08/03/14: Syria- The Perpective of Two Citizens.

Coming to Marburg is more than just learning German, it's meeting new people and learning about the world though their perspectives. As many (or all) of you should know there is a very large crisis in Syria- a "revolution". One of my good friends here is from Syria, and though she is learning here in Marburg, her life still lays in the middle of chaos. I just recently I spent about 3 plus hours listening to her and her friend talk about the situation there. All I could do was listen, because somethings are to valuable to respond to.

In the beginning of the conversation they talked about how good Syria was- before the protests began. They described Syria as "a land of contradictions".. saying you would look one way and see the sea, and green, another way the mountains, and another, the desert. They said you'd see walking on the street women dressed fully covered, to where you could only see the oval of her face, and then right next to her, a woman walking in a T-Shirt and Jeans. Syria was, in fact, a very diverse country.

Then the conversation took a turn when my friend found out that her cousin was just killed. Unfortunately, it didn't come to much as a surprise for them-- it is common now to lose some one you love in the fighting. They went on to talk about how their life had been turned upside down in the last three years... and that was heartbreaking. While living in Syria during the revolution, they've learned to treat each other and themselves as if each day were to be their last. It doesn't matter who you are there- you are a target. They continued to tell stories about the people they knew who were beaten, abducted, or killed. The two girls then brought up how strange it is the way humans can adapt to stressful situations. They said that all the people of Syria can really do is to continue on and try to go about their daily lives-- even though bombs are going off, guns are being fired, and they must stop at checkpoints just to cross town (and shouldn't dare to forget). Now, what thoughts haunt them, is how easily their life or the life of a loved one can come to an end. Anyone is now victim to the unfair chemical warfare, and combat crossfire. Just walking down the street, and that could be it... Their perspective on the situation in Syria is grim, and it is hard for them to see their country ever becoming "normal" again... and I don't blame them. The worst part is, is not the loss of old buildings and monuments (though that too saddens them), but mainly the loss of the culture they built and lived.

One of the most mind opening things they said is, "that (in this war) there is no "good" and "bad" team anymore, it is just bad. It doesn't matter if they are the Regime or the Rebels--Some of these people aren't even Syrian, or even fighting for the original cause.--People are killing innocent people for no reason. We just ask: Why?-- But these people who are killing now, they see heaven and mermaids at the end of a gun...how do you stop people who are happy to die..?"