The Syrian refugee crisis through Doaa Zamel's experiences
Debbie Stewart
Great Falls Public Library
A journey of a refugee Doaa Zamel, told in an incredible story of survival and chaos in Syria, is an eye-opening saga so powerful and frightening and unforgettable. The book opens describing Doaa's childhood in Syria back in 2001 when everything was peaceful and people went about their lives and hope for the future of their country abounded. But in 2011 the war began. Doaa was now 16 and interested in the freedom movement, Arab Spring; Bashar al-Assad was the ruler over the oppressive regime. The siege on Daraa, where Doaa lived, happened as she watched from her rooftop. Military tanks slowly rolling down her street towards her house, hundreds of soldiers marching alongside and helicopters circling above filled her with dread. She wondered if President Bashar al-Assad would follow in the footsteps of his father and slaughter anyone who dared to challenge his authority. She learned how to gauge the mood of the city by the number of bullet casings she found on the street in front of her house each morning.
Shortly after the siege Doaa's family had to leave their home in fear of their lives. They were now refugees fleeing to Egypt. Five million Syrians such as Doaa's family would be forced to flee across borders. By 2016, Syrians would become the largest displaced population in the world. Her description of being a refugee is heartbreaking; the physical stress weakened her to the point of inhumane suffering. Doaa has put a face on the Syrian crisis.
Later she meets a wonderful young man in Egypt and they plan to wed and escape together to Europe. Bassem uses his life savings of $2,500 to buy them passage on a boat. Promise of a new life blinded them to the risk that put them in the hands of smugglers. Crowded on the boat with 500 other refugees they set out to cross the Mediterranean Sea. At day three, Doaa spoke with Bassem and said she feared they would not make it. On day four, a small boat approached and started ramming their boat shouting, "Let the fish eat your flesh." They proceeded to capsize and sink Doaa's boat. Hundreds drowned and the rest were set adrift in the ocean with no chance of survival. Doaa watched as her fiancée drowned before her eyes. She now was carrying two small children with her in a small inflatable ring. Bloated bodies were floating all around and hope was waning. After four days and nights in the water with nothing to eat or drink, Doaa's strength was failing. She finally spotted a ship in the distance…
A note from Doaa: "In this book, I have shared my suffering with you. It is only a small glimpse of the hardship and pain that refugees around the world endure. I represent just one voice among the millions who risk their lives every day in order to live a life of dignity."
This is an important story, very powerful but hopeful. I am grateful to Doaa for her story and connecting all who read this book to the plight of the refugees in Syria so that we don't become indifferent to our fellow human beings in their despair and that we can remain faithful to our empathy and compassion and will to do good for all humanity.
New at the library
"We Crossed a Bridge and it Trembled: Voices from Syria" by Wendy Pearlman
Watch and listen to the TED talk on YouTube about Doaa's story on the sea, by Melissa Fleming (19:15 min; bit.ly/1HsYv0V)