Ellie Bach
SYRIA’S STRUGGLE
The Syrian Refugee Crisis. We’ve all heard about it: millions of people flooding the countries which surround Syria, and the chaos that has ensued. Mothers, children, fathers, sons, terrorists? Who are these people? Where did they come from? And why should we care?
(Black) YET ANOTHER CRISIS
We are not unfamiliar with the concept of crisis, we hear about it all the time, whether it be earthquakes in Haiti, tsunamis in Japan, war in Afghanistan, treacheries of the Holocaust, etc., but a large majority of us, as Americans, do not understand the hardship of experiencing crisis ourselves, at least not at such a level. However, crisis is something every man, woman, and child of Syria has seen in the past several decades.
1 Ellie Bach
It all began in 1971 with the single-candidate election of Hafiz al-Assad, and the installation of an authoritarian regime in Syria (The Editors of… n.pg.). The Syrians dealt with the injustices of the new government for a time, but in 1982, a rebel group rose up only to be crushed by an elite of Hafiz al-Assad’s military, killing anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 people. This came to be known as the Hama massacre, but it was nothing compared to what Syria would later face ("Syria's Hama…" n.pg.).
Rubble Following Hama Massacre ("Syria's 1982 …") ) With the death of Hafiz al-Assad (natural causes) came the rise of his son, Bashar al-Assad, and with him the rise of hope for Syria. His people saw him first as weak, being the “momma’s boy” of the Assad family line, but many also saw him as hope: as a reformer, a liberal, a man who could change the direction in which their country had been traveling (Rafizadeh n.pg.). Unfortunately for the people of Syria, his regime would become just as dictatorial. Their reality was akin to a scene from 1984. Everywhere one looked, there hung a poster of Assad’s face; the patriotism was astounding: when asked for their thoughts on the government, the citizens had nothing but good things to say and would repeatedly thank the government for “being so good to us” … even a few years later as they stood in the rubble of their own homes (Vice News... n.pg.). How curious.
2 Ellie Bach
ASSAD’S REIGN OF TERROR
It is no secret that under Assad, there was no free speech. You didn’t criticize the government, not even in your own home (Vice News… n.pg.). But in 2011, with the rise of revolution and ousting of dictators in countries such as Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Yemen, Syrians, specifically the Syrian youth, began to feel emboldened and hopeful of revolution in Syria as well (Koser n.pg.). Some began to
Bashar al-Assad ("Assad & Syria's Future..”) speak out, criticizing the regime for its hypocrisies and ) short-comings. Some wrote supposedly slanderous graffiti on the walls of buildings. Whatever their medium, these people were tracked down and arrested, then brutally tortured. One 28-year old tells of how he was forced to imitate a dog after being strung up as the guards laughed, proceeding to burn him with their cigarettes. Harsher consequences followed when the performance was not amusing enough ("Assad's Torture Dungeons" n.pg.). Another younger boy gives an account of being kept in car tires, shocked by car batteries, and having ribs broken. Many were beaten, burned, electrocuted, raped, and had their fingernails ripped off—many of them didn’t make it. What’s worse is that many of these victims were only eleven or twelve years old (Lyden n.pg.).
Assad’s Torture (“Did Assad turn…”/ ScholArt)
3 Ellie Bach
When word got out to the people about their children being tortured, it caused an uproar. How could the regime do such things, not just to adults, but to little boys and girls? Syrians began to rally on the streets. They protested saying that they wanted their children back, their brothers back, their family members back. The government responded by doing as they asked. They delivered their children back to their doorstep… in wooden boxes. The bodies were horribly mutilated, pieces and chunks missing, lacerations, slices, and burns; the signs of torture were clear, and while the government intended for this sick act to quiet its people, it only sparked a full blown protest of the regime’s cruelties.
(Loveluck) Huge demonstrations began to form all over the country. At one point, half a million people were in the streets of Homs and Hama, carrying the Syrian flag and large pictures of the children who had been tortured to death ("500,000 Protest against…” n.pg.). The government’s reaction was harsh. The first uprising, seen in Daraa, resulted in the death of several dozen protestors due to governmental crackdown.
