Abdullah’s Story
People in Germany tell me, “Du hast Schwein
I was born in Aleppo. Back then it was quite a different world…calm, peaceful, safe, and colorful. It was a very lively, ancient and wise city. To this day, you can still find ruins all over Syria that date back to the fourth century. It is like the city’s air still breathes history. Everyone would always welcome foreigners into their homes. Everything used to be so warm, like being embraced by one big family. But this was before everything
When I was five-years-old we moved to what felt like another world: Qatar. I lived with my two older brothers and my parents. My mother was a French teacher and my father was an IT programmer. Qatar was different, a very small country with a more isolated society. Qataris are not as outgoing as Syrians, not as welcoming towards immigrants, and they have their own kind of
But that was all before the nightmare of war in 2011. In 2012 everything got too dangerous. Our beautiful Nile Street, the street where we lived, was in the midst of the
Like so many others, my escape in May 2015 would ultimately
The first thing I saw when I arrived in Eisenhüttenstadt was the bus driver giving a Nazi salute to one of his friends. The gesture sent chills down my spine. One could immediately sense the dusty-minded racism and moldy prejudice in the air. I had to live in different Heims, constantly waiting for my Aufenthaltsgenehmigung (residence permit). Then they sent me to Rathenow, in the far west of Brandenburg, where I lived for over a year. I wanted to be as welcoming to the people there as I could. I baked a cake for my neighbors and knocked on all doors to say hello. They welcomed me, but in a way that still made me feel like a foreigner. People kept their distance. A highlight of my week was the time I spent with the local Protestant pastor who gave guitar lessons for refugees two Saturdays a month. We would all get together and sing traditional German songs and perform concerts at senior centers. It was beautiful to learn a new instrument and to sing together. My favorite song was “Lasst uns
It was in Rathenow that I heard about Kiron for the first time. Back in
After I finished the welcome program in Potsdam, I knew I would need help figuring out how to be able to stay in Germany. I went to the Migrationsrat, which advises migrants in Germany, as well as a career guidance session offered by the Otto Benedikt Foundation. In
Not everything is perfect in my new German life. Making German friends is harder than I expected. Everyone seems to already have their own friends from school and work. German students are out of reach, untouchable. I find it very sad. Especially being in the field of social work, you would expect people to be really, well…social! Nevertheless, I believe that being critical and judging others is wrong. I think many Syrians here in Germany are cautious and judgmental. I think we should just all be open-minded, accept everything that is offered to us, and appreciate and respect each other. In the end, this is what true integration is all about!
Everything I’ve been through and everything I’ve learned, combined with the inspiration of my time as a Kiron student, I am now creating a MOOC about migration together with a few friends. Kiron showed me how much online learning can help. My MOOC team and I want to show the migrant perspective and encourage people to learn more about migration and each other. I want to get past the superficiality of statistics and false media representations. Maybe my integration MOOC can one day be part of the Kiron curriculum and help create an even more united and welcoming Germany! I can truly say “Ich
Interview by Flora Roenneberg #Education4Integration campaign, sponsored by H&M Foundation