Schlagwort: Syria

  • University life is an impressive world

    I am Shilan, a girl from Syria. Since I was a child, I have dreamed of becoming a successful elementary school teacher. I love children and that’s why I always acted as a teacher when I was a little girl. When I grew up and graduated from high school with a focus on literature, I got a high average score, equivalent to a 1.8 in Germany – which is considered a very good score. Then I decided to go to university and fulfill my dream of becoming an elementary school teacher.

    Because of the war in my country I was only able to study for two semesters. During this time, my father decided that we were going to leave Syria. We were looking for a safe country where my family and I could live – away from war and destruction. My father decided that we should seek asylum in Germany.

    A new start in Germany

    Life was not easy for me. Everything around me was new. One of the biggest challenges was learning the German language. At first, I learned German on my own, because our request to stay in Germany (residency permit) was refused three times, so I couldn’t get into a language school. I had to work hard on my own for eight months. Then later I was also able to attend German language courses.

    I also started volunteering activities as a helper for refugees and immigrants. When we moved into a new house, I was accepted into a private school. I was able to do my training as a social worker there. After graduating in this field, I decided to study educational and social sciences at the University of Erfurt.

    The happiest day of my life

    My first day at university was the happiest day of my life and a unique experience. I had conflicting feelings: fears, hopes and aspirations. I began to turn my dream of studying education and social sciences into a reality and I knew exactly that the path was not easy and that I would face many difficulties. But I had the confidence that I would overcome all obstacles.

    As expected, the way I interacted with the other students at university was different. It was great being able to adapt to the new situation. Students in Erfurt have different cultural backgrounds and different ways of thinking. I am very proud to have chosen this major and am satisfied with my choice. University is a new world for me. Of course, I set myself a goal that the course would give me a lot. I feel more responsible for myself now than before.

    First steps on a new path in my life and in a different society

    The first semester was the beginning of a new life: a new way of realizing and proving myself, getting off all the limitations and making new friends. At the beginning of my studies I met a group of other new students. Through them I was able to meet new characters, learn about other cultures and made experiences that some consider impossible. All of this had a huge impact on my life. Then I really realized that I am strong in many aspects.

    During the university preparatory events, I learned all about the different university departments, examination regulations and all related matters. The first semester at the university was the beginning of getting to know life in its private and public form. My first month in college was unusual because my feelings fluctuated between passion and expectation. I tried to spend less time at home and instead spend most of the day at university and meeting other students.

    Encouragement and support from my parents

    At the beginning of my university career, I faced a lot of difficulties, most notably the language. But I was determined not to give up on my dream of studying. So I finished all my exams with a very good grade. My determination, love of education, encouragement and support from my parents give me a lot of motivation to continue my studies. My parents advised me to set a goal in my life that I would work towards every day. Despite the obstacles, I began to devote all my energy in getting good grades. I was studying alone at university every day for some time.

    In Syria, studying is completely different

    When I started the exams, I realized that exams in Germany are different from those at my university in Syria. The study here is characterized by understanding and discussion rather than memorization. I also noticed that the atmosphere in the university is different from that in my school and university in Syria, where my German university is characterized more by the formation of the students‘ personalities. I see that the stage of life at university is unusual and special.

    In my first lecture I was very excited. I started downloading the materials and creating a timetable. I don’t deny that I suffered from the differences in the academic system: a full curriculum, independent work, and intense academic work. Researching on the internet was often necessary and also a challenge for me. I didn’t know all these things from my university studies in Syria. But what helped was the way professors dealt with the students that gave me the motivation to overcome many difficulties.

    Studying is an opportunity for every young person

    I am now studying education and social sciences in my third semester. I went to university and I am ready to benefit from this experience with all its advantages and disadvantages. University life for me is an impressive world. I think it’s a great opportunity for us young people to make new friends and interact with our surroundings. It also offers culture, topics, and a purposeful and significant preoccupation with one’s own interests. It is a rewarding experience in every way.

    This text was created in the Schreibtandem Project with Margarethe Hoberg.

    This post was first published in German.

    https://kohero-magazin.com/das-universitaetsleben-ist-eine-beeindruckende-welt/

  • How can I marry my fiancée in Syria?

     

    Answer:

    Dear inquirer,

    unfortunately, this will not be an easy task. Since you are entitled to subsidiary protection, your claim to spousal reunification is quite difficult. You would have to be married in the first place.

    In order to marry your fiancée here in Germany, she must come to Germany. Only then can you marry her in front of a German registry office with the necessary documents. You can apply for a so called wedding visa at the German embassy in Beirut. You will need some documents, your fiancée has to proof her German language skills at A1 level and it will take some time.

    Alternatively, you would have to marry in Syria, which of course is not possible for you.

    However, you can also marry legally in Syria by proxy. See our previous article (German):

    Required Steps

    The following steps are required:

    You would have to draft a letter of proxy in German, which must contain the exact details of the concerned parties (name, place of birth, date of birth, place of residence) and the exact act of the proxy (marriage by proxy).

    The letter of proxy must then be translated into Arabic, verified by a notary, and certified by the district court located in the district of the notary.

