Are you outraged to see Syrian refugees with smartphones? You shouldn’t be. Is the below photo troubling you? It is time you must ponder.
Poverty stricken Syrian migrant takes selfie with her $600 smartphone. pic.twitter.com/7T8TI7W6KZ
— Bill (@DefendWallSt) September 5, 2015
Smartphones have made it easier for tens of thousands to migrate safely, all the while keeping in touch with family and friends. Smartphone maps, global positioning apps, social media, Skype, Viber, and WhatsApp have become essential tools for the refugees to post real-time updates about routes, arrests, border guard movements and transport, as well as places to stay and prices.
Is it a crime for refugees to pull out a smartphone and send loved ones a message that they made it?
Smartphone technology is transforming the ways refugees and international aid agencies interact, even before the refugees enter Europe. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has distributed 33,000 SIM cards to Syrian refugees in Jordan and 85,704 solar lanterns that can also be used to charge mobile phones.
On Facebook groups, Syrians and others who have already made the trip across the Aegean Sea share the names and telephone numbers of good smugglers in Turkey, warn of pitfalls and give other advice. Called “al-Mushantateen”, a play on the Arabic words for “suitcase” and “diaspora”, one group includes posts by volunteers who offer services like calling the coastguard if a passenger on a dinghy sends a distress call. The advice covers the journey beyond Greece to Macedonia, Serbia, Hungary and Western Europe.
Should owning a mobile phone render refugees trying to stop themselves and their families from dying in a war ineligible for help?
During the sea journey, they keep their phones in plastic bags to keep them dry. Landing in Lesbos, chanting, “Thanks be to God”, the first thing they do is fish their phones out, joyously hug and take group selfies on the shore. Then with the Turkish signal still strong, they call loved ones back in Turkey, Syria or Iraq, shouting, “We arrived in Greece!”
Refugees in lifejackets celebrate on the beach after reaching Lesbos http://t.co/qwxb7QXxF6 pic.twitter.com/R96ukjt6OZ
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) September 6, 2015
Syria is not a rich country, but it is not a poor country either. In 2007, Syria had a Gross National Income per capita of $1850 – Egypt at the time had $1620. According to the CIA World Factbook, in 2014 Syria had 87 mobile phones per 100 of the population – Egypt had 110 per 100. When Egyptians can use smartphone technology to ferment a revolution and garner worldwide support, why is everyone surprised if refugees of the same region are making use of the technology to find shelter in a foreign country?
“We have taken photos of every step of our journey and sent them to our families. No one gives us visas, so we have to find alternatives. On Facebook, we Syrians help each other and give each other advice,” said Raed, 30, who left behind his wife and six-month-old, ill daughter.
Said, a 22-year-old computer engineering student from Damascus, added, “We want to help our fellow Syrians so no one gets cheated by smugglers. So whenever someone finds a smuggler who charges less, his phone number gets passed around… We Syrians took pictures of every protest and every massacre. We aren’t going to stop sharing our stories now. Migration is part of our story now.”
It is easy to categorize people who can afford a smartphone and a selfie stick as “economic migrants” instead of “real” refugees, and somehow less worthy…
This Article (For Syrian Refugees, Smartphones Are More Important Than Food) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to the author and AnonHQ.com.
“said Raed, 30, who left behind his wife and six-month-old, ill daughter.”
Why is he & most of these young men, not at home fighting to defeat the enemy in their country???
So many able men are fleeing the war, but leaving their wives & children etc. to fend for themselves!
We in Europe are expected to welcome them with open arms…
But we should be helping them regain peace, in their own country.
They are not helping at all by fleeing, and leaving their families to die!!!
It´s DISGUSTING!!!!!!
Maybe coz they can’t fight ?
maybe coz USA is helping ISIS and Russia the regime ?
Maybe coz when your enemies have guns and artillery u need a little bit more than a stick and a stone no ?
Try living under bombardment for 4 years and see all your family and friend dieing in front of u then come and judge…
you don’t know what’s happening in Syria man these the country is not in war the country is on chaos imagine yourself in the middle of a war between the NATO & USA against ISIS and at the same time the war between the government of Bashaar Al-assad against the Revolution Militant what would you do take your AK-47 and fight ? but who will you fight for ? the only option left for him is to run to Europe and then send visa to his wife
Fight climate change??? WTF are you on about. They have no money because they have no jobs, they have no jobs because they used to farm, they no longer farm because there is no water, there is no water because the government sold it all. Do some research instead of judging peoples actions. To me, the fact they LEFT THEIR FAMILY says that they’re beyond desperate!! The last thing anyone wants to do is leave their family, that statement only strengthens their reason for migrating not weaken.
There is no water because it hasnt rained enough in the last four years. The government there had to make a choice, either leave the people of the city to die from lack of water or make unregistered wells illegal. They chose to ban unregistered wells. This affected the farms significantly. Farmers came to the cities enraged starting riots, attacks on officers and graffiti. The Syrian government struck back in a very harsh manner. And things got worse after that. Now terrorist groups have taken advantage of this to make things even worse to take over the country. The US is playing both sides, this is because IS/ISIS/Al Qaeda has the best chance of taking down the Syrian Gov. Yet they want the public to think that the US and NATO is valiantly fighting against them. Russia has refused to join NATO to fight the terrorists. They have made a small temporary air field and have done some small things to limit casualties. Unlike what the mainstream news says, Russia isnt doing much at all.
There is no water because it hasnt rained enough in the last four years. The government there had to make a choice, either leave the people of the city to die from lack of water or make unregistered wells illegal. They chose to ban unregistered wells. This affected the farms significantly. Farmers came to the cities enraged starting riots, attacks on officers and graffiti. The Syrian government struck back in a very harsh manner. And things got worse after that. Now terrorist groups have taken advantage of this to make things even worse to take over the country. The US is playing both sides, this is because IS/ISIS/Al Qaeda has the best chance of taking down the Syrian Gov. Yet they want the public to think that the US and NATO is valiantly fighting against them. Russia has refused to join NATO to fight the terrorists. They have made a small temporary air field and have done some small things to limit casualties. Unlike what the mainstream news says, Russia isnt doing much at all.
WUT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? They come along with their families, but some cannot make it because they cannot run that fast and they cannot swim. If Europe will fight against ISIS, there will be WW3, I’m warning you.
Oh joy they can plot our destruction too
The reason why most of the men are leaving and not fighting for their country is because at the end of the day they are still Muslims, and are charged with spreading the fallacy of their religion of Islam, which explicitly states non-believers must be converted, killed or enslaved. They will spread to every Western in country in force and will overtake them and impose their beliefs on the West. Just watch….
It’s funny… Most europeans can’t afford the roaming fees, especially oberseas. The situation remains exciting
They’re all coming to sweden to be economic refugees now…
Where did all these negative ass-holes come from? ^^^^^