How we saved Syrians - and a little bit ourselves
#254
My Dear Friend of Democracy,
Sometimes, when I travel to my hometown, the small district town of Tauberbischofsheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, I don't recognize it in a certain way.
Ukrainian women work in the bakery, the buses are driven by men who look nothing like the bus drivers of my childhood, there are young women with and without headscarves, and the dialect of my hometown in northern Baden is no longer the only strange language I hear on the street.
At least viewed from the outside, this society has become a colourful and fairly well-functioning one, with newcomers who have become part of the existing society.
Syrians have been part of this society for some time now.
Now that the Assad regime is history and the cruelties of half a century can be heard by so many in countless stories, maybe this is a good time to answer a question that arose in 2015 when Angela Merkel's 2015 words, "We can do it!" ("Wir schaffen das!") became famous.
For hundreds of thousands of Syrians fleeing the civil war in their country, Merkel’s words offered hope. They came, and they were welcomed.
So, to me, the simple answer to the question, “Can we do it?” is “Yes. We did it!” Not only did we give so many people from Syria new perspectives on life, but above all, we simply saved lives.
✊ I can well imagine that many Germans today — because of their experiences in bakeries, local festivals, sports clubs, clinics, work, and school — conclude that it might not be such a good idea for Germany if the Syrian people all leave our country and return to Syria. Because these people have enriched Germany in many ways. They have become a part of Germany themselves. In Tauberbischofsheim, at least, I'm pretty sure there are quite a few who would be happy if many stayed.
See you in Europe,
Johannes
📸 sculpture in Tauberbischofsheim / December 17, 2022