    Additionally, the Federal Office of Administration in Cologne must then certify the proxy.

    Finally, it needs to be certified by the Syrian embassy/consulate, for which you as the principal would have to appear personally.

    Only after completing all these steps and after the Syrian Embassy certifies the proxy, will it be recognized by the authorities in Syria. I.e. only then can a relative of yours legally contract a marriage by proxy for you in Syria. Afterwards, it must be recorded in the Syrian register of marriages.

    Spousal reunification

     Subsequently, Spousal reunification would be possible in principle. However, it is required that the wife, who is still in Syria, has German language skills on the level of A1. An application in accordance with Section 30 of the Residence Act must be submitted to the German Embassy in Beirut.

    Hence, there are many obstacles to overcome and it will certainly take some time.

    Here is the link to the German article (Link zum deutschen Artikel).

    https://kohero-magazin.com/wie-kann-ich-meine-verlobte-in-syrien-heiraten/

     

  • From Greece to Germany as a Syrian refugee?

    Answer:

    Dear reader,

    unfortunately, we cannot help you and especially the Syrian refugee in Athens. There is no legal way for Syrian refugees in Greece to enter Germany (apart from the one mentioned below). He has no family here, no German education or working contract, etc. Therefore he has no right to stay in Germany based on national or international law.

    If he sees a possibility – by whatever means – to come to Germany, he can apply for asylum here. This is likely to be granted. If he is already registered in Greece (with his fingerprints) or has filed an asylum application, he does not have to expect to be deported back to Greece (in case of a possible negative asylum decision in Germany).

    Sorry that we can’t help more there. Just try to stay in touch with him on a regular basis and try to build him up emotionally. At least he is safer in Greece than in Syria….

    This article was first published in German .

    https://kohero-magazin.com/meine-frage-eure-antwort-2/

    Slight possibility

    P.S.: There might be a possibility for him to come to Germany in case he has got the status of a recognized refugee in Greece meanwhile and holds a passport for refugees. Then he is allowed to travel within the Schengen countries and stay for 90 days in Germany.
    He could apply for asylum in Germany. Following a court judgement of Oberverwaltungsgericht Düsseldorf from 26.1.2021 he cannot be sent back to Greece and his asylum case in Germany is permitted. Usually according to the Dublin Agreement the asylum case has to be decided in the country of first entry in the EU. The court ruled that it is a violation of human rights to send refugees back to Greece as the situation there is intolerable for refugees (no accommodation, work, medical treatment).

  • My inner censor and how it emerged

    On a winter’s day in Hamburg. The first time in a long while, the sun is shining again. I decide to go for a walk. For a while now, I have been listening to Arabic podcasts. But right now, I am more in the mood for some music. What about some German tunes? No, so far, I do not know any good German singers. What about English music? No, I do not speak English and I like to understand the lyrics of a song.

    What about some Arabic music then, maybe some songs from the 80s or 90s? But I am not in a nostalgic mood, so I go on and search for some Syrian music. I open the first playlist I find and the first song on this list is by Omar Souleyman. In Europe, he is a popular Syrian singer. Suddenly, there is a voice inside me saying: No, you must not to listen to this music. My inner censor is speaking to me.

    My inner censor explained through the example of music

    Where this inner voice is coming from can be best explained by the debate surrounding the music of Omar Souleyman. Many young and well-educated Syrians do not like the music by Omar Souleyman. They do not see him as a representative of the Syrian culture, but merely as a bad musician. Some particularly critical voices even claim that Europeans only like him because they can make fun of the Syrian culture through him.

    In Egypt, there developed a new musical genre called Mahraganat that resembles the style of Omar Souleyman. The freelance journalist Hannah El Hitami researched this musical genre for the online-magazine dis:orient. She writes: “Mahraganat is Arabic for “festival”. However, what meaning really lies behind this word is much harder to explain. It helps to imagine a dazzling neon sign with a couple of defect light bulbs – it is obtrusive, eccentric and of bad quality”

    This music developed especially in the impoverished classes of society. These young artists used simple language to create a simple music. And they are very successful. Their music has more than one hundred million views on youtube. Hassan Shakos, an Egypt star of this musical style, generates more than 1.528.9000 streams and gets invited to weddings to perform his songs.

    Critical assessment and the ban of “new music”

    However, the musicians syndicate in Egypt has recently withdrawn its license for this music that originally started out in some of the country’s most impoverished districts. Many important figures in politics and society have publicly spoken against this musical style. The music created by Omar Souleyman, as well as the musical genre of Mahraganat can be described as shaabi music. Hannah El Hitami explains in her article that the Arabic word “shabby” means “popular or folkloric”. Both musical styles represent the poor Arab youth.

    The difference between the two is their origin. Whereas the music of Omar Souleyman derives from a traditional local musical style that was then supplemented with rapid rythms, the Mahraganat is a completely new style of music consisting of fast and simple musical elements. Wealthy people or those living in the urban centers sometimes use the word “shabby” as a synonym for “backwardness”, “late” or “underdeveloped”.