4 Ellie Bach
The demonstrations remained peaceful on the part of the demonstrators, however. One noteworthy young man, Ghiath Matar was known for his peaceful protest advocacy in which he would pass out water bottles and flowers to the security guards with little notes attached that read “You and I are brothers…”; he was nicknamed “Little Gandhi” (Berger n.pg.). But, like so many other faces of the uprising, it was not long before the government arrested him, tortured him, and shipped his mutilated body back to his family (Lyden n.pg.).
THE CIVIL WAR
As unrest continued, Assad took some superficial measures to appease the people, making no real change, and attempted a continuation of his brainwash of areas that remained subdued ("Syrian Civil War Fast Facts" n.pg). He even used (“Io Non Sto…”) the images of Syrians marching with the Syrian flag as propaganda, claiming that these people were holding patriotic rallies of support for the government (Lyden n.pg.). Because of this, the Syrian people adopted an older version of the Syrian flag--with a green stripe and 3 red stars--in order to distinguish themselves (Sinjab n.pg.). The Syrian people had become their own entity.
Syrian flag vs rebel flag ('15, Nikola Rackers )
5 Ellie Bach
Within the year what was once a grand-scale protest evolved into civil war. Regime forces became increasingly violent, and the people began to fight back. The regime rounded up dissenters and tortured them. The military began using tanks, explosives, and excessive brutality on the people. A number of soldiers were horrified by this and resigned from the regime’s forces, forming instead the Free Army which fought against the government. Many young men learned to fight and use weapons to join this effort, creating significant pushback to Assad’s attempts to regain control. This furthered the lengths by which Assad was willing to go to destroy the rebellion, and by putting the label of “terrorists” on these people, Assad was able to justify the horrors he would inflict upon the citizens of Syria.
One of Assad’s methods involved besieging the cities. Many men, women, and children starved to death as a result of the sieges as their resources were suffocated. Families ate leaves off the trees (Syria Assad Regime and weeds from the ground. Parents watched their little-ones wither away to nothing, being unable to provide adequate sustenance for them. A little girl recounted writing her own will as she expected to die (Lyden n.pg.).
And then there were the bombings. The Syrian government began air-striking the cities, killing tens of thousands of people, injuring many more. Many were trapped beneath the rubble or were severely injured. Most lost family members and their homes (Yourish n.pg.). Then, despite its being against the Geneva Convention, the Syrian government began using chemical warfare on its people: they released (“Syria Feature…”) chemicals like chlorine gas, which brings about asphyxiation, and sarin gas which sends the body into painful, sweaty convulsions as one’s nerves
6 Ellie Bach are destroyed. Hospitals began to fill with screaming children and too many bodies to count. Following these chemical attacks, rooms lie full of the dead laid out on the ground, wrapped in white cloths (Lyden n.pg.).
Victims of Chemical Warfare ("Syria: Government Likely…”)
AND THEN ISIS…
As all this took place, ISIS terrorist groups began to take advantage of the situation and the power vacuum that was formed. At first they helped, and fought beside the Free Army. But as they gained control of certain areas, they revealed their true face, commiting one atrocity after another. They recruited young boys into their militias, putting them through the harsh training required of ISIS fighters. They murdered those that didn’t follow their rules. They began executing the Free Army captains; women and little girls, if not completely covered, would be beaten in the streets; anyone who spoke poorly of their methods or took part in some mild offense such as smoking would be decapitated for all to see (Ignatius n.pg.). (“What ISIS…”)
7 Ellie Bach
AND THEN RUSSIA TOO…
Just when it seemed as though the situation in Syria could not be any worse, Russia got involved. Putin decided to back Assad, agreeing to help him remove the “terrorist” problem. The Russian forces did not follow the Geneva Convention either. They dropped cluster bombs, and used more chemical weaponry, leaving many more dead, (Rogoway) and many more homes in rubble. The regimes claimed that they fight terrorism, that they are fighting ISIS, but in reality they have targeted mainly civilians, hospitals, and schools (Lyden n.pg.).
