The unspeakable horrors of the Syrian conflict will perhaps never be fully told partly because the continuing imbroglio has destroyed lives and hopes of so many millions.
The tepid international response to the staggering humanitarian crisis and in many cases a halfhearted acceptance of the few from amongst millions of displaced people has also been a cause of much worry for all those who believe in human bonds of friendship and collective well being.
Yet in the midst of gloom and despair, there have been signs of hopes for survivors with countries like Germany and Canada accepting large number of the Syrian refugees.
Syrian refugees and their American counterparts shared their cross-cultural experiences
The United States has also taken in thousands of Syrian refugees but critics say their number is far less than what the country, known for its largesse, could have taken much bigger numbers.
An interfaith event last week introduced some of the young Syrian refugees to a gathering of citizens from the Washington metro area.These newly settled young people told their untold stories at the residence of a Pakistani-American doctor Maqsood Chaudhry.
As Syrian students shared their tales of perils as refugees in alien lands and a newfound promise in America, their narrative also highlighted the generosity of the American society.
For instance, Mohammad Ghanem, shared his poignant experience of how the death of his cousin during the conflict in Damascus, left scars on him and changed his teenage years for ever. His travails continued despite the family’s moving to Lebanon and Egypt as refugees.
Finally, he said, when he came to the United States, Mohammad felt it after a long time that he was at a place where there was no war going on and where there were no bullets flying around.
Mohammad and five other Syrian refugees aged between 16 and 19 are being hosted by RefAmerica organization for its 2017 summer program. Six American counterparts of the Syrian teens join the program. This year the American teens hail from Montgomery County, Maryland. Under the cross-cultural exchange program American families host the Syrians. RefAmerica encourages refugees to share their stories with American audiences.
Like Mohammad, Adnan Al Khalili, Ala Al Jawabra, Solin Issa, and immigrants from Latina American countries including Sofia Munoz of Bolivian descent, and Adwyn Viera, also expressed their feelings as they told the gathering of their life-changing stories.
Mika Yatsuhashi, 18, who has done an admirable job of producing a documentary on the issue of refugees settlement, also spoke about her work and views on the life and aspirations of refugees. She was appreciative of the Montgomery County Muslim Foundation organization which provides welfare services to the newly arrived refugees.
Dr. Maqsood Chaudhry
The majority of Syrian refugees also made an emphatic appeal to Washington – to help end the Syrian conflict and get rid of Bashar al Assad, who has suppressed and killed his own people in horrible ways.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Maqsood Chauhdry underscored the importance of reaching out to the newly arrived refugees and encouraged the wealthy people to come forward and aid the refugee welfare and relief assistance programs.
The event, co-sponsored by the Greater Washington Muslim-Jewish Forum, the Jewish Islamic Dialogue Society and the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) and RefAmerica, drew participation of interfaith and community leaders.
Dan Spiro, President JIDS, Walter Ruby, Muslim-Jewish Program Director at the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, Parvez Khan and Andra Balyus welcomed the initiative for cross-cultural understanding.
The event left the participants with several thoughts. The moving narratives of the Syrian refugees and Americans’ warm welcome for them had a clear message – that cruelty of the war and xenophobic exclusivism of the other and the possibility for humanity to show kindness and inclusiveness run parallel to each other – reminding everyone that the hope for the humanity in distress depends on international cooperation, not inaction or ever worse a prolonged conflict.
