Six years ago, Syria began going through a civil war. The Assad government was and still is absolutely brutal. They began killing thousands of their own people, something that should not be allowed of any government. Citizens began to run from their own country, becoming what we know most of them to be, refugees.
Over the years, the influx of refugees has dramatically increased. Most countries could no longer accept the huge number of refugees, so they began making the process of seeking asylum lengthier and lengthier. Eventually, most refugees could not seek asylum in other countries. They began doing everything in their power to travel somewhere safe. You may remember hearing about the different ways they traveled from place to place, but most commonly by boat. This was one of the most dangerous things they could have done because many of them lost their lives. I remember my sophomore year in high school, when the refugee crisis was at its worst. I was going through news articles obsessively reading about the pain that these people have to go to just to seek safety. Then I saw the picture. A picture of a toddler washed ashore. Lifeless and pale. It broke my heart, but ingrained itself in my mind forever.
Refugees have always been close to my heart, not only because I live to be compassionate and humane, but because I know refugee families. When I was twelve I went to school with the nicest Syrian girls, Rama and Raneem. Raneem’s mother visited Syria often during the war, and I remember the fear her daughter had to face every day she was gone. She never knew if her mom would get caught in the cross fire of rebels and Assad, and that’s a thought no twelve year old should have. Another one of my Syrian friends, Lynn, had family that got stuck in Germany because the U.S. wasn’t accepting any more refugees, even though her family was already here. These people, although Muslim, were just like me. I studied math with them. We watched movies together. If I was ever in need of anything, they were there.
There’s one thing I really hate about our country. We’re Islamophobic. Just because someone wears a hijab does not mean they’re a suicide bomber. Just because someone reads the Quran does not mean they have personal ties to terrorists or ISIS. Just because they are Muslim doesn’t mean they aren’t like us.
Refugees are people just like you and me. Some eggs are better than others, but that’s not because they’re a different religion. A hijab is not a telltale sign for terroristic activity. It’s just a sign of devoted faith. Us Americans forget that just because we’re all different doesn’t mean we’re not the same. Our goals are the same. Our love is the same, but sometimes they’re more in touch with their humanity than us. Living in a country so great can often make you ungrateful and meticulous. Sometimes we forget that we’re all humans who just want to live the best life we possibly can. Geez guys, they really are just like us.