Can
we
understand
each other?
I don’t think people can understand me.
Last year I wanted to fly to Turkey
to visit my father,
who was sick.
I tried twice to get a visa
but I couldn't get one because I’m a refugee.
My father died
and I didn't get a chance to see him again.
Can you understand that?
I can't really understand that
because I was recently in New Zealand
visiting my father
and I can visit him whenever I want,
including when he’s sick.
Can you understand that?
Yes, I can understand Sif.
What he experienced.
When I was in Syria,
I saw on television how many cities were destroyed.
I couldn't believe that
until I went to Lebanon.
On the way,
I travelled through Aleppo and Homs and Damascus.
That's when I saw the cities.
They were like ghost towns.
The places I had seen before
and then in the war,
they were completely different.
I felt afraid in that place.
You couldn’t imagine
that people had ever lived here.
I think
to understand something,
you have to experience it yourself.
I believe I can understand it,
but I can't fully appreciate it
because I haven’t experienced it myself.
But I think
in order to understand it,
it’s important to talk to people
who’ve experienced it,
and I think people
who aren’t willing to engage with refugees
will never be able to understand them.
Can
you
understand
us?