Syria is the capital of political unrest, terrorist activity, displaced persons and countless human rights violations. Aside from oscillating peaks of coverage in the media, the barbarousness within Syrian borders has not been a pressing issue for the outside world. That is, until it began to affect the outside world with the threats of ISIS and economic instability in Europe. Countless atrocities have gone unnoticed during the last four years — long before the world began watching. Humanitarian aid groups and citizens throughout the United States have demanded the government provide support to Syrians after recent events. Though the U.S. has donated more funding to help Syria than any other nation, our government has also helped devise mechanisms capable of catalyzing the country’s destruction. Artillery and weapons have been given to Syrian rebel groups to fight the government, and this has prolonged the warfare and endangered Syrian lives.
Kidnappings, murders and human trafficking continuously cultivate and proliferate the chaos raging within Syria. Entire cities have been reduced to rubble, including the city of my paternal family. My grandmother was a Turkish-Armenian and my grandfather a Syrian-Armenian. Aleppo, Syria, was the birthplace of my grandfather, the home of my aunts and uncles, and the city my grandparents left in the 1960s. Seeking religious freedom, my grandparents abandoned their wealth and stability in Syria and pursued immigration status in the U.S. They traveled with 10 children to Lebanon and were unable to immigrate because of incorrect paperwork. Though they had been rejected, they were not defeated. Their desire to practice religion freely and provide their children with more opportunities inspired them to keep trying, and, eventually, they were successful. In a speech given at my grandmother’s funeral, my uncle said, “My mother got off the plane and with much enthusiasm kissed the tarmac. She was so happy to finally be in America.”
When I saw a photo of a Syrian man kissing the ground in Lesbos, Greece, after crossing the Aegean Sea, I saw my grandmother. I saw her elation, vitality and triumph. A combination of luck, determination and hope contributed to my family leaving Syria. But luck is scarce when terrorist organizations infiltrate your country. Determination fades after witnessing the destruction of your home and the death of your people. Hope is meager when other nations foster a war and then refuse to take responsibility for the resultant, innocent refugees. Millions of illegal immigrants abandon their homes and jeopardize their lives because living in Syria can be literally torturous. Consider the most prominent causes of death during the war, as published in the New York Times: exposure to chemicals, starvation, lack of medical care, mass shootings and bombings.
If my grandparents had not immigrated to the U.S., I would probably be living in Aleppo — if I were still living at all. If I were, I would face high risk of abduction by human traffickers, who have thrived on displaced populations and anarchy in Syria. My sisters, my mother and I would have to live with the daily fear of being brutally raped and mortally beaten, a very prevalent threat to women in Syria. My only chance at protection would be to join the terrorist forces slowly encompassing my country. If all else failed, I could hop on a dinghy and float across the Aegean Sea, hoping for a merciful tide and kind Europeans. These are the options the international community has given native Syrians. And when Syrians do choose to pursue life elsewhere, they are offered little assistance.
The U.S. offered its assistance in provoking the war, and supplying Syrian rebel groups with modern weaponry like American antitank missiles. Our government also dropped $500 million on a program to train Syrian rebel groups and provide artillery. The result, according to the New York Times, was a pathetic excuse for an army, composed of only five supposedly “qualified” individuals. Funneling tools for destruction into the country is not going to alleviate the war in Syria, and the war in Syria is not going to alleviate the migration crisis in Europe. Our government has been foolhardy in its spending, and Syrian lives have suffered because of it. The $500 million that was frivolously squandered on the failed training program could have afforded some needed support to refugees in America, or aided displaced persons in Syria. The money being spent on airstrikes and artillery could provide medical treatment to the poor people still residing in Syria, or create refugee programs to help Syrians establish themselves and succeed in Europe. There are endless possibilities for aiding the people of Syria, if we allocate our resources effectively and compassionately.
In order to solve the civil war and the mass migration surges it has fostered, our government needs to fight the civil war. Promoting violence and hatred within Syria is not fighting the war; it is fighting in the war. Combating bloodshed with bloodshed will not create peace, and peace is ultimately what Syria needs. The U.S. economy is fragile and accepting millions of refugees is not feasible, but redirecting money towards bettering the lives of Syrian people is exponentially more productive and viable than funding this war.
Aleppo is the origin of my family, and my soul is rooted there. My father has always promised that he will someday take me to see the birthplace of my grandparents and to learn about my ancestral heritage. When the civil war in Syria ends, the displaced persons who have lost their homes to warfare and terrorism will be able to return. And so will I.