The Crusade of our Refugees

“No one leaves home unless the home is a mouth of the shark.”

— — Warsan Shire

So is the unfathomable story of refugees around the globe. “We’re just living on the edge of life. We’re always nervous, we’re always afraid.” These are the words said by a mother of nine, Mariam Aakash, whose husband was killed by a sniper in Syria’s civil war. This war goes back to the time in 2011 when some teenagers painted revolutionary slogans on a school wall. This triggered the nationwide protests demanding the resignation of President Assad. Opposition supporters eventually took this matter into their hands and hence, a political conflict began. Supported by arms, the violence rose exceptionally high. The conflict had now taken new dimensions, higher than Mr. Assad’s resignation. The rise of ISIS further added fuel to the fire.

More than 4.5 million people have fled Syria since the beginning of the conflict. Neighboring Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan became home to many refugees but could not cope up with the responsibility of a large mass from Syria. 10% of the refugees have sought help from Europe. The helpless situation on Syria became an advantage to the Islamic State. The worshipers of the Islamic State were amongst many refugees that had entered in different countries. This lead to rising in chaos and terror in the world.

The word “Refugee” is derived from the French language, which means a person who has been forced to leave his/her very own country due to war, persecution or any natural disaster. The story of refugees can be traced to our very own land, India. The lines were drawn as soon as the nation was torn apart and consequently, bloodshed ensued. Once the lines were established, about 14.5 people crossed the wires in the hope of regional and religious comfort and safety. Based on the 1951 Census, it was found that 7.226 million Muslims from India went to Pakistan while 7.249 million Hindus and Sikhs were forced to move to India from Pakistan immediately after partition. During the famous 1947 partition, one could witness the disturbing site of families being murdered, women being raped. Partition marked the beginning of shattered times, stains on perfect family pictures and the times of despair between the two nations. The violence in 1947 was exceptionally brutal and one of the largest in the history. Its tremors can be felt even now at a mere mention of that unfortunate holocaust of humanity.

Now, the question arises why do refugees flee from their very own home? The very definition of the word “refugee” holds the answer. The fear of being persecuted on the basis of their race, religion, social group and political opinions along with any civil war or a natural disaster prevailing in that country.

When your entire habitat change, it becomes very difficult to survive. The displacement of refugees to a foreign land leads to various psychological traumas. The constant shifting of hopefulness to hopelessness leads to depression and frustration. Life in the camps is not as simple as it seems, for the refugees. At one moment, they are optimistic and buoyant and the other moment, they are washed up. They are vulnerable to the distressing atmosphere and it becomes a tough job for them to adjust in the resettlement country. The constant feeling of being a secondary citizen is always there and are often discriminated on the basis of their cultural beliefs. Cultural differences still continue to create problems at the times of movement. Their very faith gets challenged to the extreme, for no god will prescribe or ordain such tyranny upon his children, us, mere mortals! Having parted ways with their families doesn’t improve the situation either. Family delivers with the much-needed support and helps to maintain emotional stability within which alas! They don’t have anymore.

Famous artists like Bob Marley, too, is a victim of political violence. He fled from Jamaica to Miami after being shot. “I do not believe that civilisation will be wiped out in a war fought with an atomic bomb. Perhaps two-thirds of the people of the earth will be killed.” These are the words said by one of the renowned scientist, Albert Einstein- Known for his theory of relativity, who too has undergone through the hardships of the German-Jewish war. Anne Frank, Victor Hugo, and the current Dalai Lama are some of the people who have shone like jewels despite the destitution they’ve faced due to the wars. Whether it was due to the Chinese invasion in Tibet or due to varied political opinions, their stories reflect upon the very question of how people become real diamonds when subjected to maximum hardships.

20 — -26th June is celebrated as The Refugees Week, every year. The sole purpose of Refugees Day is to give strength to hundreds of refugees to open up to the world about their stories, to listen and also, to listen to other stories that are waiting to be unfolded. It is in the time of crisis that humanity needs to come to the fore. From the civil war scenarios to terrorism to a conflict in political views, the world’s refugee protection system is broken. There are 26 million refugees worldwide and 26 developed countries have taken the responsibility of hosting refugees. Yet, the refugees do not feel at home despite all the amenities provided to them. These countries should take pertinent steps to make them feel at home. Life is precious and so should be the opinion of world leaders. Its time they put the responsibility of saving lives as one of their priorities. And no matter what the mode of their travesty is, people fleeing from their own countries should be allowed to cross the borders. More documentation and putting up high fences will only lead to unsafe ways of safety. The countries should investigate all the trafficking gangs to minimize the exploitation faced by the refugees. Countries should start protecting the refugees by not burdening them with the socio-economic problems in their countries and providing financial aid to them.

Let it be more like that it is in the time of crisis that we need to come closer as a community devoid of any caste, creed or sex as faith in humanity needs to be restored.

This is the picture Alan Kurdi (reported as Aylan Kurdi), who was a 3-year-old Syrian boy of Kurdish background who died after drowning in The Mediterranean Sea on 2nd September 2015. He and his family were Syrian refugees trying to reach Europe amid the European refugee crisis.