After the fires
There’s so much I want to say
There’s so much I want to write
About refugees who ran away from war
from torture, violence and persecution
And then end up here in Lesvos, a European island
Facing once again what they ran away from
Horror, homelessness, destitution, desperation
So everyone is looking for someone to blame.
Who shall we blame?
European governments without democracy or human rights?
European migration policy failure?
Shall we blame the Greek government
for taking lots of money to control refugee flows to Europe
for keeping them stuck here in Greece in limbo
for making them live an intolerable existence
for making Greeks suffer too?
Who shall we blame?
Shall we blame locals who attack refugees
for their stupidity
for how they act with spite?
Shall we blame Greeks who hate refugees?
Shall we blame people who posted fake selfies
of smiling refugees in front of the Moria fires
saying they only have themselves to blame?
BUT What’s the use of JUST BLAMING?
To the Greek government
I want to say
Please believe me
Refugees would love to leave your village, city and country
If only you would let them
Refugees would love it even more if they could go home
but they can’t
To the Greek people
I want to say
Please do the right thing
Talk to your politicians instead of beating up refugees
Tell your politicians to evacuate the island
Tell them to stop taking money for a situation they cannot manage
To European Member States I want to say
Now is the time to act like human beings
Now is the time to make right the policy wrongs
Now is the time for every country to take responsibility
To all my readers, I want to say
Please find it in your hearts
To live in solidarity with
People living on the streets of Mytiline
Without food or water
Please help us help them
Amir Ali is a young Afghan refugee who has been living on Lesvos for 4 years. He now works as an interpreter.