Syrian families starting a new life of hope here is Ireland at is best
IHAD the pleasure and privilege recently of interviewing a Syrian family who fled their home country and everyone and everything they were familiar with to start a new life here. The Aljasim family are one of around 90 who have, or are being housed in counties Wexford and Wicklow having fled Syria, and in other instances, Iraq.
Their story, relayed to me in front of a blazing fire on a bitterly cold day, was one which has really stayed with me. Like many people I have noticed women in thawbs and hijabs and new faces around my hometown in recent months. Also, like many, I was aware through terrifying news dispatches of the horror inflicted on working class, normal Syrian people during a sustained civil war.
But it was only when I sat down with a family who had endured these self same horrors first-hand that it started to dawn on me what the true meaning of war is and has been for families like the Aljasims. The mother Raghada relayed a story of her nephew being cut in two by shrapnel during a bombing raid, while the father, Haitham showed me pictures on his phone of their bombed out house. Kidnappings, violence and death became part of the daily routine of a normal family who – up until 2011 – could walk around their home city of Aleppo: attend school, go to work and dine out, without fear of being blown up.
The horror of what they experienced there and in a refugee camp in Lebanon was such that Haitham was slow to speak of it. When he did, he confided that his father was still in Aleppo and has ruled out joining with them as he can’t leave his home city.
Haitham watched his city and its people crumble before his eyes. ‘We can’t believe what is going on there. We have lost our family, our neighbours, our city. We have lost our homeland and property. We can’t go back. Different tribes have taken over.’
The loss of anyone’s homeland is something few of us can imagine. It brings to mind grainy images of thousands of Jewish people fleeing western Europe on trains during World War II.
There are other parallels also and through speaking and reading about Syrian families it narrows the lines of misunderstanding, while highlighting a very human situation which requires a very human response. Lately I’ve noticed racism – both casual and overt – creeping into the public dialogue, be it in comment sections of newspapers, or on online forums. People have been identified by their colour only in relation to assaults and anti-social behaviour. I’m stating this clearly here that none of these comments referred to any refugee settled here in the Government’s resettlement programme but it is deeply troubling. What became clear from meeting the Aljasim’s is that they are a family who are so grateful to have been given a second chance. The parents and three daughters are availing of all supports provided to them, including 20 hours per week of English classes for Raghada and Haitham - without which they have no hope of getting work.
Having endured terrible suffering, cramped conditions for months on end and very limited freedom, it was a joy to see the family happy and at home in a country 5,000km away from home. Doras Luimni deserves great credit for supporting the families every step of the way. While other countries turn away the needy we welcome them with open arms.