World Refugee Day
Pittsburgh Refugee Center
Last winter a remarkable young man entered my life and became a part of
my family and a part of PRC. His name is Hashim A. Mersal -- a refugee
from Darfur, Sudan. We have decided to dedicate this day, June 20th,
World Refugee Day, to his remarkable journey and his enduring spirit.
Though this may seem like the story of one man, in reality it is the
story of millions.
A Wanderer's Dream
I don't exactly know what dreams are made of, but I know that I have to
have one in order to continue living. There was a time when I didn't
want to leave my home and life outside of my village in Sudan was
unimaginable. Then one day I found myself running and dreaming of
staying alive. I had to ignore my body's aching for rest and continue
on the run. When thirst and hunger became unbearable I began to dream
of water and food. When I reached the border of Chad, I dreamed of
being accepted and not sent back. Suddenly I became a refugee. I
dreamed that my host would not tire of me and begin to see me as a
burden. Months passed and slowly the dream of escaping the miserable
life of a stateless man began to seep into my mind. The dream of going
to America was bigger than what I was allowed to dream. But when you
have lost everything, you find salvation in dreaming. After great
struggle, reaching the land of the free and the home of the brave was a
miracle. Getting arrested and thrown in jail like a common criminal
was enough to stop my dream in its tracks. But surviving many nights
behind locked bars and seeing my first snowfall from the window of my
cell gave me the courage to begin dreaming again, this time of my
freedom. How ironic. I had spent three years of my life trying to
escape genocide and persecution in Africa only to be locked up and
declared a
criminal by the world's most civilized. Now I am free and dreaming of
finding a safe haven in America. Many people helped me during this
journey and many more were kind to me. Yet when I look at my face in
the mirror I wonder, why me? How is it that I am the only one of a
family of 20 who was able to escape genocide? Where is my mother?
What happened to my brothers and sisters? I am ashamed of myself. The
thought of my father's and older brother's dead bodies decaying on the
road side, the images of my village burning, the old women who could
not run, is too hard to shake off. How can I enjoy eating and
drinking? How can I sleep at night while the whereabouts of the
remaining of my family members haunts me day and night? Oh mother,
please forgive me for leaving you behind. Oh father, please forgive me
for not returning to bury your body. Oh brother, forgive me for not
taking on my new role as the head of the family. This might be asking
for a lot even from a dream, but I must find my family. I do
dare to dream that one day I will see my mother's beautiful face, kiss
her tender hands, and promise to never leave her behind again.
---------------
Throughout the world today, there are over 19 million refugees and
displaced people without a place to call home. We hope you will take a
moment today, World Refugee Day, to reflect on the magnitude of this
human dilemma.
Sincerely,
Khadra Mohammed