Lessons from Syria

Originally written on 11 February 2022

In nearly every aspect, Syria blew my mind away. From what I had seen on the news and heard from refugees I had worked with, I was concerned when we started the drive from Beirut to Damascus. However, my personal experiences sincerely altered my perspectives. Throughout the eight days we were there, we wandered through Damascus, Busra, Homs, Hama, Aleppo, Palmyra, and Malula.

Like every Middle Eastern/North African country I’ve travelled to, the Syrian people welcomed us with curious minds and open hearts. Everywhere we stopped we were offered tea, friendly conversations, and multiple selfie opportunities. I had beautiful interactions with locals who were taken aback and overjoyed to see tourists returning to Syria, which used to be a bustling tourist destination in the early 2000s. At one point, when we were playing soccer with the kiddos in Aleppo, an older gentleman, who spoke five languages, approached me and began to cry. I asked him why he was crying, and he said simply because of the return of tourists amidst Aleppo’s destruction gave him immense hope. He asked me to share as much of my experience as possible, so that more people can come and experience Syria. Of course, I am obliging. When we were in Busra (the South), the Bedouin’s who danced and sang with us performed for nearly FOUR hours with incredible energy. We were exhausted, but once we realized that we were the first tourists in over TEN years to visit them, we danced with them until we couldn’t feel our feet. The joy was immeasurable.

The geopolitical situation on the ground was interesting as well, as expected, since different parts of the country are under the control of different groups. Damascus, Aleppo, Hama, & Homs (the main cities we explored), are under the control of the Syrian Government, under President Assad. We met several soldiers, some of whom rode with us in our bus when we headed to Palmyra due to nearby Russian checkpoints & bases, which proved a problem later on (anyone interested in that story just text me). They accompanied us, sang Bohemian Rhapsody with us, and even changed our tire when it popped in the middle of nowhere at 8 pm in the freezing cold. Then, they proceeded to give us private transportation organized through their Secret Police units. Crazy adventure! Busra, the city in the South, was under the control of the Free Syrian Army, and we met some of the soldiers when we ate lunch by the old city. Idlib, a city in Northern Syria close to the Turkish and Lebanese borders, is under mixed control of rebel groups and Jihadist groups, including ISIS. Naturally, we only got within 20 kilometers of Idlib, as there was still activity via Turkish, American, and Israeli airstrikes on areas around the city and closer to the Turkish border while we were driving to Aleppo.

Ironically, the economic situation was better compared to Syria’s neighbor, Lebanon. In Lebanon, the street exchange rate when we went was $1 USD = 27,000-30,000 Lebanese Lira. In Syria, $1 = 2,500 Syrian pounds. When we walked around the markets in Aleppo and Damascus, they were bustling with people and offered a variety of foods and candies and clothes, contrary to what I thought the markets would look like. Again, it was a hopeful sight. Of course, this does not encapsulate the entire country. Refugee camps closer to Idlib, Raqqa, and cities in the North along the Turkish border continue to experience horrible circumstances, especially now during the cold winter, and struggle to obtain clean water, food, and warmth. Organizations like Islamic Relief (Worldwide & USA), Doctors Without Borders, International Rescue Committee, Save the Children, Syria Relief, and Human Appeal are amongst the best organizations designed to bridge these gaps and bring the refugees (or, IDPs, internally displaced persons) water, food, and warmth. If you can, please consider donating to these organizations, they help refugees & IDPs located in Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine.

Finally, the destruction and demolished buildings in the south, the villages along the highway heading to the North, parts of Aleppo that were wiped from the map, and ruined infrastructure were apparent and difficult to see, especially when we saw torn clothing and children’s toys left in the ruins. It was truly heartbreaking. However, the narratives of who did what, how, & when, specifically relating to the usage of the chemical agent sarin gas during the war, varied drastically depending on who we talked to, contrary to the majority of Western fact finding reports I had read on the situation. This dramatically opened my eyes, honestly like Saddam Hussein 2.0, and taught me to NEVER look at a situation at face value. The best reports are stories, the videos from the eyes of the locals, and their lived experiences, which can’t be altered by outside media and political agendas. The Truth exists, but it must receive intense dedication to find, high levels of emotional intelligence to comprehend, an open mind to adequately digest, & virtuous intentions in order to deliver justice where it’s due.

Our experiences were marked with sincere joy, incredible interactions, crazy adventures, historical sites, and meaningful conversations with excited locals. The places we saw blew my mind and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to see such beautiful places with incredible people at the little ‘ol age of 21 (thanks Wander Expeditions!!!). The opportunity to FINALLY use my Syrian Arabic was a treat in itself, and every time I got to use it I surprised local Syrians and received immediate connections and overabundant joy. Thanks be to God for amazing experiences, memories that will last a lifetime, and a new travel family who I will never forget.

The Syrian people are strong beyond belief and have undergone some of the worst horrors in modern history. From surviving the brutal rulings of ISIS, who enacted genocides against the Yazidis in Iraq & Syria and operated a black market sex trade (all starkly contrary to the beliefs of Islam btw), to enduring a proxy war between the regions strongest powers and Western militaries, to experiencing racism felt after the fact in Western countries and Turkey, my biggest lesson has been on Syrian defiance. Next time you meet someone from Syria, or from anywhere in the region, please treat them with kindness, gentleness, and with understanding open hearts. Their journeys don’t deserve to end in the United States and other Western countries surrounded by Islamaphobia, racism, and comparisons to the terrorists that they fought so hard to escape. Abraham, Jesus, Mohammed, and other historical religious figures consistently taught kindness to the outcast, mercy overflowing from the heart, and generosity in actions and words. The Syrian people deserve these bare minimums, and so much more.