‘All they want is a peaceful life’ Syria-born Holden resident worrys about family in war-torn nation BY SANDY QUADROS BOWLES [email protected] Maggie Youhanoun, who operates Holden Tailors, wishes she could bring her family to the United States from Syria, where they now live amid conflict. Sandy Quadros Bowles photo Maggie Youhanoun, who operates Holden Tailors, wishes she could bring her family to the United States from Syria, where they now live amid conflict. Sandy Quadros Bowles photo HOLDEN — For Maggie Youhanoun of Holden, the crisis in Syria hits home, literally. She was born in the nation where recent chemical attacks horrified the world and drew international outrage -- and controversy about what steps, if any, the United States should take to quell the violence. The war-torn country is still home to a number of Youhanoun’s relatives, including her sister and her family. The family lives in northeast Syria, near the Turkey and Iraq borders and a safe distance from the chemical attacks. But they are still, like many in Syria, caught in the crossfire of a troubled country. Their region has no water service, often lacks landline phone coverage and has limited electricity. Power is available one hour a day, or even every few days, Youhanoun said. Food is “very, very expensive,’’ she said. With a typical income of $100 per month, people struggle to buy a carton of eggs for $10. “They have to be very, very careful with food,’’ she said. Because power outages are frequent and unpredictable, people buy food on a day-by-day basis because refrigeration cannot be counted on. Her family are Christians, which makes them vulnerable to the hostilities. Christians, she said, have become “collateral damage in this war.’’ Two local bishops have been kidnapped since April and “no one knows what happened’’ to them, she said. Churches have been burned. “I’m worried about the Christian people over there,’’ Youhanoun said. Her sister works as a teacher and her brother-in-law is a principal. But schools often close if there are bomb threats. For older students, getting to college can prove challenging. “They can’t travel by bus because they are targeted all the time,’’ she said. Youhanoun knows a woman who pulled her son, who was in his second year of medical school, out of college to flee to Sweden. “She was just too afraid,’’ she said. More than two million Syrians have become refugees. Others flee, some to far-flung nations such as Germany and Sweden and others to geographically closer countries, including Lebanon, a land no stranger to violence. “It’s not a peaceful place, but it’s better,’’ she said. Youhanoun loves her adopted country of the United States, which she described as “my home, my life.’’ She has become a classic American success story, operating Holden Tailors in the center of town. As an American with strong Syrian connections, she opposes American intervention in war. “I don’t think we should go to war. Both sides get hurt,’’ and civilians will die, she said. “I’m hopeful they will try to solve this in a peaceful way.” She would love to bring her family to the United States but does not know how she could. “I don’t know where to go or what to do’’ to try to get them to the safety of the United States, she said. But she is sure of one thing: The recent hostilities and intolerance hurt everyone. “We never had a problem before,’’ she said. People were tolerant of others and their individual beliefs. “I practice my religion, you practice your religion. That’s all we want.’’ Instead, innocent civilians fall victim to the violence and anger of others, she said. “The civilians are caught in the middle,’’ she said. “All they want is a peaceful life.’’ Return to top How to contact The Landmark
Posted on: Thu, 19 Sep 2013 05:05:34 +0000
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