Originally translated from Arabic.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cI know that you are tired and that the darkness around your eyes is just a dove floating everyday around a <\/span><\/span>holy shrine.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Oh my beloved mother, they asked me to write and when I started writing you were the first one who came to my mind. As they say, the mother is <\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>home\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n My name is Abd Alkafe Mohammad <\/span>and I am S<\/span>yrian. I was born <\/span>in Al-Jazira <\/span>on\u00a0<\/span>the Euphrates\u2019 river <\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>graduated from the University of Damascus in 2014<\/span>with a\u00a0<\/span>d<\/span>egree in Political Science. Forced by this cursed war <\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>leave my country <\/span>along with\u00a0<\/span>many other families and sons of this nation. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n My destination was Turkey. <\/span>I made it a<\/span>cross the border <\/span>in an\u00a0<\/span>informal way. I arrived in Istanbul <\/span>keeping\u00a0<\/span>in mind <\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>I had to start <\/span>rebuilding my life\u00a0<\/span>here\u00a0<\/span>despite\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>many difficulties. Within two months many things changed and I had to <\/span>go\u00a0<\/span>back to Syria. My plan was to take the rest of my family to Jordan. We <\/span>all met in\u00a0<\/span>al-Raqqa and at dawn we <\/span>made our way\u00a0<\/span>across the desert <\/span>towards the Syrian-Jordanian border. The trip lasted until the dawn of the following day and I <\/span>was unaware of the situation waiting for us.<\/span>When we arrived, I was shocked. The area was an arid desert <\/span>with\u00a0<\/span>people hiding in tents made <\/span>of the\u00a0<\/span>remains of <\/span>handmade\u00a0<\/span>blankets. We had to wait long for our turn to enter Jordan. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The first day, we built our small tent and for the first time <\/span>in my life,<\/span>I felt responsible for the security and safety of my family. The situation was tragic in all its aspects, from the food, to water, <\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>medicines.\u00a0<\/span>There was no medicine for sick people. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n That is the curse of war! Once, somebody described this war as \u201ca test to our humanity, a <\/span>test\u00a0<\/span>we must not fail!\u201d. My only strength in that moment was <\/span>the forbidden book I had smuggled <\/span>from the eyes of <\/span>Daesh (<\/span>ISIS<\/span>)<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>This book, \u2018the Forty Rules of Love\u2019 was m<\/span>y only friend <\/span>whilst I was <\/span>in the tent. I will never forget <\/span>the comfort it gave me in the desert.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n I remember all the times I cried <\/span>because of what <\/span>I had seen: a child d<\/span>ying\u00a0<\/span>from lack of medic<\/span>al treatment<\/span>, a woman in labour pains <\/span>giving\u00a0<\/span>birth behind dusty curtains <\/span>with<\/span>other women surround<\/span>ing\u00a0<\/span>her <\/span>and a<\/span>nother woman collecting the <\/span>scraps of bread\u00a0<\/span>gathered by m<\/span>ice.\u00a0<\/span>She would wash the <\/span>bread, dry it in the sun so she <\/span>could feed <\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>mouse and her children. Oh my God, everything was cruel\u2026 the ex<\/span>pansiveness\u00a0<\/span>of the desert, the <\/span>sand<\/span>storms, \u00a0the stones o<\/span>n the ground,\u00a0<\/span>the faces of people burned by the sun..everything everything!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Three months passed by and after being sick, it was our turn to join the<\/span>b<\/span>lue camp. That was not better than the previous camp except <\/span>that you received\u00a0<\/span>food and water. It was a large prison made of metal, <\/span>not helping with the <\/span>heat of the summer or the cold of winter. <\/span>Leaving the camp\u00a0<\/span>was forbidden\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n We stayed there <\/span>for eight\u00a0<\/span>months until one of my brothers in Jordan managed to get us out of the camp. <\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>was released <\/span>from the grips of death. <\/span>We moved to Amman. Exhausted by the desert,\u00a0I lost the taste <\/span>for\u00a0<\/span>life <\/span>and was left\u00a0feeling hopeless. <\/span>Some dreams seemed too far from me and could not see any light <\/span>in my future.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Amman was a city, despite its beauty, that fed <\/span>on\u00a0<\/span>its inhabitants and made them tired. <\/span>As soon as I arrived there, I realised I had to go back. I\u00a0<\/span>could\u00a0<\/span>not stay there for long, especially after accompanying my family to my brother who had been living there for <\/span>a while<\/span>. I spent one whole month in Amman and I managed to <\/span>repay\u00a0<\/span>some <\/span>of my <\/span>debts\u00a0<\/span>and get\u00a0<\/span>a passport. <\/span>Returning to\u00a0<\/span>Turkey was impossible. <\/span>Reaching other destinations was also\u00a0<\/span>impossible <\/span>as I needed money that I did not have. <\/span>The only solution was <\/span>to move to\u00a0<\/span>Beirut. Determined, I booked my ticket, <\/span>packed my small bag with\u00a0<\/span>only a few clothes and some <\/span>books<\/span>. That\u2019s all I have!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n I got to know Beirut. <\/span>A\u00a0<\/span>city which sees you as a refugee with empty pockets but full of thoughts. Despite <\/span>it\u00a0<\/span>all, I am still standing on my feet\u2026.yes, I do not have anything, only my will is still there\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Seven months <\/span>have passed\u00a0<\/span>since <\/span>I arrived\u00a0<\/span>in Beirut. I am now a member of SB OverSeas, which focuses on providing\u00a0education to refugees with<\/span>out asking for anything i<\/span>n return. I have seen a team putting humanity at the top of its priorities and that has rolled up its sleeves to <\/span>re<\/span>build the Syrian humanity <\/span>which has been\u00a0<\/span>shred by the war.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n If\u00a0<\/span>life is not full of challenges, then what is it?<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Mother, I <\/span>hope\u00a0<\/span>you recover soon. I will keep <\/span>thoughts of you\u00a0<\/span>in my heart.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Family, t<\/span>he moment <\/span>I am able to support you, I will not hesitate to do so.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n (<\/span>Y<\/span>ou!\u00a0<\/span>F<\/span>ar from my sight, but close to my heart. I know you are waiting for me and I promise you I will do all my best so that we can be under one roof).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Beirut, 21 July 2018.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Abd AlKafe Mohammad<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>",
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"rendered": " Originally translated from Arabic.\u00a0 \u201cI know that you are tired and that the darkness around your eyes is just a dove floating everyday around a holy shrine.\u201d Oh my beloved mother, they asked me to write and when I started writing you were the first one who came to my mind. As they say, the […]<\/p>",
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