© Ceasefire Magazine 2002-2021. After making it to Athens, Shalhoub waits weeks for his brother, who eventually arrives with Fadwa, a schoolteacher he met on the way. The trip to a safe zone inside Syria took Fatima 21 days. May 23, 2016. The load was way too heavy for the boat to move," Hamed said. Aboud Shalhoub (from The Journey from Syria) and Hashem Alsouki (featured in the article). ‘My goal is justice for all Syrians’: one man’s journey from jail to witness for the prosecution Anwar al-Bunni devoted his life to human rights in Syria. ", You can follow any responses to this entry through the, fined £5,000 for giving a refugee family a ride and refreshment, Film | Review | The Journey from Syria: “I wish we could have this life in our country” – AllMagNews. The last segment of the documentary shows movements like Pegida and demagogues like Geert Wilders stirring up xenophobia. ‘My goal is justice for all Syrians’: one man’s journey from jail to witness for the prosecution Anwar al-Bunni devoted his life to human rights in Syria. At that time Rasha was 10 years old and Lara was 9 years old. L aurel Hilbert arrived in the United States in August of 2013 as a blind, homeless 17-year-old named Ahmad. "Leaving SyriaHis long journey began when he left Syria to Egypt via Lebanon. Working with Rita Vanden Heuvel and Adrienne Montgomerie, she produced Sounds for Fun and Sounds for … My wallet is the only thing that survived the two-year journey from Syria to the UK. The Syrian national said he made the "last airplane" out of Aleppo to Egypt when he was 16 and came to the UK two years later. One Refugee's Journey to a New Future Oct. 7, 2015 13:02. (Published by William Collins, £16.99) Behram, Turkey, September 2, 2015. Fourteen people were run over by a train earlier when a group of refugees could not clear the tracks in time. By Ben Tau b. Plucked from the oceanHis third and final attempt was the most bizarre and horrible of them all. Fatima’s story stands for those of many other Syrians who are fleeing the same kind of horror. Even after his arrival in the Netherlands, there are bureaucratic hurdles to be negotiated. “We were torn between joy and hope to see them leave this country at war. All Rights Reserved. The Journey from Syria, Part Five. With news outlets obsessed with refugees, they are never allowed to forget their status as outsiders. Two years before the start of a the Syrian revolution, a young man bought a pair of shoes and decided not to wear them until reunited with … According to the UN, there are over 220,000 dead, a third of the population has been displaced internally, and some 3.8 million Syrian refugees languish in refugee camps in neighbouring countries. This situation has, once again, diverted refugee flows to the more dangerous Mediterranean route. The journey from Aleppo to the Turkish border once took 45 minutes but is now a 6.5-hour drive fraught with danger. "Right after that, we saw a ship with a Danish flag approaching us fast," Hamed said. But large groups are necessary for security. Back in Milan, they met a smuggler who took them by car and smuggled them into Germany. See search results for this author. Surreptitiously they cross into Macedonia. The train is stopped at the border and the refugees are ordered off it. An image from the first episode of The Journey from Syria (Source: Matthew Cassel/newyorker.com). "I couldn't stand it any more," Shurbaji explained. Many have lost their lives. A Serbian pro-refugee activist tells the group that they no longer have to travel surreptitiously. “At the announcement of their departure from Syria, contradictory feelings animated us,” Pelissier tells The National. The Journey from Syria, Part One. Laws have changed. Mohammad came to the UK from Syria as a refugee and started his Award journey. The summer has only started, and in the 9 months since young Aylan Kurdi’s body was found lifeless on a Turkish shore, European borders have only grown more inhospitable. After seven months of hard work, he was able to make some money and start planning a way out to Europe. In lieu of a lasting solution, at the political level, the refugee issue has become an occasion for grandstanding or demonisation. The hopes and apprehensions of his wife and children track Shalhoub’s progress across Europe. "After few hours of sailing in sea, the boat started to sink and water started to leak inside the boat. But if the left has failed to challenge this wave, it is because they, just like the right, have been unwilling to address the root causes of the Syrian conflict. Taxis and cars are also a risk. For refugees fleeing the civil war the journey can take weeks, if not months. The distance from Syria to Germany is approximately 3,700 kilometres. They are the luckier ones; they are part of the 7 percent