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Dear World: A Syrian Girl's Story of War and Plea for Peace
“A story of love and courage amid brutality and terror, this is the testimony of a child who has endured the unthinkable.” —J.K. Rowling “I’m very afraid I will die tonight.” —Bana Alabed, Twitter, October 2, 2016 “Stop killing us.” —Bana Alabed, Twitter, October 6, 2016 “I just want to live without fear.” —Bana Alabed, Twitter, October 12, 2016When seven-year-old Bana Alabed took to Twitter to describe the horrors she and her family were experiencing in war-torn Syria, her heartrending messages touched the world and gave a voice to millions of innocent children. Bana’s happy childhood was abruptly upended by civil war when she was only three years old. Over the next four years, she knew nothing but bombing, destruction, and fear. Her harrowing ordeal culminated in a brutal siege where she, her parents, and two younger brothers were trapped in Aleppo, with little access to food, water, medicine, or other necessities. Facing death as bombs relentlessly fell around them—one of which completely destroyed their home—Bana and her family embarked on a perilous escape to Turkey. In Bana’s own words, and featuring short, affecting chapters by her mother, Fatemah, Dear World is not just a gripping account of a family endangered by war; it offers a uniquely intimate, child’s perspective on one of the biggest humanitarian crises in history. Bana has lost her best friend, her school, her home, and her homeland. But she has not lost her hope—for herself and for other children around the world who are victims and refugees of war and deserve better lives. Dear World is a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit, the unconquerable courage of a child, and the abiding power of hope. It is a story that will leave you changed.
225 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2017
51 people are currently reading
1622 people want to read
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December 27, 2018
A Guerra é Surda
"Por vezes na vida temos momentos em que há um antes e a seguir um depois, e se compreende que essas duas vidas serão completamente diferentes”
Antes, Bana Alabed tinha uma boneca favorita, uma melhor amiga e uma casa onde era feliz!...
E depois?...
Que desejos encontramos numa criança com 8 anos de idade?
Uma bicicleta? Uma Playstation? Um computador?...
Não para Bana Alabed!
Para Bana Alabed, que antes de completar 6 anos de vida, já distinguia as bombas pelos sons emitidos, o seu único e monumental desejo é:
PAZ!...
Já todos nos revoltámos contra os horrores da Segunda Grande Guerra!
Já todos nos insurgimos contra as barbaridades de toda e qualquer Guerra!
Porém... ela insiste e persiste!...
É uma Fénix malévola que teima em renascer das cinzas regressando aos céus num voo atento, sempre em busca dum local propício a uma aterrissagem perfeita! ..
Até quando?!...
"A guerra síria como a conhecemos durante alguns anos está prestes a terminar. Com iranianos, membros do Hezbollah libanês e até milícias iraquianas no terreno, mais a potência da aviação russa, Assad derrotou já quase toda a oposição. O problema é que na Síria estão envolvidos muitos mais actores e ninguém quer provocar uma escalada que resulte num conflito entre potências nucleares às portas da Europa...." (Estrato duma notícia do Jornal Público)
No ser humano Bem e Mal coexistem, sob a atitude vigilante da nossa incansável sentinela -- a Consciência -- que apoia o primeiro, e reprova o segundo, mas é notório que nem sempre acerta!...
Pode ser que um dia?!...
Apoiemo-nos na Esperança, que é um potente aliado!...
"Querido Mundo" é um relato comovente duma guerra dos nossos dias, na voz duma criança:
As bombas começaram por ser distantes -- a princípio atemorizavam, mas com o passar do tempo, eram pouco mais que um ruído de fundo, como o cantar dos pássaros...
Tudo sucedia num longe aparentemente inatingível, que rápida e perigosamente se fez perto!...
Este relato transmitiu-me um misto de revolta, consternação e abulia!
São tantos os protestos...tantas as vozes...tantas as contestações...
Mas a Guerra não ouve — é Surda...
Leiam!... Leiam, que está a acontecer agora!...
"Por vezes na vida temos momentos em que há um antes e a seguir um depois, e se compreende que essas duas vidas serão completamente diferentes”
Antes, Bana Alabed tinha uma boneca favorita, uma melhor amiga e uma casa onde era feliz!...
E depois?...
Que desejos encontramos numa criança com 8 anos de idade?
Uma bicicleta? Uma Playstation? Um computador?...
Não para Bana Alabed!
Para Bana Alabed, que antes de completar 6 anos de vida, já distinguia as bombas pelos sons emitidos, o seu único e monumental desejo é:
PAZ!...
Já todos nos revoltámos contra os horrores da Segunda Grande Guerra!
Já todos nos insurgimos contra as barbaridades de toda e qualquer Guerra!
