I could not bring myself to post the heart wrenching photo of 3-year old Aylan Kurdi laying dead on a Turkish beach, because I would not be able to see clearly enough through my tears to write what I desparately want to say here. So, I've posted this representation that's circulating on the social networks reminding us just how precious he, and his 5-year old brother Galip, were to all of us wherever we may live.
The blood of this, and so many other Syrian children, is on our hands. We did this to Aylan and Galip.We closed our eyes to what is going on and simply allowed this to happen. We turned a blind eye and permitted our respective governments to sit back and do nothing to prevent it. We didn't care enough, because after all it was happening somewhere far away and didn't concern us and OUR CHILDREN.
Well, I'm here to tell you all that in one horrific moment Aylan, Galip and all the other children in the same desparate situation BECAME OUR CHILDREN. That's right, yours and mine and we have a moral duty to protect the rest of them from meeting a similar fate to Aylan. A fate that has left the whole world SHOCKED.
Aylan Kurdi, 3-years old and Galip Kurdi, 5-years old
Why am I ASHAMED, and who am I ashamed of? I've never until now been ashamed of being a Canadian. Quite to the contrary, I had always been extremely proud to be a Canadian and proud of my country. That is no longer true, because my country and its government did almost nothing to prevent Aylan and Galip's deaths. In fact, Citizenship and Immigration Canada denied the family's refugee claim, essentially putting these two children on that boat. I'm ashamed at the dismal response of the INERT Canadian government in regard to the emergency that now exists in the Middle-East.
I am ASHAMED of my new home, Brazil, and of its government because they, while slightly better than Canada, have done almost nothing to provide refuge for these poor souls. I'm ashamed of myself and everyone around me who just ignored all of this carnage until now. We should have been putting pressure on our governments, writing letters, sending e-mails to any politician who we would think of, but we didn't.
Just some cold hard facts to think about:
Canada accepted only 200 Syrian refugees in 2014. Canada, the second largest country on the planet, with room for every last Syrian accepted only 200. I have only one word for that - PATHETIC.
Brazil, the 5th largest country on the planet, only accepted 284 Syrian refugees in 2013 (last year I can find figures for). Like Canada, Brazil has enough space to accommodate every last Syrian man, woman and child. MISERABLE.
United States of America, who love to call themselves the most powerful nation on Earth only took in 350 Syrian refugees. They too have decided just to slam the door in the face of all the other Syrian applicants despite the Emma Lazarus quote on a plaque at the Statue of Liberty, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” SHAMEFUL
Now we've got the unmitigated gall to comment in any way on the European refugee crisis. Well let's look closer and see just how some of the European countries left us, and our feeble efforts, far behind them.
Sweden took in 30,000 Syrian refugees and Germany took in 18,000. As if I wasn't already ashamed enough of my country's pathetic response, these two tiny countries (size), had to go and rub my nose in it, making me that much more ashamed at Canada and Brazil.
Thank God that it appears at least some governments have a heart. We aren't doing enough, we must all do more. We must all put pressure on our governments to follow the lead of Sweden and German in trying to save these little children........ OUR CHILDREN.
In sadness,
James Expat-blog Experts Team
