My identity is Syrian — by Jamal Ibrahim
My identity is Syrian from Aleppo but sometimes I wonder if this is true.
I have some doubts.
Why?
Because Turkey, Russia, Iran, France, the USA and many different other countries from all around the world interfere in the war and they directly and indirectly destruct my country.
Are these countries part of my country?
Do they have a Syrian identity like me?
Are these countries streets and alleys in my city Aleppo?
This world is strange and small.
If you are really part of my city, don’t fight each other, unify your powers and bring me back the peace to my country, to my city, to me.
This thought-provoking open letter to world leaders about foreign intervention in Syria was written by a 13-year-old Syrian refugee boy from Aleppo, Jamal Ibrahim.
Jamal has been living as a refugee in Lebanon for four years. He is one of ten children, and many members of his extended family have also fled Syria and live nearby. ‘It’s good being part of a big family — we support each other and give each other strength, especially now we are far from our country.’
He says ‘I see on television all the news talking about different countries interfering in Syria and bombing Syria so I decided to write about that.’ Jamal attends a Young Journalists’ Club run by Lebanese NGO Beyond Association, through which he wrote his letter.
