{"id":5583,"date":"2020-09-16T18:00:36","date_gmt":"2020-09-16T18:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cov19chronicles.com\/?p=5583"},"modified":"2023-12-05T13:09:26","modified_gmt":"2023-12-05T13:09:26","slug":"after-the-moria-fires-a-poem-by-amir-ali","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cov19chronicles.com\/after-the-moria-fires-a-poem-by-amir-ali\/","title":{"rendered":"‘After the Moria Fires’ a poem by Amir Ali"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
After the fires<\/p>\n
There\u2019s so much I want to say<\/p>\n
There\u2019s so much I want to write<\/p>\n
About refugees who ran away from war<\/p>\n
from torture, violence and persecution<\/p>\n
And then end up here in Lesvos, a European\u00a0island<\/p>\n
Facing once again what they ran away from<\/p>\n
Horror, homelessness, destitution, desperation<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So everyone is looking for someone to blame.<\/p>\n
Who shall we blame?<\/p>\n
European governments without democracy or human rights?<\/p>\n
European migration policy failure?<\/p>\n
Shall we blame the Greek government<\/p>\n
for taking lots of money to control refugee flows to Europe<\/p>\n
for keeping them stuck here in Greece in limbo<\/p>\n
for making them live an intolerable existence<\/p>\n
for making Greeks suffer too?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who shall we blame?<\/p>\n
Shall we blame locals who attack refugees<\/p>\n
for their stupidity<\/p>\n
for how they act with spite?<\/p>\n
Shall we blame Greeks who hate refugees?<\/p>\n
Shall we blame people who posted fake selfies<\/p>\n
of smiling refugees in front of the Moria fires<\/p>\n
saying they only have themselves to blame?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BUT What\u2019s the use of JUST BLAMING?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
To the Greek government<\/p>\n
I want to say<\/p>\n
Please believe me<\/p>\n
Refugees would love to leave your village, city and country<\/p>\n
If only you would let them<\/p>\n
Refugees would love it even more if they could go home<\/p>\n
but they can\u2019t<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
To the Greek people<\/p>\n
I want to say<\/p>\n
Please do the right thing<\/p>\n
Talk to your politicians instead of beating up refugees<\/p>\n
Tell your politicians to evacuate the island<\/p>\n
Tell them to stop taking money for a situation they cannot manage<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
To European Member States I want to say<\/p>\n
Now is the time to act like human beings<\/p>\n
Now is the time to make right the policy wrongs<\/p>\n
Now is the time for every country to take responsibility<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
To all my readers, I want to say<\/p>\n
Please find it in your hearts<\/p>\n
To live in solidarity with<\/p>\n
People living on the streets of Mytiline<\/p>\n
Without food or water<\/p>\n
Please help us help them<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n\n\n\n
Sign the petition here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Donate here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Amir Ali is a young Afghan refugee who has been living on Lesvos for 4 years. He now works as an interpreter.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After the fires There\u2019s so much I want to say There\u2019s so much I want to write About refugees who ran away from war from torture, violence and persecution And then end up here in Lesvos, a European\u00a0island Facing once again what they ran away from Horror, homelessness, destitution, desperation So everyone is looking for… View Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":4803,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n