Thread:

I was an asylum-seeker, I’m a refugee now! I find it very disturbing, disheartening and difficult to keep reading, watching and listening to peopel dehumasing peopel like me! I try to keep positive as much as I can but sometime it’s just too much...

The abuse you receive online and the xenophobic attacks you encounter is something I have been living with from the minute I was forced to leave my house in Aleppo in early 2013 - this has become part of my everyday life...

The stunning thing is that most of the abuse, mostly online, was encounterd in Europe and the UK. This is something I fail to comprehend...

Example of stuff I encountered include:
- You and your family should have been RAPED not rescued from the sea!
- Boats and dinghies need to be bombed!
- You should be held behind bars because you’re an ILLEGAL migrant!
- You scrounger and benefits seeker!
- Rapist
You name it..

Out of ALL the problems, pandemics, gross human rights abuse, corruption worldwide, you only need a SCAPEGOAT to divert attention! Who to scapegoat, well, let’s go after the most vulnerable, the most desperate and most exhausted of all...

Let’s go after REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS! Easy to blame as most don’t speak the language, most unaware of these conversations anyway and most importantly most of them will not challenge these claims because they are afraid/concerned and prefer to suffer in SILENCE...

Many of them indeed fled brutal and criminal regimes/groups that terrified and oppressed them that you would prefer to maintain their silence until they die and suffer in SILENCE because many know the price of soaking out/up could be VERY heavy...

You’re treated as a CRIMINAL almost immediately when become a REFUGEE/ASYLUM-SEEKER. The examples I encountered are endless, you are constantly living in fear and ALWAYS need to be prepared to EXPLAIN to peopel and justify yourself...

Despite all of this, I consider myself quite lucky, I speak the language and have a fair understanding of the cultural and social aspects of my new home... my heart goes out to the many many people out there who can’t speak and if they want to they will be held back coz of fear..

Putting all of the WORLD’s problems and issues aside and putting all your focus and attention on a handful of desperate people fleeing unimaginable horrors and hardship is fundamentally WRONG...

Depicting peopel like me, us as criminals, invaders and associating us with crime and untrustworthiness is deeply offending, hard and soul-wrenching... Meida and Social media played a major role in this...

We’re NOT the enemy, never were! We’re peopel like YOU! Mothers, Fathers, brothers, sisters, students, dreams, HUMANS! Probably the only thing that is different is the bit of luck that some people have when they are born is a different location, nothing more nothing less...

Many people can’t understand what is means to be FORCED to leave HOME! Isn’t not alright to deny me the fleeing of HOME yet again... It’s never alright to oppress and suppress me/us again...

Again, the VAST MAJORITY, 99,99% percent of people I met, spoke to, or interacted with in some way are GREAT and WONDERFUL people to whom I’m so much indebted, if the absolute tiny small minority who sometimes make things even harder. Perhaps because they just SHOUT louder...

So a BIG THANK you everyone on whichever front you’re in. If debating and understanding is what you’re after, then I’m all ears and keen to hear, learn, and contribute... you need to see me as an EQUAL, nothing more nothing less!

Have a good evening everyon and stay safe!

A quick update to say that I’m OVERWHELMED by your kind and nice responses. It has always been the case I must say! Thank you very much agian everyone

Many people got the perception that leaving your home country and embarking on these journeys is an easy thing to do! Many don’t realise the many times come face to face with DEATH! I already shared my experiences of some parts of my perilous journey: https://twitter.com/ahmadalrashid99/status/1186981925266829312?s=21 https://twitter.com/ahmadalrashid99/status/1186981925266829312