RAZAN IBRAHEEM
Razan Ibraheem (35) is a journalist for a social-media news agency. Born in Latakia, Syria, she came to Ireland in 2011 to do a master’s degree. Then the war escalated and she couldn’t return. She lives in Dublin 2 with her sister and her niece
Iwake up one minute before the alarm at 5am. Then I hit the snooze button for 10 minutes. I never get up straight away. I live in an apartment with my sister and my niece. They aren’t awake at that hour. I’m very fast getting ready in the mornings — 10 minutes maximum. I think it’s beautiful to feel that you are beautiful inside and outside. When you do your hair and make-up and decide what outfit you are going to wear, it’s the artistic side of you.
I live in Dublin 2, and the office is in Dublin 4. For the past few weeks, I’ve been cycling to work. The journey only takes 12 minutes. When I was in Syria, I never had a breakfast. I’d go to work, and have brunch later on. I do the same thing here. If I am on an early shift, I start work at 6am.
I’m a journalist in a social-media news agency. I’ve been here for just over a year, and I love it. It’s an amazing place to work — the atmosphere and the nature of the work. When I sit at my desk, I never know what to expect. I might be working on something in Aleppo or Damascus, Lebanon or Italy. The work could take me to 10 different countries, so I feel like I’m visiting all of those countries.
My job is to verify the content of videos and make sure that they are authentic. I work across all countries, but because of my Arabic language skills and familiarity with the culture, my focus is mainly on the Middle East. Watching video footage of Syria is extremely sad. These are my people. I’m watching my city, and other places I’ve visited before, and you can see that they are totally destroyed. People are being killed everywhere. Sometimes the content is horrific, but it’s important that the truth is out there.
I came to Ireland in 2011, but it was never the plan to stay here. I grew up in Latakia, a beautiful coastal city. Both my parents were school principals, and they always believed in education. They told us that it could open doors for us. Education is free in Syria, so no matter what background you have, everybody is equal in the classroom.
I was first exposed to Irish literature in university. We studied Waiting for Godot and Ulysses. Then I wanted to do a master’s abroad. I wanted to do it in an English-speaking country to improve my English, but also, I wanted to be exposed to different cultures and learn about other people. But I didn’t have any money. So I taught English, and saved for 10 years. When I had enough money, I applied to study at the University of Limerick, and I was accepted.
Five months after the conflict started in Syria, I came to Ireland. At home, there was fear everywhere. You didn’t know what was going to happen, but you expected something bad all the time. I’ll never forget the sounds of bombs and bullets. It still haunts me. I was very thankful that I got a visa to come to Ireland. It changed my life. I didn’t know anybody in Limerick, but the people were so welcoming.
When I finished my master’s, the violence in Syria escalated, and I couldn’t go home. I already had a job waiting for me over there. I was in a limbo. It was one of the most difficult periods in my life here. Then I decided that I would start from zero. I had no other option. I knew I had to be strong.
Eventually, I was able to bring my brother here — thanks to the Syrian Humanitarian Administration Programme (SHAP). My sister had been in the UK, and she joined us too.