Humans of New York: “Baba. It’s fine to help. But not every day”
Posted on: October 4, 2015
Humans of New York: “Baba. It’s fine to help. But not every day”
Reine Azzi shared this link Humans of New York. September 28, 2015
“After one month, I arrived in Austria. The first day I was there, I walked into a bakery and met a man named Fritz Hummel.
He told me that forty years ago he had visited Syria and he’d been treated well.
So he gave me clothes, food, everything. He became like a father to me. He took me to the Rotary Club and introduced me to the entire group.
He told them my story and asked: ‘How can we help him?’
I found a church, and they gave me a place to live. Right away I committed myself to learning the language.
I practiced German for 17 hours a day. I read children’s stories all day long. I watched television.
I tried to meet as many Austrians as possible.
After seven months, it was time to meet with a judge to determine my status. I could speak so well at this point that I asked the judge if we could conduct the interview in German.
He couldn’t believe it. He was so impressed that I’d already learned German that he interviewed me for only ten minutes.
Then he pointed at my Syrian ID card and said: ‘Muhammad, you will never need this again. You are now an Austrian!’” (Kos, Greece)
(Why can he not keep his Syrian passport?)
(6/6)
Reine Azzi shared this link Humans of New York. September 30, 2015
“My father was a farmer and we had eight siblings. I went to Australia when I was 15 because my family didn’t have enough to eat.
I was on a boat for forty days. When I got there, I couldn’t find a job, I couldn’t speak English, and I had to sleep on the street.
I know what it’s like.
So everyday I drive the van to the port and hand out bread to the refugees. My son is my business partner.
He says, ‘Baba, please. It’s fine to help. But not every day.’
But I still go every day because I know what it feels like to have nothing.” (Kos, Greece)
Adonis Diaries 
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