I am a Muslim and I am a Refugee who came to Canada in 1999.
I've never felt the need to share my story until now because I cannot withhold my opinions any longer. I am so tired of going on Facebook and being disappointed over and over again. I don't ever remember there being an up-roar ever before in regards to accepting refugees to Canada. It is simply what Canada did and continues to do. All of a sudden, it's become very problematic.
Refugees are stereotyped into this "terrorist" category which makes me cringe, every single time. Refugees are running away from these individuals. How does this not make sense to you? The media has truly out-done itself. I have a question for you all. Do you feel uncomfortable when somebody asks about your religion? Catholic? Anglican? Jewish? Etc. I bet you don't and how wonderful that must feel. I wouldn't know. I shouldn't have to feel uncomfortable when people ask me what my religion is and I do. It is not fair.
I've seen comments along the lines of "after what happened in Paris, we should be much more careful in accepting refugees in our country." I than shake my head in disbelief at the lack of open-mindedness and lack of empathy present within people I thought I knew.
I am exhausted of sticking up for my religion or the status I came to Canada as - a refugee. Did it ever cross your mind that if Canada wasn't as wonderful as it is, my family and I could have easily been dead? You have no idea how thankful we are for "your" country saving us. It never skips my mind. Not a single day. I look at myself in the mirror and the person I have become today and the only thoughts that come to my head is "Canada". I am proud of who I have become thanks for this country.
I would like to think it's pure common sense that there are good and bad people in every country and every religion. Islam has become such a hot topic these days and apparently all the bad guys are from this religion. News to me!
I've heard comments along the line of "we need refugees to be properly screened before we accept them in our country" This is fair. I get it. You are scared with all that is going on in the world. But my question to you is, how is that possible? What do we do while we are "getting screened?" Do we simply hope that we don't die in the mean time? Does war stop while we are "getting screened" No it doesn't. We don't have time to be screened. We need YOU to take us in and believe that we really are good people. We need your help so desperately.
For those of you who feel the need to comment "it's our country, why should we change for you" I find this extremely dis-heartening. I wasn't aware that an entire country could belong to "you". We don't want you to change. We just want to feel safe again, where we don't have to sleep with our clothes and shoes in fear of having to escape at 3 in the morning, where we don't have to listen to bombs go off and hope to God it's not near us, where we don't have to pack bags of food in fear of starving, where we don't have to run on never ending fields to escape the fires, where we don't have our house burnt down and all the memories forever gone. I shouldn't have to watch guns held at my family member at the age of 8 or a train being rushed to escape and almost leaving my poor mother behind as she hung on the train for dear life. At 8 years old, I shouldn't have to wonder if the rest of my family is alive or dead. As children, we so desperately want to experience a normal childhood, eat Nutella because it's the best damn thing, we want to sleep in a bed again and not share a tent with 8 other families. We want to go to school and smell the pages of an old book. We want to have a teddy bear we cling on too just like all the other kids. We want to play. We want to feel normal again.
I'll never forget the day in Macedonia when a peace-keeper entered our tent and asked if I wanted a yellow box of chocolate. I was in such awe. I couldn't believe I was eating chocolate! What a dream that was. I remember only having a couple bites each day because I was sure this would be the last time I would ever have chocolate again. How very lucky I am to eat chocolate every single day since!
When we got off the plane and arrived in Canada, I remember there being about 50 people standing in line to greet us with the warmest hugs. I remember thinking - "wow, how can people we don't even know be so very kind and giving?" These are the people I know of Canada. We came here with nothing. No passport or ID, no clothes - nothing. It was Canadians who provided us with a "home", who gave us clothes, towels, food and TOYS! So much TOYS. Boy oh boy were we ever happy. I couldn't forget this day if I even tried.
Thank you Canada for allowing me to experience peace again. Thank you for giving me a home and accepting me as one of your own.
Thank you for allowing me to get an education, for opening my mind, for teaching me to be free of judgement and stereotypes, for allowing me to know my rights as a human and as a woman and for all the people I have met who has forever changed my life. Thank you for allowing me to have a wonderful job that not only pays the bills, but allows me to experience different parts of the world, too.
I am truly the luckiest girl in the world. Thank you Canada for making me into the "best me" I could possibly be.
Please try and open your minds. I beg of you. These are good people who have lost all hope for a bright future. Help them regain that hope again.
Be open to these Syrian refugees who have suffered far too long. Help them feel as free as I do.
Let people if Islam religion feel at peace again and not fear telling you that they are Muslim...
I love Canada so very dearly and the people of this country. Thank you for all that you do.