THE CONTINUAL AFTERMATH
As of 2016, between shootings, bombings, chemical warfare events, and sieges, the death toll in Syria is at 470,000 people: nearly half a million dead. Seven million people are displaced internally, and eleven million have fled their homes in search of refuge ("The Syrian Refugee Crisis… n.pg.”).
I talk about this in past tense, but it continues to happen right now. There are still nearly a million Syrians suffering from siege conditions in Damascus, Homs, Deir, Ezzor and Idlib (Siege Watch n.pg.). The bombing and brutality continues. There are children trapped beneath the rubble at this very moment. There are fathers and mothers mourning the death of their children. Reversely, there are children being orphaned as we speak. The death toll continues to grow and likely is not going to end anytime soon ("What's Happening...” n.pg.). So now what? When your home, family, and life as you knew it is stripped from you, where do you go?
8 Ellie Bach
(Opit / Sim)
WHERE DO THEY GO?
They go wherever they can. These 11 million people have found their way either to Turkey or to Jordan or to Greece via the Mediterranean Ocean, and from there they have journeyed to any country that will take them. Several countries such as Germany, France, and Canada have, or had, welcomed them, but more often than not, European countries such as Denmark and Sweden have attempted to deter the immigration of the refugees. Because of the concentration of these people in relatively few areas, the resources for them are dwindling, placing them in inadequate refugee camps. Additionally, the natives of these countries have become disgruntled, and some outright enraged, by this grand influx of people (LastWeekTonight n.pg.). (Butter)
9 Ellie Bach
Many countries that once welcomed the refugees are no longer accepting them. Some have seen difficulties with cultural integration, such as in the UK. Some countries are struggling financially to support the refugees. This is partially due to the fact many refugees in European countries struggle to find employment (Forrest n.pg.). The conditions in many refugee camps are terrible, and families continue to starve and lack sufficient protection from the weather. It seems that this ordeal would be less taxing on specific countries if the refugees could be less concentrated in certain countries. So why doesn’t the US do more to help out?
Since 2016, we have taken in only 14,333 refugees, a meager amount when compared to other, significantly smaller European nations. Turkey has taken in over 2 million, Lebanon over one million, Jordan over (Merelli) 600,000, and so on (Merelli n.pg.).
There appears to be two reasons for our failure to provide asylum to more refugees: fiscal concerns and fear of terrorism. As far as fiscal concerns go, there is somewhat legitimate concern as to from where the money to care for the refugees would come. Each refugee is expected to cost about $64,370 for the first five years of their stay in the United States. However, the government has set aside money in the budget for such circumstances ("The High Cost of…” n.pg.). We also are concerned that these people will live on government handouts, or if they do maintain self- sufficiency, will take our jobs. As far as living off welfare, we must expect that some of these people will need a grace period to find a job and get back on their feet, or perhaps may be children without the means to do so. They are starting anew from nothing. But these people came to seek refuge and start a new life. They are willing and ready to work for the good of themselves and their families. They do not want to
10 Ellie Bach live out their days as charity cases. As for taking our jobs, that’s just silly. No one just “takes” a job from you, but that’s a whole different discussion. The refugees while taking part in the workplace also become a new market, and therefore equilibrium should, in theory, be restored ("Refugee Myths and Facts" n.pg.).
ARE THEY TERRORISTS?
The main reason the United States is so averse to taking in refugees is the general fear of terrorism among many Americans. Many have held concerns about the kinds of people entering the country, as they are primarily Muslim and come from areas where ISIS has held influence. Many worry that while a majority of the refugees are victims fleeing from crisis, there are terrorists taking advantage of the situation, a few “poisonous peanuts” in the bag. They claim that there is no way to distinguish the bad from the good, and that therefore the whole bunch should be tossed. Others claim that such a fear is Islamophobic, but, Islamophobic or not, the question of national security is always a legitimate concern, especially when ISIS has expressed its desire to kill as many Americans as possible. The thing is, it’s incredibly unlikely that the refugees granted asylum are terrorists. What often goes unrealized is that the US already puts these people through an impressively intensive screening process.