of Syria’s 4.3 million refugees that Europe has accepted. Aboud’s story got the attention of filmmaker Matthew Cassel. We started to bail the water out using buckets for at least 24 hours non stop. In April 2015 he decided to attempt a journey to Europe in the hope that once there he could apply for asylum status and family reunification, and finally see his wife and children again. Among those who have risked the latter, many have been robbed, some have ended up as hostages in the custody of Macedonian smugglers. MOBILE VIEW Fighters ride a tank as they patrol a street in the western countryside of Aleppo, March 27, 2014. In the second episode of “The Journey… He struggled for 40 days in Egypt until he decided to go to Europe. Donate now. Refugee girl describes her journey from Syria to UK. One old man has to be left behind when his feet give way halfway across Macedonia. A rescue team had been deployed. To get a perspective on that journey, here’s a turn-by-turn Google map — walking directions for a family fleeing Aleppo, Syria… Journey to Syria and Baheera. Story 5 December 2019 Sarah Martin. Save this story for later. Abed's journey to the United Kingdom was anything but simple. May 26, 2016. 2015. ", He added "People started to jump off the boat, and for 30 minutes of chaos, there wasn't any kind of rescue happening... After I jumped off the boat, I started to swim toward the ship. Save this story for later. 18 March, You may want to divide the article into four parts and assign different sections to groups of students. Many escaped death by a whisker. "They segregated us this time. The UN and over 130 rights and humanitarian groups have castigated world powers for failing to protect Syrians, as a number of reports marking the war's fourth anniversary illustrate how the lights have gone out in Syria. According to the UN, there are over 220,000 dead, a third of the population has been displaced internally, and some 3.8 million Syrian refugees languish in refugee camps in neighbouring countries.Many have been forced to make the dangerous journey to Europe in pursuit of a better life. One of thousands of refugees at the Kawergosk camp in Erbil, Nuri Khan says his life has become hopeless. Feature: Hamed Shurbaji fled from the horrors of Bashar al-Assad's Syria to save his own life, but only reached Europe after almost dying on a sinking people smuggler's ship. And to its enduring shame, Denmark has also earned itself a place in history’s halls of shame by passing a law to make the country a “little less attractive” to refugees by seizing their valuables. In April 2015 he decided to attempt a journey to Europe in the hope that once there he could apply for asylum status and family reunification, and finally see his wife and children again. Refugee: The gruelling journey from Syria to Iraq. Around 11,000 Syrian pounds will take them in a Pullman coach to the Jordanian port of Aqaba. He was detained and jailed for few days before he was released. "The boat was very small, about 12 meters long at most, and probably couldn't carry more than fifteen people in its best case. Mohammad (Mo) is now the proud holder of his Bronze and Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s International Awards. This would likely get them deported, but one man cajoles them (or assuages his own conscience) with the unconvincing argument that, as families, they will not be sent back. The documentary is made more compelling by interspersing Shalhoub’s struggles with scenes from his home in Damascus. The series, produced by Field of Vision in collaboration with The New Yorker, takes place over the better part of a year. Save this story for later. "While we tried to get close to it, the big ship hit the nose of our boat and made it sink even faster. In the last four short years the conflict has resulted in what is now considered the worst humanitarian disaster in modern history. But with 140 people in the group warily watching, the thieves don’t get a chance. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. You may want to divide the article into four parts and assign different sections to groups of students. Not long after that, an Egyptian rescue boat came and took them all back to Zowara again. By Ben Tau b. Omar al-Muqdad – a prominent journalist, documentary filmmaker, and former Syrian refugee – writes a bi-monthly blog for CMS titled, “Dispatches from the Global Crisis in Refugee Protection.” This series covers the Syrian Civil War, the experiences of Syria’s immense and far-flung refugee population, the global crisis in refugee protection, religious persecution, … He thought he could stay in Cairo and work, but the situation in Egypt was unstable. There was nothing left for me there any more, when all my loved ones were either jailed, killed or scattered