress Sunni Muslimsâcreated the preconditions for popular acceptance of ISIS with its ruthless treatment of Iraqis and Syrians whom they deemed as enemies, making it unsafe for vast swaths of the Iraqi and Syrian populations.
All Should Be Repenting for the Suffering of the Refugees
The words of a refugee
Youâ are 29 years old with a wife, two children and a job. You have enough money, and can afford a few nice things, and you live in a small house in the city.
Suddenly the political situation in your country changes and a few months later soldiers are gathered in front of your house. And in front of your neighboursâ houses.
They say that if you donât fight for them, they will shoot you.
Your neighbour refuses.
One shot. Thatâs it.
You overhear one of the soldiers telling your wife to spread her legs.
Somehow you get rid of the soldiers and spend the night deep in thought.
Suddenly you hear an explosion. Your house no longer has a living room.
You run outside and see that the whole street is destroyed.
Nothing is left standing.
You take your family back into the house, and then you run to your parents' house.
It is no longer there. Nor are your parents.
You look around and find an arm with your Motherâs ring on its finger. You canât find any other sign of your parents.
~~~~~
"But asylum seekers have so many luxury goods! Smartphones, and designer clothes!"
~~~~~
You immediately forget it. You rush home, and tell your wife to get the children dressed. You grab a small bag, because anything bigger will be impossible to carry for a long time, and in it you pack essentials. Only 2 pieces of clothing each can fit in the bag.
What do you take?
You will probably never see your home country again.
Not your family, not your neighbours, your workmatesâŚ
But how can you stay in contact?
You hastily throw your smartphone and the charger in the bag.
Along with the few clothes, some bread and your small daughters favourite teddy.
~~~~~
"They can easily afford to get away. They arenât poor!"
~~~~~
Because you could see the emergency coming, you have already scraped all your money together.
You managed to save some money because of your well paid job.
The kind people smuggler in the neighbourhood charges 5,000 euros per person.
You have 15,000 euros. With a bit of luck, youâll all be able to go. If not, you will have to let your wife go.
You love her and pray that you the smugglers will take you all.
By now you are totally wiped out and have nothing else. Just your family and the bag.
The journey to the border takes two weeks on foot.
You are hungry and for the last week have barely eaten. You are weak, as is your wife. But at least the children have enough.
They have cried for the whole 2 weeks.
Half the time you have to carry your younger daughter. She is only 21 months old.
A further 2 weeks and you arrive at the sea.
In the middle of the night youâre loaded onto a ship with other refugees.
You are lucky: your whole family can travel.
The ship is so full that it threatens to capsize. You pray that you donât drown.
The people around you are crying and screaming.
A few small children have died of thirst.
The smugglers throw them overboard.
Your wife sits, vacantly, in a corner. She hasnât had anything to drink for 2 days.
When the coast is in sight, you are loaded onto small boats.
Your wife and the younger child are on one, you and your older child are on another.
You are warned to stay silent so that nobody knows youâre there.
Your older daughter understands.
But your younger one in the other boat doesnât. She doesnât stop crying.
The other refugees are getting nervous. They demand that your wife keeps the child quiet.
She doesnât manage it.
One of the men grabs your daughter, rips her away from your wife and throws her overboard.
You jump in after her, but you canât find her again.
Never again.
In 3 months she would have turned 2 years old.
Isnât that enough for you? They still have it too good here and have everything handed to them on a plate?
You donât know how you, your wife and your older daughter manage to get to the country that takes you in.
Itâs as though everything is all foggy. Your wife hasnât spoken a word since your daughter died.
Your older daughter hasnât let go of her sisterâs teddy and is totally apathetic.
But you have to keep going. You are just about to arrive at the emergency accommodation.
It is 10pm. A man whose language you donât understand takes you to a hall with camp beds. There are 500 beds all very close together.
In the hall itâs stuffy and loud.
You try to get your bearings. To understand what the people there want from you.
But in reality you can barely stand up. You nearly wish that they had shot you.
Instead you unpack your meagre possessions:
Two items of clothing each and your smartphone.
Then you spend your first night in a safe country.
The next morning youâre given some clothes.
Among the donated clothes are even branded âlabelâ clothes. And a toy for your daughter.
You are given 140 euros. For the whole month.
~~~~~
"Theyâre safe here. Therefore they should be happy!"
~~~~~
Outside in the yard, dressed in your new clothes, you hold your smartphone high in the air and hope to have some reception.
You need to know if anyone from your city is still alive.
Then a 'concerned citizenâ comes by and abuses you.
You donât know why. You donât understand âGo back to your own country!"
You understand some things like âsmartphoneâ and âhanded everything on a plate.â
Somebody translates it for you.
~~~~~
And now tell me how you feel and what you own?
The answer to both parts of that is âNothing.â
Most Americans seem completely blind to the way that we have played a major role in creating the problem, and have a major responsibility to fix it. Instead, many Americans are rallying behind Donald Trump and other Republican politicians who are competing with each other on who can be more ruthless toward our own domestic refugees who came to the U.S. without official government sanction.
