Comment on Building a life in Germany, a Syrian watches war at home

Building a life in Germany, a Syrian watches war at home

Building a life in Germany, a Syrian watches war at home First thing every morning, he checks on the internet and social media for the latest in the constant stream of grim news and carnage. The Associated Press followed Mohammed in the summer of 2015 as he made the arduous trek from Turkey, where he had lived with his family since fleeing Syria, across the sea to Greece, then through the Balkans to Germany. In a backlash, right-wing nationalist parties have gained ground. A string of terror attacks has further stoked xenophobia and distrust of the refugees. During Mohammed's trek across Europe last year, the young man had to be quick-thinking, always on the alert for any opening to get to the next stage of his journey, through bureaucracy, hostile border guards and rough weather. In the living room, there's only two armchairs and a coffee table. Mohammed sleeps on a mattress on the floor in a small room he shares with one of the others. Olive oil, olives, thyme and pita bread. A blackboard hangs on the wall, and one of his housemates has drawn a map of Syria topped by the flag of Syria's opposition. Mohammed receives a monthly government stipend of 370 euros ($400), and his rent, utility bills and language school are paid for. [...] around 33,000 refugees found jobs since early 2015, mostly in menial labor or as cleaners and security guards. Other refugees give up on learning it and just take unskilled jobs or even try to leave Germany for an Arab nation. Al-Bayanooni was the fifth of his childhood friends to be killed, guys he played with in his neighborhood streets as a kid. Troops and militias loyal to President Bashar Assad cut off all roads into rebel enclaves. In the weeks since, hundreds have been killed in Aleppo in continued bombardment of rebel-held neighborhoods. Every one of us is enduring a calamity of some sort...In Germany, when a child trips, our humanity compels us to reach out and lend a helping hand. [...] as soon as they sat at a restaurant, the German waiter started removing the cutlery, wine glasses and plates from the table, all with a not-too-subtle air of hostility. [...] you cannot judge an entire people by the behavior of just one individual. Swear to God, I find the Germans to be beautiful people, they are always smiling and laughing. [...] if he speaks in broken German to a German, they use sign language and "try to help as much they can." The police, he said, treat people "with respect, not like in the Arab world where they insult and beat you." Two of Mohammed's housemates, Mohammed Zalt and Mazen al-Ali, said their German friends advised them not to leave home for a day or two after a mass sexual assault on women in Cologne last New Year's eve. "[...] I fear for my life here like everyone else," he said. "When will you come home?

 

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