We Must Listen

Writer: Freshta Rahmani talks of Trump's latest actions and how they affect refugees from Syria. 

With the world undergoing chaos that threatens universal stability and stirs up the possibility of an imminent third world war, the refugees present throughout are struggling to escape their everyday horrors.
    The recent crises in Syria and Afghanistan prove to the world that Trumps attempts at foreign policy are not as effective as they are deadly, as it is thought that more civilians than suspected offenders were killed.
    Trump's presidential order last week called for fifty-nine missiles to be fired on Syria―more specifically on a Syrian government airfield. His more recent order involved dropping what was deemed the “Mother of All Bombs” on an ISIS camp in Afghanistan, near Nangarhar province.
    The attacks in total have killed around ninety-four ISIS fighters in Afghanistan and around fifteen people in Syria, including four children.
    The growing lack of safety is proportional to the amount of citizens fleeing their damaged countries. The number is soon to increase as Syrians and Afghans are unable to find refuge in their own homes. The only problem with this, though, is that with the increasing number of asylum seekers, the amount of space in bordering countries continues to decrease.
    Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq,  and Jordan border Syria directly, and seem to hold prospects in being countries that can support those who are leaving Syria. But Turkey and Iraq are out of the question as Iraq is still a war torn country and Turkey’s relatively recent terror attacks don’t offer the solace that many are looking for.  
    Lebanon and Jordan, on the other hand, have certain policies regarding refugees, and according to the Library of Congress, Lebanon does accept refugees under specific conditions, but Jordan has unclear policies regarding the contemporary issue.
    Also, Afghanistan and Pakistan’s political relationship has steadily deteriorated and the hostility between the two governments has led to the deportation of thousands of Afghans back home. One deportation in particular involved Sharbat Gula:  the “Iconic Afghan Girl” with the piercing eyes, featured in National Geographic back in 1985. She was deported to Afghanistan back in November of 2016.
    Other reasons for the mass fleeing Afghanistan include the violence from Taliban and ISIS members evident in the country. And the infamous death of the previous Taliban leader has lead to more violence than what was expected.
There were more than dozens of attacks in the past nine months alone.
    Nowadays, the life found for these Afghan émigrés abroad allows for them to build a better life for their children, as they try to start anew. The surviving adult members of the family are working hard to give their children the opportunities of education and gender equality when it was unattainable before.
    Orphaned at the age of thirteen, sixteen-year-old Sardar Hussain is making a life for himself by finding a home to fit only him. His three year journey from Afghanistan to Indonesia to America has finally allowed him to reach Washington State, where he hopes to have a family adopt him. Twelve-year-old Ahmed escaped his Syrian conflict with his brother. His story strikes semblance with a WWII child refugee. Monzer Al-Omar had a reunion with his wife and three children after more than a year’s worth of separation; him in Germany, them in Syria.
    The number of stories manages to grow as the need for a voice becomes a priority. Now, after the two major destruction methods on both countries, the number will only continue to expand.
    And it's our job to listen to them. ​