The U.S. got involved in Middle East wars, eventually overthrowing Saddam Hussein and throwing out of government and the Iraqi army leadership everyone associated with Saddamâs Sunni Muslim allies. Those thus disempowered began a war with the U.S. occupying forces which the U.S. pursued with torture at Guantanamo and at many torture locations around the world and in Iraq. Millions of Iraqis fled their homes. Eventually Americansâ patience with that ongoing war led to the decision to leave the area.
Not surprisingly, many of those who had felt resentful at the U.S.âand resentful at the Shiite government that the US empowered and left behind in Iraq, and which continued to oppress Sunni Muslimsâcreated the preconditions for popular acceptance of ISIS with its ruthless treatment of Iraqis and Syrians whom they deemed as enemies, making it unsafe for vast swaths of the Iraqi and Syrian populations.
All Should Be Repenting for the Suffering of the Refugees
The words of a refugee
Youâ are 29 years old with a wife, two children and a job. You have enough money, and can afford a few nice things, and you live in a small house in the city.
Suddenly the political situation in your country changes and a few months later soldiers are gathered in front of your house. And in front of your neighboursâ houses.
They say that if you donât fight for them, they will shoot you.
Your neighbour refuses.
One shot. Thatâs it.
You overhear one of the soldiers telling your wife to spread her legs.
Somehow you get rid of the soldiers and spend the night deep in thought.
Suddenly you hear an explosion. Your house no longer has a living room.
You run outside and see that the whole street is destroyed.
Nothing is left standing.
You take your family back into the house, and then you run to your parents' house.
It is no longer there. Nor are your parents.
You look around and find an arm with your Motherâs ring on its finger. You canât find any other sign of your parents.
~~~~~
"But asylum seekers have so many luxury goods! Smartphones, and designer clothes!"
~~~~~
You immediately forget it. You rush home, and tell your wife to get the children dressed. You grab a small bag, because anything bigger will be impossible to carry for a long time, and in it you pack essentials. Only 2 pieces of clothing each can fit in the bag.
What do you take?
You will probably never see your home country again.
Not your family, not your neighbours, your workmatesâŚ
But how can you stay in contact?
You hastily throw your smartphone and the charger in the bag.
Along with the few clothes, some bread and your small daughters favourite teddy.
~~~~~
"They can easily afford to get away. They arenât poor!"
~~~~~
Because you could see the emergency coming, you have already scraped all your money together.
You managed to save some money because of your well paid job.
The kind people smuggler in the neighbourhood charges 5,000 euros per person.
You have 15,000 euros. With a bit of luck, youâll all be able to go. If not, you will have to let your wife go.
You love her and pray that you the smugglers will take you all.
By now you are totally wiped out and have nothing else. Just your family and the bag.
The journey to the border takes two weeks on foot.
You are hungry and for the last week have barely eaten. You are weak, as is your wife. But at least the children have enough.
They have cried for the whole 2 weeks.
Half the time you have to carry your younger daughter. She is only 21 months old.
A further 2 weeks and you arrive at the sea.
In the middle of the night youâre loaded onto a ship with other refugees.
You are lucky: your whole family can travel.
The ship is so full that it threatens to capsize. You pray that you donât drown.
The people around you are crying and screaming.
A few small children have died of thirst.
The smugglers throw them overboard.
Your wife sits, vacantly, in a corner. She hasnât had anything to drink for 2 days.
When the coast is in sight, you are loaded onto small boats.
Your wife and the younger child are on one, you and your older child are on another.
You are warned to stay silent so that nobody knows youâre there.
Your older daughter understands.
But your younger one in the other boat doesnât. She doesnât stop crying.
The other refugees are getting nervous. They demand that your wife keeps the child quiet.
She doesnât manage it.
One of the men grabs your daughter, rips her away from your wife and throws her overboard.
You jump in after her, but you canât find her again.
Never again.
In 3 months she would have turned 2 years old.
Isnât that enough for you? They still have it too good here and have everything handed to them on a plate?
You donât know how you, your wife and your older daughter manage to get to the country that takes you in.
Itâs as though everything is all foggy. Your wife hasnât spoken a word since your daughter died.
Your older daughter hasnât let go of her sisterâs teddy and is totally apathetic.
But you have to keep going. You are just about to arrive at the emergency accommodation.
It is 10pm. A man whose language you donât understand takes you to a hall with camp beds. There are 500 beds all very close together.
In the hall itâs stuffy and loud.
You try to get your bearings. To understand what the people there want from you.
But in reality you can barely stand up. You nearly wish that they had shot you.
Instead you unpack your meagre possessions:
Two items of clothing each and your smartphone.
Then you spend your first night in a safe country.
The next morning youâre given some clothes.
Among the donated clothes are even branded âlabelâ clothes. And a toy for your daughter.
You are given 140 euros. For the whole month.
~~~~~
"Theyâre safe here. Therefore they should be happy!"
~~~~~
Outside in the yard, dressed in your new clothes, you hold your smartphone high in the air and hope to have some reception.
You need to know if anyone from your city is still alive.
Then a 'concerned citizenâ comes by and abuses you.
You donât know why. You donât understand âGo back to your own country!"
You understand some things like âsmartphoneâ and âhanded everything on a plate.â
Somebody translates it for you.
~~~~~
And now tell me how you feel and what you own?
The answer to both parts of that is âNothing.â
