Refugee lives
My name is Malika. I am 20 years old and come from Afghanistan. Afghanistan is very different from here, the culture is completely different. We women were forced to cover ourselves, unfortunately we were also often sexually harassed. Continue reading “I could no longer live safely”
Dublin Core: Language: de Subject: refugees, asylum, a million stories, afghanistan, germany
My name is Mohsen and I come from Iran, from Karaj. I lived there with my family. I have a small family. In Iran I worked as a truck driver. Continue reading “I was not allowed to pray”
Dublin Core: Language: de Subject: refugees, asylum, a million stories, iran, germany
My name is Mouayyan Habbab, I am 29 years old and come from Syria, Damascus, from a place called Midan. I was born there, in a small house with three rooms. We lived there. I, my four siblings, my grandparents, my uncle, my aunt and my parents, all of us in this little house. Until the seventh grade, I shared a room with my siblings. My family comes from the middle class, from the ninth grade I worked next to my school to support my family. I passed my Abitur in 2007, after which I studied civil engineering at an institute. After three years I received my certificate. At this point a very happy life began for me, because now I had something in my hand. Continue reading “The forced flight from Damascus”
Dublin Core: Language: de Subject: refugees, asylum, a million stories, syria, germany
My name is Mohammad Al Katli, I am 26 years old and come from Syria, from a place called Zabadani. Zabadani is a tourist spot, one of the most important of its kind in Syria. In summer it is visited by many tourists from Dubai and the Emirates. There is a lot of nature there and fruits, Zabadani is known for his apples. I lived there with my family, we are a religious family from the middle working class. We earned our living by renting out villas, my father also worked as a hairdresser. Continue reading “The crying stones”
Dublin Core: Language: de Subject: refugees, asylum, a million stories, syria, germany
With the first line, I began.
I’ writing, over us falling bullets like raindrops.
Attacked by wrath, as by the waves of the sea.
The sky used to be clear, as clear as a river, but it was covered with smoke.
Everything has changed, everything has changed quickly.
As fast as thunder, as fast as lightning, as fast as magic.
I ask them, what happened, what happened? Everyone says we don’t know it, we can’t realize it.
Planes, angry and haughty, throw their grenades at us.
They did not kill me, I am not dead yet, but they burned it, they burned my whole life.
They burned them, the leaves of my tree.
I’m 26 years old. My life in my country was a normal life, I lived with my family, I was pleased. I worked in my country as a teacher of the Persian language, I taught adults and young people. I come from the capital, from Kabul. I loved my life there but I felt insecure every time I went out. I always wanted to go home quickly, I always felt restless. Continue reading “I was afraid to go out on the street alone”
Dublin Core: Language: de Subject: refugees, asylum, a million stories, afghanistan, germany
It was the 18th of April 2011, I just arrived from shopping at the dorm. When I arrived the atmosphere was very tense. I heard loud voices, people talking about a demo, about the country and about supporting the president. I had heard a lot before about the Arab Spring and the demonstrations in several Arab countries against the dictatorship of the presidents. I also saw in the news that there were demonstrations in several cities in Syria. I never understood why, it never interested me much what came in the media. Everything I knew, I knew from my friends. I tried to avoid the demos. Continue reading “At that moment, I realized that everything had changed”
Dublin Core: Language: de Subject: refugees, asylum, a million stories, syria, germany
My name is Omar Al-Matroud, I was born on 11.08.1995 in Syria, Damascus. Up to my twentieth life I lived in a place called Yarmuk. The war forced me to leave my homeland. I had everything a person needs to live. My family belongs to the middle class, like most people from Syria. We are five brothers and sisters, all academics except me. I could not finish my studies because of the war. When I was 17, I worked voluntarily for the first time, then I looked for groups in which I could work voluntarily. I wanted to help other people. Continue reading “Old walls, new thoughts”
Dublin Core: Language: de Subject: refugees, asylum, a million stories, syria, germany
I am 23 years old. I studied banking in Syria. In the 2nd semester I dropped out, I did not finish. I studied during the war. I come from Homs, from Al-Rastan. There were a lot of soldiers in my town. They freed themselves from the army and founded the Free Army. That’s why we were a red rag for the regime. I have always had a lot of problems with the city on my ID card. There were many explosions, bombs. I could no longer live there. That is why we moved to another city, to Damascus. Also this place was bombed, grenades, rockets from above. When we were still in my homeland, my older uncle was killed, he was hit in the head. Continue reading “I want to use my abilities”
Dublin Core: Language: de Subject: refugees, asylum, a million stories, syria, germany
My country is the most beautiful country in the world. In the past, but no more today. I come from Syria. People back then had very beautiful thoughts, but through the spread of death, through war, people’s thoughts changed completely. We welcomed every person who passed by our houses without even knowing who they were. Our doors were open to everyone. But today, when poverty is spreading, people are hiding from themselves. For when they see someone, they no longer say “Come in” to him because they no longer have anything to offer him. Continue reading “The only country that has given me so much”
Dublin Core: Language: de Subject: refugees, asylum, a million stories, syria, germany