Porém... ela insiste e persiste!...
É uma Fénix malévola que teima em renascer das cinzas regressando aos céus num voo atento, sempre em busca dum local propício a uma aterrissagem perfeita! ..
Até quando?!...
"A guerra síria como a conhecemos durante alguns anos está prestes a terminar. Com iranianos, membros do Hezbollah libanês e até milícias iraquianas no terreno, mais a potência da aviação russa, Assad derrotou já quase toda a oposição. O problema é que na Síria estão envolvidos muitos mais actores e ninguém quer provocar uma escalada que resulte num conflito entre potências nucleares às portas da Europa...." (Estrato duma notícia do Jornal Público)
No ser humano Bem e Mal coexistem, sob a atitude vigilante da nossa incansável sentinela -- a Consciência -- que apoia o primeiro, e reprova o segundo, mas é notório que nem sempre acerta!...
Pode ser que um dia?!...
Apoiemo-nos na Esperança, que é um potente aliado!...
"Querido Mundo" é um relato comovente duma guerra dos nossos dias, na voz duma criança:
As bombas começaram por ser distantes -- a princípio atemorizavam, mas com o passar do tempo, eram pouco mais que um ruído de fundo, como o cantar dos pássaros...
Tudo sucedia num longe aparentemente inatingível, que rápida e perigosamente se fez perto!...
Este relato transmitiu-me um misto de revolta, consternação e abulia!
São tantos os protestos...tantas as vozes...tantas as contestações...
Mas a Guerra não ouve — é Surda...
Leiam!... Leiam, que está a acontecer agora!...
December 28, 2018
The Maleficent Phoenix
How manny voices were raised against WWII?!
How manny voices are raised against War?!
And yet, it persists!
Like a maleficent phoenix, it repeatedly rises above us, searching for the next, ideal, perfect place to land!...
This time it landed in Syria, and this is the moving story of how it looks through the eyes of a child!
Please read it -- it's happening now!...
How manny voices were raised against WWII?!
How manny voices are raised against War?!
And yet, it persists!
Like a maleficent phoenix, it repeatedly rises above us, searching for the next, ideal, perfect place to land!...
This time it landed in Syria, and this is the moving story of how it looks through the eyes of a child!
Please read it -- it's happening now!...
June 28, 2018
This is a biography written by a 7-8 year old girl about her experiences growing up in Syria. Interspersed throughout the book are snippets of writing from her mother about her mother’s hopes, dreams, and ambitions for her children. Don’t expect incredible writing or impressive style as it is written by such a young girl. Regardless, it is moving to see her insights into her experiences.
February 21, 2018
4.5 Sterne
Ich bin das Mädchen aus Aleppo zeigt in sehr berührender und aufrüttelnder Weise, wie es Menschen im Krieg, in diesem Fall in Aleppo, geht. Dies geschieht vor allem aus der Sicht von dem kleinen Mädchen Bana.
Das einzige was mich an dem Buch etwas gestört hat, waren Banas Passagen. Sie klingt teilweise sehr kindlich, vor allem am Anfang und dann wieder klingt sie so erwachsen, dass man sich kaum vorstellen kann dass alles von ihr selbst kommt. Dafür gibt es zu viel hin und her beim Stil. Ich weiß dass sie Mutter großen Einfluss hatte und das hat Banas Passagen nicht gut getan. Die Passagen, die nur ihre Mutter geschrieben hat, waren aber wirklich sehr schön und ergreifend.
Anschließend gehe ich noch auf die Vorwürfe ein, dass Bana für Propaganda missbraucht wird und sowohl im Buch als auch auf Twitter kaum etwas von ihr stammt und sie nur benutzt wird um Aufmerksamkeit zu bringen. Ich weiß nicht, was da die Wahrheit ist (ich denke teilweise ist was dran),deshalb finde ich nicht dass ich berechtigt bin dies zu bewerten. Aber man sollte es sich bewusst machen und sich selbst eine Meinung dazu bilden, bevor man sich entscheidet das Buch zu lesen.
Ich bin das Mädchen aus Aleppo zeigt in sehr berührender und aufrüttelnder Weise, wie es Menschen im Krieg, in diesem Fall in Aleppo, geht. Dies geschieht vor allem aus der Sicht von dem kleinen Mädchen Bana.
Das einzige was mich an dem Buch etwas gestört hat, waren Banas Passagen. Sie klingt teilweise sehr kindlich, vor allem am Anfang und dann wieder klingt sie so erwachsen, dass man sich kaum vorstellen kann dass alles von ihr selbst kommt. Dafür gibt es zu viel hin und her beim Stil. Ich weiß dass sie Mutter großen Einfluss hatte und das hat Banas Passagen nicht gut getan. Die Passagen, die nur ihre Mutter geschrieben hat, waren aber wirklich sehr schön und ergreifend.
