Love brought her to The Netherlands, 15 years ago. But as often as she can, Yvette Shamier goes to Syria, her native country. Even now, in the midst of the war. She flies to Beirut, drives to Damascus, takes the bus to war torn Homs, defying snipers and check points. I have to. I do not want to lose the country I love. With other members of the Greek Orthodox Church she ventures into Homs. Or they take the car to the countryside, to families who survived the terror of Al Qaeda. From village to village Yvette: In the heart of Homs, the ancient Christian city, there are only 65 Christians left. The other 180,000 have fled. For hose who have nowhere to go the church provides a roof over their heads in safer suburbs. We distribute stoves, blankets and food. The injured who cannot pay for their operation, can get financial support from the church as well. Yvette was born in a village not far from Homs. She knows what terror is. In the early 80s her grandfather and cousin were killed by the Muslim Brotherhood. In the present war she has lost 14 relatives. In her native area Yvette goes from village to village. People here have suffered jihad raids from Jabat Al Nusra and ISIS. They have nothing, no chair to sit on. But they were lucky. Many of their friends and relatives were shot. Or beheaded. We do what we can. We give what we have. Its never enough . My Syria against that other Syria Im fighting my for the Syria I grew up in. The Syria where I could be myself, as a young woman, as a Christian. I fight for my own identity. A country where I could dress the way I wanted to, in shorts, a top with spaghetti straps, it didn’t matter. It s my Syria against a Syria where a woman cannot cross the street without a niqaab, where Christians cannot go to church anymore. Of course there is corruption in this country, just like anywhere in the world. You must fight it. And yes, I want more democracy and more freedom in my country. But not the way it is fought for now. This battle went wrong from the start. Choice There is much talk in the world about the Free Syrian Army. But on the ground, it no longer exists. Today I must choose between al Qaeda linked terrorists, who receive support from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and the government army. Only these two parties have power on the ground. Then the choice for me as a Christian woman is an easy one.
Posted on: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 11:34:13 +0000