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Running from Terror, Not Causing itSana QureshiSport and Medical Sciences AcademyJanuary 8, 2017Running from Terror, Not Causing itThere is a huge outpour of refugees in the world right now. Terrorism is at a high and people are fleeing to find some sort of safety for themselves and their loved ones. However, for many of these innocent people who are running away from danger, their struggle does not simply end after leaving their country. In some countries, there is a stigma that follows them. There has been a widespread, false belief of whether you are the one perpetrating the danger or running away from it, if you are from the area, you are a terrorist. The stereotypes and Islamophobia makes the transition into a normal, safe life even harder for refugees. The only way to ease the labels seems to be to educate people and let them know that refugees are the ones who are running away from the terror, not the ones causing it.By definition, a refugee is someone who must leave their home land because it is no longer safe there. People become refugees for multiple reasons, whether it be war, oppression, natural disaster, or climate change. No matter the reason, all refugees are searching for better lives and have to sacrifice so much to do so. Many people are afraid of the current refugee crisis because they feel this has never happened before. However, there have been many cases of refugee crisis throughout history. One of the most notable examples being after World War II, millions of people’s homes were destroyed including those of Germans who had been kicked out of their country and Jewish people who survived the prison camps but returned home to destroyed homes and their businesses overtaken CITATION McD11 \l 1033 (McDaniel, Sprout, Boudreau, & Turgeon, 2011). All these people were displaced due to war, and the situation is very similar to what is going on in Syria and other countries as well. The civil war in Syria has been going on for five years now and because of it there are now about 4 million refugees as a result, half of them being children CITATION Rac16 \l 1033 (Thatcher, 2016). Many of these refugees are innocent and are looking for nothing other than a safe place for themselves and their families, and are in turn being rejected from that, being subject to racism, and often even suffering psychologically from what they have been exposed to.Syria is the refugee hot spot right now, and many people are quick to judge while being unaware of what is actually happening. The Syrian Civil War began in March of 2011 when Syrians began protesting for progress towards democracy and freedom, however, the president Bashar al-Assad responded to them with violence. Although the Syrians wanted Assad to resign, he refused, sparking unrest in the country and setting up an opportunity for ISIS to move in CITATION Rac16 \l 1033 (Thatcher, 2016). As the civil war gets worse, so does the impact on the millions of people who are unable to escape. Out of the 4 million refugees, half of them are seeking refuge in their neighboring countries such as Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon. Refugee camps in these countries are safer than the environment from which they are escaping, but they are still no safe haven of immediate comfort and relief. In Iraq alone, eight new refugee camps have opened, all of which are crowded with over 100,000 people in each camp CITATION Woe13 \l 1033 (Woerne & Grush, 2013). The refugee situation is hard, for the people who manage to escape and those who don’t. However, for those who are not able to leave the area, more often than not they are usually killed.Unfortunately, the situations within refugee camps are worsening as more and more countries decide to close their border. The story of a camp in Greece gives an example of what millions of refugees have to endure while in these camps. The name of this camp is Idomeni. It was originally created to support 2,500 people but today it holds 12,000 refugees from Syria and Iraq. The conditions are cold, wet, and muddy. Camps are continuing to overflow to the point that the camp has made a goal of relocating 6,000 people every week. There have been reports of women writing in pain from the deaths of their intrauterine fetuses. Meanwhile, the UN is raising concerns about shortage of food, shelter, water, and sanitation. Some words that were used to describe the conditions included “a new low”, “shameful”, “tragic”, and “It doesn’t honor the civilized world”. Idomeni has gotten to the point where a Red Cross Logistician said, “My biggest fear is that people will start to die. And what was their crime? All they wanted was a better life, to escape war, to escape poverty. And what do they get? … These are scenes from another century, another time” CITATION Wor16 \l 1033 (Worley & Dearden, 2016). Unfortunately, Idomeni is not the only refugee camp with such terrible conditions. Camps all over the world are similar to this one, and although they are better than Syria’s war torn conditions, refugees who are trying to flee for a better life deserve better than this.There are millions of people who come from many other countries who need just as much help as the Syrians do. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHR), at the end of 2009, there were over 10 million refugees around the world CITATION McD11 \l 1033 (McDaniel, Sprout, Boudreau, & Turgeon, 2011). About 80% of the world’s refugees come from developing countries and tend to seek asylum in other developing countries, usually those that are nearby. In fact, the UNHCR estimates that only about 16% of refugees live outside of their region of origin. Some refugees do not even leave their country when they move. These ‘internally displaced persons”, or IDPs, make up over 27 million people around the world—the highest number recorded since 1994. Unfortunately, international refugee laws do not apply to them CITATION McD11 \l 1033 (McDaniel, Sprout, Boudreau, & Turgeon, 2011).No matter what area a refugee is coming from or under what conditions, the sooner a person gets out of the region, the better off they are. Especially in areas like Syria who are under constant violence, the effects of war can reside in children and adults for years if not their entire lives CITATION Woe13 \l 1033 (Woerne & Grush, 2013). Ea Akasha, the regional psychosocial coordinator of the Red Cross, said, “The children can tell you, ‘this is the sound of an oncoming shell.’ They’ve been living in this tense situation of fear and anxiety for a long time”. The children are the most vulnerable. Exposure to any sort of long-term violence can cause considerable damage on children’s mental health, especially for many of these kids in Syria who are orphaned and left without a family to help them. Another woman by the name of Dr. Rona M. Fields, the former president of the D.C. Psychological Association, says, “In children in Syria, they can’t count on parents protecting them, even when they try to, because the parents are killed in front of their eyes. And they don’t have protection from other institutions, because those are falling apart” CITATION Woe13 \l 1033 (Woerne & Grush, 2013). For many children, schools are a safe place for them, but as buildings are destroyed and children no longer get the opportunity to go to school, not only are their educations disrupted, but they are left without another source of comfort CITATION Woe13 \l 1033 (Woerne & Grush, 2013). In a study done, it was found that 40% of the children who were evaluated had witnessed violence and 26% had watched their families being attacked. In another study, at a refugee center in Munich, it was found that 1 in 5 children had some kind of psychological disorder as a result of the trauma CITATION Car15 \l 1033 (Gregoire, 2015).Although children are at a high risk of psychosocial issues, the range does not end there. Just out of those who were seeking refuge in Germany, over 70% had witnessed some sort of violence and about 50% were subject to violence themselves CITATION Car15 \l 1033 (Gregoire, 2015). It was also noted that over half of the refugees experienced a mental illness, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression. 40% of adult refugees also had nightmares and 50% would have vivid flashbacks reliving the traumatic event—both of which are symptoms of PTSD. Although 3 to 4 thousand psychotherapy sessions are offered for refugees in Germany alone, the demand may be 20 times more. Often times, people are so often focusing on treating physical wounds and diseases, they often overlook the treatment of mental health problems CITATION Car15 \l 1033 (Gregoire, 2015). These people are in need of greater help than what is being given to them, and the only way to get them what they need is to improve mental care being provided as well as allowing refugees into countries that can offer them that.A refugee’s struggles do not end here. Another major issue that these people have to go through is the stigma that comes with being a refugee CITATION Rac16 \l 1033 (Thatcher, 2016). The most “popular” stereotype is that refugees are terrorists. Despite the fact that terrorism is the reason many of these people have had to flee their homes, many people still believe that they are one in the same. CNN is one source that states the fact that over 750,000 refugees have been resettled in the U.S. since 9/11 and none of them have been convicted of plotting terrorism. CNN also acknowledges Muslims as the largest proportion of terror victims worldwide CITATION Arj15 \l 1033 (Sethi, 2015). Unfortunately, despite the evidence defending refugees, they are still stigmatized by many. Since many of these refugees are coming from areas of terrorism, people from other countries fear that by bringing refugees into their countries, they will also be bringing in terrorists. Despite the thorough system that refugees have to go through to enter the U.S. already and the statistics mentioned above, many people are still trapped in their thinking that refugees should not be allowed in their country. Americans are concerned about refugees taking jobs and any increase in taxes that would be necessary in order to support them. These priorities have led over 20 of our states from refusing to let refugees inside. These states, however, are not the only ones to close their borders. More and more countries are closing their borders for the same fears, and although none of them are the faults of the refugees, they are the ones who have to pay for it CITATION Rac16 \l 1033 (Thatcher, 2016). Despite the facts, many people still cannot find a difference in a refugee and a terrorist. People need to be educated on the matter in order to erase the stigma. The solution is not to sit back and not take action. ISIS is taking advantage of countries closing their borders. They are the ones who benefit while refugees continue to suffer. A 26 year old civil social activist named Majed told BBC News, “The disappointment caused by the West’s inaction created a fertile recruiting ground for extremist, who told those who had lost their loved ones that they were their only hope” CITATION Rod16 \l 1033 (Rodgers, Gritten, Offer, & Asare, 2016). ISIS is taking hate against Muslims and using it towards their efforts to radicalize and recruit more members. Although we civilians have no power to open up our country’s borders and allow refugees in, there are other things that everyone can do to help. Donating money towards charities is one of the best options. Half of the refugees from Syria are under 18 years old and are not allowed to work in the countries they are residing in. By donating money to charities such as Save the Children and Hope for Syria, refugees are able to receive food, water, shelter, and other necessities that are constantly changing CITATION Tar15 \l 1033 (Bernard, 2015). Another way to help the crisis is to get rid of the stigma. Spread awareness to others on what is really happening in Syria and why these people need our help. As people become educated on the matter, more and more countries may be in the position to open their borders.Refugees are often wrongly accused and labeled as ‘potential terrorists’. However, just like any other stereotype, this one is just as incorrect and painful as the others. Imagine losing your loved ones to terrorism. Your life is in danger as well and once you finally get to escape, you are called a ‘terrorist’ and other racial slurs on the streets—the same people who made you lose so much. If this refugee crisis is going to get any better, people need to understand what is really going on and what these people have been through. The more we know, the more likely we are to find some way to resolve it. We have the same enemy, and if we continue to label refugees instead of help them, we are letting the enemy win.References BIBLIOGRAPHY Bernard, T. S. (2015, December 25). How to help in a global refugee crisis. Retrieved from The New York Times: , C. (2015, September 18). The Huffington Post. Retrieved from The Psychological Toll Of The Syrian Refugee Crisis: , M., Sprout, E., Boudreau, D., & Turgeon, A. (2011, July 25). National Geographic. Retrieved from encyclopedia: refugee: , L., Gritten, D., Offer, J., & Asare, P. (2016, March 11). Syria: The story of the conflict. Retrieved from BBC News: , A. (2015, November 19). Don't play into hands of terrorists. Retrieved from CNN: , R. (2016, February 26). 5 False Stigmas About Refugees That Only Create Discrimination. Retrieved from Elite Daily: , A., & Grush, L. (2013, September 5). Fox News. Retrieved from The invisible scars of war: How the Syrian crisis affects refugee children: , W., & Dearden, L. (2016, March 18). Greek refugee camp is ‘as bad as a Nazi concentration camp', says minister. Retrieved from Independent: ................
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