Maclean’s: In Lebanon, a refugee waystation, Syria’s crisis becomes real

Michael Friscolanti, Maclean’s

JBEIL, LEBANON — Before the civil war, Mohamed Alftih and his brothers operated a printing factory in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city. They specialized in T-shirts and other custom-made clothing, most of it destined for European markets. “We used to live a very good life,” he says, sitting on a couch beside his wife, Randa, and their four children. “I had more than a decent income, we had a big house, and we lived peacefully.”

His kids went to school. There was plenty of food on the kitchen table. It was safe to walk outside.

When Alftih tries to explain how he ended up here—at a friend’s apartment on the Lebanese coast, 250 km from home, with no money and absolutely no hope of returning to the life he knew—the tears overpower his voice. “I’m sorry,” he says, trying to stay composed. His wife and three sons begin to cry, too, the memories still raw.

His daughter, just three years old, isn’t quite sure why everyone is so sad. Dressed in a little red shirt, Sham rubs her dad’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” he says again, wiping his watery eyes.

From the comfort of Canada, it’s difficult to grasp the utter enormity of the Syrian refugee crisis. It’s been treated more like an abstract debate than a horrifying reality.

To read the full article in Maclean’s, click here.

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