Mohammed is young, single, male, Muslim, and Iraqi – the formula for refusal into any country right now. He is the only male in a family of women, his father killed during the war.
Mohammed’s mother and three sisters were able to resettle in Atlanta, Georgia due to his elder sister’s previous work with the World Health Organization. But they left without Mohammed. His sister drove to the Syrian border fighting to get him into Jordan, but failed. Ultimately, he returned to Syria to face a future without his family, without work, and without even an understanding of what his future might bring.
Mohammed fled from Iraq a few years after the war broke out. Mohammed lived in an extremely vulnerable neighborhood. He left soon after receiving a threat on his life. His only fault was that he had a Sunni last name. His friends encouraged him to leave, to go far away, to a place where he would be safe. Mohammed fled quickly, leaving behind most of his closest friends, many of whom have been killed since the war. He admits he no longer keeps informed about the news in Iraq, afraid to know and afraid to find out.
Mohammed’s mother calls him from the US and asks him how he is doing. He tells her he is fine, he’s doing well and he doesn’t miss her or his sisters. Mohamed’s mother and sisters, in the meantime, struggle to get by in the United States, without any kind of resettlement assistance. They have been there for eight months. His older sister is looking for a job that can meet her qualifications as a human resources manager and is able to help support her two young children left fatherless after her husband was killed in the 2003 bombing of the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad. His middle sister turned down a scholarship to study civil engineering at a German university in Jordan in order to go to the US. Now, unable to attend college, she works at a supermarket to support the family. Only Mohammed’s younger sister is attending high school in Atlanta.
Mohammed is unsure when he will see his family again. There is no hope for him in Syria and there is little chance any country, including the US, will accept him.
Mohammed’s mother and three sisters were able to resettle in Atlanta, Georgia due to his elder sister’s previous work with the World Health Organization. But they left without Mohammed. His sister drove to the Syrian border fighting to get him into Jordan, but failed. Ultimately, he returned to Syria to face a future without his family, without work, and without even an understanding of what his future might bring.
Mohammed fled from Iraq a few years after the war broke out. Mohammed lived in an extremely vulnerable neighborhood. He left soon after receiving a threat on his life. His only fault was that he had a Sunni last name. His friends encouraged him to leave, to go far away, to a place where he would be safe. Mohammed fled quickly, leaving behind most of his closest friends, many of whom have been killed since the war. He admits he no longer keeps informed about the news in Iraq, afraid to know and afraid to find out.
Mohammed’s mother calls him from the US and asks him how he is doing. He tells her he is fine, he’s doing well and he doesn’t miss her or his sisters. Mohamed’s mother and sisters, in the meantime, struggle to get by in the United States, without any kind of resettlement assistance. They have been there for eight months. His older sister is looking for a job that can meet her qualifications as a human resources manager and is able to help support her two young children left fatherless after her husband was killed in the 2003 bombing of the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad. His middle sister turned down a scholarship to study civil engineering at a German university in Jordan in order to go to the US. Now, unable to attend college, she works at a supermarket to support the family. Only Mohammed’s younger sister is attending high school in Atlanta.
Mohammed is unsure when he will see his family again. There is no hope for him in Syria and there is little chance any country, including the US, will accept him.
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