Salam Neighbor

The Documentary.

Taken by Me at a local coffee shop

Each morning we wake up in our room, brush our teeth, shower in warm water, and eat breakfast that could keep up full till dinner, but we often forget that not everyone has this privilege. The war in Syria started in 2011 due to a disagreement in regime and has yet to end. Families continue to leave behind their homes and loved ones to escape the war torn country. When families set out to escape Syria, it is not a quick and easy process. Families sell everything and take all of their life savings in order to pay a smuggler to sneak them over the border. The process of escaping has to be done in the nighttime or else families risk being shot down by the regime. Parents give children sleeping pills to avoid crying and getting caught: and that is only the beginning of their journey. 

The documentary “Salam Neighbor” is about a group of people who set out to the Jordan refugee camp, Za’atari. Starting off with the title I loved how the title included the word “Salam”. Salam translates to peace be upon you and it is what is said when you greet somebody. Zach and his crew were respectful to the people of Za’atari, when they entered with salam, making sure that the families felt safe and loved. The people of the camp treated them with love and respect, stating that “They are our neighbors now. The Prophet says we must treat our neighbors right” and eventually grew strong relationships with Zach and Chris. 

Taken by Me at a coffee shop called "Picassos"

Za’atari is one of the largest refugee camps in Jordan and is home to more than 78,000 refugees. Refugee camps are areas, like a small town, that are set up for people who escaped war in their homelands. These camps are open to families and help provide basic necessities in order for families to stay safe and alive. The camp opened in 2012, but nobody expected it to be what it is now. 

Syrians turned the tragedy that they went through into something positive. When speaking about the advancements of the refugees, a man stated that,  “We were building a camp and they were building a city”. Syrians were determined to rebuild their lives, whether it be in their homeland or right there in the refugee camp. In just two years, they had developed a multi million dollar industry that included 3,000 industries within the camp itself. Neighbors started investing in their homes, building bedrooms, gardens, and even beautifying their homes with fountains. They have built programs for children called children centers. These centers focus on important things like showing the children why education is important and providing safe spaces that promote healing. These centers don't replace schools, but they help children get ready to go back to them. Once they are ready to go back to school, they have the option to attend school in the camp, all the way up to twelfth grade. There are also services that help refugees with post war trauma and women's centers that help give the women a strong community in which they can learn and grow from.

Although Za’atari has built something from nothing, they still went through and go through such horrible things. Refugees have left behind a whole life of there's, to now be stuck in a camp for the rest of their lives. They will never be able to go back home to their neighborhood and families. They have been through trauma, and have lost loved ones due to the war in their country. Stories mentioned in “Salam Neighbor” show the battles that these people had to go through in order to give themselves and their families a better life. A man states that, “without my faith in God, I would have commited suicide” and that just shows you the emotional and mental toll this tragedy had taken on their lives. 

Taken by Me at Saint Louis University

Often times, more than not, we don't think about the refugees coming into our county. Regardless of where you stand politically, we need to open our eyes to what these people have and are going through, and put ourselves in their shoes. Had war struck America and had we lost our loved ones, we wouldn't be so against helping people that need us the most. Looking at Roauf and seeing the challenges he has to go through at such a young age, made me emotional because I know how many children had to go through war. Their childhoods were taken away from them. Their innocence was taken away from them. And we continue to sit back and do nothing. “We aren't just Syrians and Americans. We are neighbors. And as neighbors, how we chose to respond to this crisis, will affect all of us”. I knew what refugees went though, but this documentary opened up my eyes even more about how I should be grateful for what I have, and how I could use my voice to help the people in need. I hope to one day use my knowledge and experience to teach my children and students of the horrible things that have went on in our world. To make sure that when they grow up to be leaders of our world, they dont forget and repeat what has once occurred. I will make sure that my students understand the challenges that other kids had to and are still going through, and to show them that we do have a moral responsibility to help these people in every possible way. The article/link attached below are some ways that we can help the children in Syria and Syrian refugees.  Something as simple as sponsoring a child or donating to an organization to help children in refugee camps, and children that are still struggling to have a life in Syria. The article states that, “Syria is now the number one most dangerous country to be a child.” Acts like bombing of schools and child melostation is increasing in the country of Syria. We absolutely can not sit back and do nothing for the children who are help and hopeless. 

“Promise me bird if you go tonight, please send them peace because I long for them.”

https://www.savethechildren.org/us/what-we-do/where-we-work/greater-middle-east-eurasia/syria

Lets, as future educators, help the children.  

References

Help Children in Syria. (n.d.). Retrieved February 3, 2019, from https://www.savethechildren.org/us/what-we-do/where-we-work/greater-middle-east-eurasia/syria

Operational Portal. (n.d.). Retrieved February 3, 2019, from https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/63051

Ingrasci, Z., & Temple, C. (Directors). (2015). Salam Neighbor [Video file]. Jordan. Retrieved February 01, 2019.