    The withdrawal of the license for this musical genre shows that censorship practiced in Arab countries does not only target what we are saying or thinking, but also what we are listening to. This is why many intellectuals who are still living in a dictatorial system and are supporting it cling to the classical canon. They are against everything that is new, just because it is new.

    Education and censorship

    Arab intellectuals and affluents are not against traditional music if it is made by educated musicians. Educated musicians are often the children of intellectuals or come from the upper class. Poor people, however, simply do not get the opportunity to go to school. Moreover, intellectuals and wealthy people have normally a good relationship with the regime and are allowed to say what they want. And they have the power to decide what music we hear.

    For this, they use the media. But sometimes the regime has a different opinion. In some cases, the regime supports the “music of the poor”, so it can exploit it as propaganda. These two groups try to control what music the middle class gets to hear.

    Everything new is dangerous

    In a dictatorial system everything that is new is considered dangerous, no matter if literature, religion or politics. All state institutions must fight against it. And in a dictatorial system everything belongs to the state– artists or writers unions, religious institutions or mosques and also the media – no matter if officially state-owned or private.

    But where does the inner censor come from? In a dictatorship, we experience censorship. What we are hearing and consuming is controlled by the dictatorial society, religion and by intellectuals or the most affluent people. Based on these experiences there emerges gradually a censor inside us – a voice telling us what we are allowed to see or hear and what not. Even if we are no longer living in this country, in this dictatorship. This is the inner censor.

     

    This article was published in German and translated by Anna Hollandt.

    https://kohero-magazin.com/mein-innerer-zensor-und-wie-er-sich-entwickelt-hat/

     

  • The fighter jet came, and then I died

    Time vanquishes everything. It vanquishes the stone, the huge mountains and even the people, but it can never defeat memories. That is our curse as humans, never to be able to forget our worst memories. We are forced to accept these memories and embrace them as part of us.

    2013, Raqqa, Syria: a quite normal morning

    A few months ago, our city has been liberated from the brutal government. It did not last very long, as it was in other cities in Syria, for opposition forces to take over the city. We thought we were finally free, but for the Assad regime, freedom is a great sin and decided never to leave us alone.

    I woke up and I was lucky because I was still alive. We were alive because we hadn’t died the day before. That was normal in this place and normal has a different definition there. I made coffee and turned on the television. As usual, the news was very normal. Air strikes, clashes and protests were the topics of the morning report. I heard a loud bang and the apartment shook. One could see the gray smoke from the window.

    I told myself „The most important thing, it wasn’t me“. Apparently, mom was with the neighbors for coffee. The coffee in the morning doesn’t taste good if you drink it alone. You definitely need company. So it is with a small city like Raqqa.

    A future full of hope

    I got dressed and went to the local coordinating committee office where I worked voluntarily. We had breakfast together and spoke a little bit about the news. Then we talked about our new plans. We wanted to start a new campaign and paint the walls in the city with graffiti. In this place on earth freedom is a sin. Every day the regime warplanes flew in the sky and carried out air strikes. It wasn’t systematic. The pilot closed his eyes and dropped the bombs. He didn’t care who they fell over. The most important thing for him is that he returns to his military airbase without ammunition.

    We took the colors and walked on the street. My school was across from the office and that’s where we started. Our artist took on the task of drawing the graffiti and we wrote words about democracy, freedom, and our vision of the future Syria. For us the future of Syria was still full of hope, unlike our dark reality.

    And then, I died

    I was going home and then I heard it. The fighter jet came. I took my camera and tried to film it. The alarm sirens boomed loudly, and people started running in all directions as if the world was going to end. Then came the cruel sound of the fighter jet engine, as if the sky was roaring at me. It was like the divine punishment for a sinful person. It tore out my heart and I went pale when I saw the fighter jet charging in my direction. This time it chose me. Everything went gray and quiet for a moment and then I died.

    I couldn’t see anything in this gray place. Time passed slowly and every minute was as long as the age of the earth. Then I saw him. I saw God and he spoke to me, but I did not understand him. I never understood God. I’ve always thought about death and didn’t know what the afterlife looks like. My Dad always told me that the afterlife would be a beautiful place where you can get everything you want and be who you want to be with. But this place was gray and cold.

    Gray smoke on the street

    I was hearing whistling in my ears. While I was standing, I tried to see where I was. I then saw the street and the gray smoke slowly went away. Then I saw a figure. It was a woman. She wore a headscarf and a red traditional dress. She walked in my direction and didn’t say a word. „Are you all right? Are you hurt?” I asked, but she remained silent and kept walking as if I wasn’t there or an invisible ghost from another world. I kept walking through the gray smoke and saw a man. He was lying on the ground and there was a red pool of blood around him.

    I shouted „help“ and kept walking. The gray smoke was totally gone. Many were lying on the floor, a mother with her two children, boys, and the elderly. After a few seconds I could understand what had happened here and also felt the blood flowing down my head. It was an air strike and I don’t know how I survived.

    This article was also published in German. Klick here

    https://kohero-magazin.com/das-kampfflugzeug-kam-und-dann-ich-starb/

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