abroad. The organised left across much of Europe has shown little sympathy for Syrians fighting oppression. Refugee: The gruelling journey from Syria to Iraq. “If the boat sinks, try to stay away from the others,” a voice on the phone tells Aboud Shalhoub, the Damascene jeweller around whose exodus the film is centred. The distance from Syria to Germany is approximately 3,700 kilometres. Many have lost their lives. He was able to reach the Libyan border and tried to sneak across it. They made these pictures and told me this story while living in Athens Greece, in February 2017. The Journey from Syria, Part Three. May 25, 2016. May 23, 2016. It circled around them in the air for few minutes then left. ... and an estimated 1,200 refugees decided to continue their journey to the border by foot. The only safe option is to walk. “We were torn between joy and hope to see them leave this country at war. Many have been forced to make the dangerous journey to Europe in pursuit of a better life. Nina – an athlete from Syria – will be representing a new team a the Special Olympics, but … Early in Matthew Cassell’s documentary for The New Yorker about a Syrian refugee’s quest for asylum across Europe the stakes are made clear. On a two-level boat, the smugglers this time managed to cram in more than 730 people. Among the more than 1 million people to undertake that journey was Aboud Shalhoub, a Syrian jeweler whom Cassel met in Istanbul. May 26, 2016. This is an edited extract of Nujeen: One Girl’s Incredible Journey From War-Torn Syria in a Wheelchair by Nujeen Mustafa with Christina Lamb. He came to the U.S. as a blind, homeless teenager from Syria who couldn't speak English. In the last episode of “The Journey,” the … Muhammad Idrees Ahmad reviews The Journey from Syria, Matthew Cassel's new documentary tracing the remarkable journey of a Syrian refugee from his home in Damascus across half of Europe, and finds "a human story about ordinary lives disrupted by extraordinary circumstances." The Journey from Syria, Part Four. In this first installment of a two-part series, Syria Deeply examines the illegal journey from Damascus to Turkey. Salma's Story: One Refugee Family's Journey From Syria to Germany. Defying the odds: Nina’s journey from Syria to the Special Olympics. (Some of the tropes the right has used to stereotype refugees were first used by the left to demonise Assad’s opponents, painting them all as “extremists” and “jihadists”). By Ben Tau b. Save this story for later. At one point, one of the film’s protagonists rues the fact that Europe has judged them without bothering to get to know them. 3 Min Read. Hamed majored in French literature at Damascus University when the revolution in Syria erupted. The Journey from Syria: a Documentary by Matthew Cassel If you didn’t watch Matthew Cassel’s powerful six-part documentary on what the 3000+ kilometer journey from Syria to Europe is/was typically like, you really should catch up. A home away from home. This woman survived the dangerous crossing. When I finally reached it, I looked back and saw this horrifying scene of all these people fighting for their lives.". “At the announcement of their departure from Syria, contradictory feelings animated us,” Pelissier tells The National. Hamed was able to make it all the way to Milan, Italy. For two and a half years, Syrian jeweller Aboud Shalhoub tried to build a life in Turkey, having fled the war-torn Damascus, where his wife, Christine, and their two young children would remain until he could afford to relocate them. The film is well constructed and tells its story with minimal editorialising. This is an edited extract of Nujeen: One Girl’s Incredible Journey From War-Torn Syria in a Wheelchair by Nujeen Mustafa with Christina Lamb. But a poll of Syrian refugees in Germany shows that the primary cause of their flight is Assad, not ISIS. The dangerous sea and land crossings that Syrian refugees are making to Europe have been well-documented, but less well known are the equally perilous journeys people take to leave Syria itself. Last year, 26,000 children arrived unaccompanied. The majority languish in the refugee camps in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. Abed's journey to the United Kingdom was anything but simple. Shalhoub’s group is also menaced by a gang of twelve. Save this story for later. Many escaped death by a whisker. "We did not expect to see this many people all at once on the same boat," Hamed said. BERGEN, Norway (Reuters) - Three years after fleeing his home in war-torn Syria… The smuggler charged him $1,000 to guarantee him a place on the next boat to Europe. By Julien Pretot. Aboud Shalhoub (from The Journey from Syria) and Hashem Alsouki (featured in the article). In August 2015, having sold virtually everything they