Macon Magazine

8 MACONMAGAZINE.COM When I was about 11, my family and I visited Syria because we hadn't seen our relatives in a few years. One day my mother and I were walking through the streets when I saw a huge sign, praising the high and mighty Bashar Al Assad. My uncle had told me about Bashar. He is the president of Syria, and my uncle said he's a very, very bad man. So I asked my mother, as most curious 11-years-olds would, "Mama, why is the Syrian president so bad?" And judging by my mother's reaction, you would have thought I'd just released a stream of profanity. She looked me in the eye, and whispered, "You can't say that!" You didn't talk badly about the president in Syria. Little did we know that in a few years, visiting Syria would be impossible and that asking the very question I asked could result in arrest, kidnapping or worse. Today, I will put the current Syrian crisis to the Rotary four-way test to bring awareness to the Syrian people's plight, because awareness is the first step toward achieving change. The first question the four-way test calls for is, is it the truth? According to Mercy Corps, a global humanitarian aid organization, 7.6 million people, about half of Syria's pre-war population, have been internally displaced, and about 4.3 million are refugees, bringing them to be the largest refugee population under the United Nations' mandate. Along with that, about half of these refugees are children who have lost everything. Imagine losing family, friends, freedom, everything. Gone. So, yes, the Syrian war is the truth. Next the test asks us to consider, is it fair to all concerned? Tell me, on what planet is it fair for a village of innocent people to starve to death because their village is surrounded by landmines and no food can be brought in? This is the current situation in Madaya, Syria. On what planet is it fair for families to be gassed to death while they sleep, as happened in Sarin, Syria. Tell me, in what universe is it fair for little girls in refugee camps to be forced into marrying men five times their age because their families can no longer provide. I'll tell you; it's not fair. Next, the test brings to us the question of will it build goodwill and better friendships? It's difficult for the kind of friendship that we're used to, one of texting and "hanging out," to thrive in war. A new kind of friendship grows in Syria, a friendship that is formed on the basis of a mutual need for survival and hope in dark times. However, ISIS's actions have also caused many to believe the lie that any Muslim qualifies as an ISIS Muslim and has led to an increase in Islam-phobic attacks everywhere. So as goodwill and friendship can live on among those who suffer, hate and fear are inspired as well. Finally, the four-way test poses the question, is it beneficial to all concerned? Who benefits when over 11 million people have lost their homes, or when about 2,000 have drowned while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Ocean to freedom? Who benefits when electricity is on for five hours a day and water for three? It's not beneficial to all, for the Syrian people are now a lost people, as their country is destroyed before their eyes. I haven't seen my relatives since that last trip to Syria. I can see hope for the war's end slowly fade from my parents' eyes. The once proud country is now in shambles, and who knows if anyone will put the pieces back together again? Editorial Failing the four-way test By Tarab Ajjan Editor's note: The winner of the Annual Rotary High School Speech Competition receives the Austin Childers Memorial Scholarship, which was $1000. This year's winner is Tarab Ajjan. Tarab is a junior at Stratford Academy. Her parents grew up in Lattakia, Syria. Her father moved to America in 1995, and her mother followed in 1998 when she married Tarab's father. Tarab was born in Macon and has two younger sisters. She was first introduced to public speaking in the 10th grade when she was assigned to write and present a 10-minute argumentative speech. In addition to enjoying public speaking, she is also on the varsity swim team at Stratford as well as the junior varsity lacrosse team. She also has a great passion for foreign languages and the sciences. Tarab Ajjan is pictured with her father, Mohammed Ajjan, and her mother, Ferial Walid.

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