THE PROCESS
In order to come to the United States as a Syrian refugee, one must go through a good number of steps. First, the applicant will be interviewed by the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) in order to determine his/her situation and whether or not he/she will be granted refugee status. If the refugee qualifies, his/her biographical, geographical, ad biometric data will be collected and sent to the United States. The Department of State will scrutinize this data, and if all is passing, the refugee will be granted an interview with the Department of Home Affairs. With that, more security checks and data inspection will be performed by the Federal Bureau of
11 Ellie Bach
Investigations, DHA, National Counter Terrorism Center, Department of State, and Department of Defense (Newsy-Hub n.pg.). All documentation, as well as any social media outlets, are checked for authenticity. Then, if the refugee has passed all these security checkpoints, they must pass a medical examination and take cultural orientation classes. This whole process takes anywhere from 18 to 24 months. Consequently, a large number of the refugees here now are from the beginning of the war (Proletariate1980 n.pg.).
Security checks by UNCR determines Medical DHA, NCTC, DOS, Refugee Status Examination DOD
Biographical, biometric, and Interview with DHA Cultural Orientation geographical Data collection
Determination of US Resettlement US Review of RESETTLEMENT Location (<1% of Collected Data applicants)
This process being so in depth, it would be a ridiculous pathway for ISIS to take. They would have to jump through hoops from the very beginning, wait long periods of time, and would not even get to choose where they are resettled. They would have more luck, and face less screening, simply applying for a visa! It seems that our fears would be better placed in other matters, because we aren’t just “eating peanuts” willy- nilly. We are inspecting each one first. That being said, perhaps it would be easier to just toss the whole bag. But remember that these peanuts are not peanuts. They are people. They are human beings with mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters. When the peanuts are people, maybe it’s worth it to risk reaching into the bag.
12 Ellie Bach
THE TAKE-AWAY?
Syrian refugees have been through more than any of us could ever imagine. They have suffered wounds and watched their loved ones die. They have starved and bled. Syrian children have seen more blood than most of us ever will our entire lives. Fear and suffering have become the only consistent things in their world. Those that survive face more treachery on the path to freedom and scorn from the countries in which they settle. They are caught in a never ending battle for a life free of death and sadness.
(Metro.co.uk / Noordijk / Jain)
So, regardless of whether or not we believe the US should be involved in the Syrian war itself, regardless of our political ideologies, regardless of our stance on Islamic terrorism, we should all be able to agree upon this fact: these people need our help. Look at their faces. They’re children, they’re mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers. They have nowhere to go, and they’ve suffered enough. So when they knock on our door, it’s our job as fellow humans on this planet to put aside politics for a moment and do whatever we can to aid them in their search for safety and remedy the pain their world has brought upon them. Because being in their shoes, wouldn’t you want the same?
13 Ellie Bach
Works Cited "Assad's Torture Dungeons." The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 20 Dec. 2016. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
14 Ellie Bach
LastWeekTonight. "Migrants and Refugees: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)." YouTube. YouTube, 28 Sept. 2015. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
15 Ellie Bach
Vice News: Assad's Syria & Cost of Climate Change. N.d. HBO. Web. 12 Apr. 2017.
IMAGES WORKS CITED Assad & Syria's Future | The Middle East Magazine Online..." The Middle East Magazine Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.
16 Ellie Bach
Loveluck, Louisa. "Hundreds across Syria Protest against Assad for the First Time in Years." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 04 Mar. 2016. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.
17 Ellie Bach
"Syria Feature: Hospitals and Schools Close in Northwest After Russia's Deadly Bombing." EA WorldView. N.p., 17 Feb. 2016. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.
18