owned, Zena’s mother, father, sister, brother and cousin embarked on their journey. He failed, and his return was blocked. Cassel follows Aboud Shalhoub, a Syrian jeweler he met in Instanbul, on his 2015 journey from Turkey to Greece and up the Balkan route through central Europe and eventually to his new life in the Netherlands. Some have tacitly supported the regime; others, such as the British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, have backed Russian military intervention while opposing safe zones for civilians. It took at least five hours to rescue people, and then only with the aid of the Maltese coast guard. The Journey, however, is more than the chronicle of an exodus. The larger part of the convoy moves on. Everyone in his family was worried he wouldn’t make it. The Journey invites us to wonder that if the conditions are this fraught for those who seek and find sanctuary, what must it be like for those that are left behind. As the Syrian conflict enters its fifth year this week, the Syrian agony continues without an end in sight. From there, travel is relatively straightforward, though exploitation attends the refugees every step of the way (A taxi driver demands €500 for a one-hour ride). EU states in general have tried to discourage pro-refugee activism by criminalising decency. The boat from there to Egypt is about $65. I wasted all the money that I saved for the trip," he added. He struggled for 40 days in Egypt until he decided to go to Europe. Hamed described the situation of this trip as disastrous. The Journey from Syria, Part One. They avoid trains because if you are caught riding one, you are sent back to Greece. The same German survey cited earlier shows that 93% of Syrian refugees in Germany would return to Syria if they could. Nine people drowned and 30 others who were in the lower level of the boat suffocated to death from the smoke from the engine and died, Hamed explained. The refugee exodus has served as a boon for the European far right. Film | Review | The Journey from Syria: “I wish we could have this life in our country” Muhammad Idrees Ahmad reviews The Journey from Syria, Matthew Cassel's new documentary tracing the remarkable journey of a Syrian refugee from his home in Damascus across half of Europe, and finds "a human story about ordinary lives disrupted by extraordinary … Train tracks and farmlands are the safest bet, though not always. In the past week alone, the UN has reported 700 refugees drowned. To enjoy the CBBC Newsround website at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on. I remember the day I bought it in 2010, in Al-Halboni market in the old city of Damascus. As Abu Taalib had great affection for his nephew, Abu Taalib also took his beloved nephew with him. Then came the trip to the airport. This context is important for the kind of debate currently raging in Europe. The remaining refugees face deportation to Turkey or paying extortionate prices for the uncertain prospect of being smuggled into the EU. A Reporter at Large. A Refugee's Journey from Syria Leaving My Homeland: Amazon.de: Mason, Helen: Fremdsprachige Bücher When asked about the trek her family made between Damascus and the border with Turkey before heading to Europe, Amal, a 28-year-old Syrian-Palestinian is blunt: the journey with her children and younger brother, she said, "was one of the hardest … They can present and compare their findings with the class. "My home town Darya was totally destroyed and I lost a lot of family members. The journey from Syria to Italy: Syrian women farmers learning new skills to produce food 2019 The two organizations have teamed up to enhance the skills of small-scale women food producers from Syria - all with the aim of supporting crisis-affected communities to regain or boost their livelihoods, and reviving the country's agriculture sector. Save this story for later. Matthew Cassel has reported on the Middle East for over a decade, including a five-year stint covering the Arab world for Al Jazeera . Save this story for later. While I appreciated most of the review, Idrees Ahmad does try to soft-sell imperialism & support for Daesh. Film | Review | The Journey from Syria: “I wish we could have this life in our country” – AllMagNews And then comes deus ex machina. Greece: Athens February 2017. For the right, they are intruders stealing jobs and benefits. He decided to travel to Libya to find a way to Europe. Refugees are routinely demonised. The Journey from Syria to Greece: Pictures by Rasha and Lara. "He kept lying to us and giving us phoney dates of when the next trip would take place. ", A few hours later, they noticed a helicopter in the horizon. (Published by William Collins, £16.99) Behram, Turkey, September 2, 2015. 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