Feature: Syrian mother in dilemma to leave son seeking asylum or staying in war
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E-mail Xinhua, March 10, 2016
Samira, a Syrian mother, found herself in an unenviable position when her son told her he wanted to leave for Europe like hundreds of thousands of Syrians who are fleeing the war-torn country to a new life in the old continent.
Losing her only 24-year-old son to the conflict, or leaving him to the risks of being a refugee are both tough and nearly impossible choices for Samira.
Before he dropped the bombshell news, Samira had always been following up the news of the refugees: their favorite destinations, the long risky road they take, and most shockingly the death boats.
"I was so decisive with him, I said 'no' you are not going to leave!," Samira told Xinhua of her dialogue with her son.
"I said 'no' because he is my only son and also because of the terrible news we watch and listen on the TVs about the dangerous route the refugees take," she said.
"I also said no because there is nothing clear about the future of the refugees in Europe."
Samira, a widow and a mother of two daughters, said she has been withstanding the conflict for five years, because she said she "derives her energy from her children."
"I don't encourage him to leave ... I think my answer will always be no."
"We will live together, we will share the problems together. We have passed bad times, we can handle the difficult times together," the mother said, apparently trying to soothe herself.
She added that her reluctance is not out of selfishness, but care and fear for her son's future.
"We have been waiting for five years and the situation I think is becoming better now. I don't want him to leave to Europe because I don't think the situation will be better for him there, as I always watch the situation of the migrants and how they are being treated. I cannot see my son in that position," she said.
Another reason why Samira fears her son leaving for Europe is the threat of the radical groups, which are also threatening to undertake their terrorist acts in the West.
"Everyone saw what happened in Paris. Don't you think that the Arabs and particularly the Muslims will be the ones to blame always? Maybe I am overreacting but I don't want my son to be a victim of hate crimes," she complained.
Still, if her son has made up his mind and gave the final say, Samira said she will have no choice but to "pray for him."
Amir, the son who is a third-year student at the translation faculty in Damascus, is a skinny dude with a polite and decent appearance.
However, his calm appearance hides loud noises in his head.
"I have been thinking about leaving the country for over two years, but I didn't have enough money then," Amir said, sitting next to his mother in the old quarter of the capital Damascus.
He said he had managed to save some money from working as a freelance producer to an Iraqi TV station based in Damascus.
"Today the Syrians have no choice but to leave the country through illegal routes to get to Europe, save for a very few segment of society, which can travel by legal ways," he said.
He added the route, which he will take "is the same every Syrian takes: to Turkey, Greece and any chosen European country."
"I have been trying to communicate with many of my friends who have succeeded in reaching Europe to provide me with the most secure routes and trustworthy smugglers," he continued.
Disagreeing with his mother, Amir expressed pessimism about the outlooks of the conflict in his country, saying "true that there is a truce now, but nothing is politically tangible. I don't see a near solution on the horizon."
He noted that going to Europe doesn't mean a no return to his homeland.
"I want to go there and fulfill my potentials. I don't want to stay there forever. I will collect some money and have a decent university decree and return to my family."
Amir's case is similar to hundreds of stories where mothers reluctantly waved goodbyes to the apple of their eyes in the hope of having a better future for them.
Still, the refugee influx to Europe has created a crisis in the continent with the rising number of asylum seekers, who are traveling across the Mediterranean Sea or through Southeast Europe to reach West Europe, mainly Germany. Endit
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