Anschließend gehe ich noch auf die Vorwürfe ein, dass Bana für Propaganda missbraucht wird und sowohl im Buch als auch auf Twitter kaum etwas von ihr stammt und sie nur benutzt wird um Aufmerksamkeit zu bringen. Ich weiß nicht, was da die Wahrheit ist (ich denke teilweise ist was dran),deshalb finde ich nicht dass ich berechtigt bin dies zu bewerten. Aber man sollte es sich bewusst machen und sich selbst eine Meinung dazu bilden, bevor man sich entscheidet das Buch zu lesen.
February 28, 2018
At last, I have a book that I can cite as a real-life case for the benefits of social media. One that saves lives.
I was vaguely reminded of I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced while reading this; they both have a native English speaker edit a young girl's writings for proper English formatting. It loses a degree of authenticity in the exchange, but it's nicely balanced by heartfelt letters by Bana's mother, compilations of Bana's actual tweets, and scans of Bana's actual transcript within the inner covers of the book. When a seven-year-old girl says that sharing a tiny slice of a tomato with her younger brothers was a luxury for her family during the war, my heart still breaks.
For those people who would want to complain that the material isn't "graphic enough" in its authenticity—as is often the criticism I see for many personal accounts like this—please consider this: would you want a seven-year-old to recount every detail of a gruesome war that has robbed nearly everything from her? Bana is doing her part to spread what her family went through, and she's only eight years old now. Thank you, Bana.
Regardless of whatever you thought of the book, Bana's wishes for the future are clear: a plea for peace, the end of wars, to return to a normal life, and happy lives for people everywhere. She wants violence to end and for the voices of those lost to war to remain in the hearts of the living. I can only hope that this day comes sooner than later. And thanks to Bana and her book, it's a hope that I would wish for everybody to foster too.
I received the book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
I was vaguely reminded of I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced while reading this; they both have a native English speaker edit a young girl's writings for proper English formatting. It loses a degree of authenticity in the exchange, but it's nicely balanced by heartfelt letters by Bana's mother, compilations of Bana's actual tweets, and scans of Bana's actual transcript within the inner covers of the book. When a seven-year-old girl says that sharing a tiny slice of a tomato with her younger brothers was a luxury for her family during the war, my heart still breaks.
For those people who would want to complain that the material isn't "graphic enough" in its authenticity—as is often the criticism I see for many personal accounts like this—please consider this: would you want a seven-year-old to recount every detail of a gruesome war that has robbed nearly everything from her? Bana is doing her part to spread what her family went through, and she's only eight years old now. Thank you, Bana.
Regardless of whatever you thought of the book, Bana's wishes for the future are clear: a plea for peace, the end of wars, to return to a normal life, and happy lives for people everywhere. She wants violence to end and for the voices of those lost to war to remain in the hearts of the living. I can only hope that this day comes sooner than later. And thanks to Bana and her book, it's a hope that I would wish for everybody to foster too.
I received the book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
November 1, 2017
I learned something from a young Syrian girl: the different noises various kinds of bombs make, which she knows very well.
Bana Alabed, now 8, grew up in war-torn Aleppo, Syria. As she and her mother state, their family was luckier than most, and this included having internet access, which enabled Bana to communicate with people across the world via her Twitter account, which she used to call for peace, show photos of the destruction of war, and describe the horrific reality of being scared, hungry, and completely unsure what the future holds.
Bana's simple and heartfelt descriptions of the tragedy of living in a war zone range from her sadness at not getting to attend school because it's too dangerous since schools and hospitals are top targets for bombings to the horrific realization that her best friend has been killed during a bombing. Interspersed are brief, poignant vignettes written by Bana's mother, giving an adult's perspective and answering the question, "Why didn't you leave sooner?" Thankfully the family has now relocated to Turkey. Hopefully this book will serve as a wake-up call to end wars in which civilians are targets and children learn things they should never know, whether it's the sound of bombs or the smell of rotting bodies left in the street.
Bana Alabed, now 8, grew up in war-torn Aleppo, Syria. As she and her mother state, their family was luckier than most, and this included having internet access, which enabled Bana to communicate with people across the world via her Twitter account, which she used to call for peace, show photos of the destruction of war, and describe the horrific reality of being scared, hungry, and completely unsure what the future holds.
Bana's simple and heartfelt descriptions of the tragedy of living in a war zone range from her sadness at not getting to attend school because it's too dangerous since schools and hospitals are top targets for bombings to the horrific realization that her best friend has been killed during a bombing. Interspersed are brief, poignant vignettes written by Bana's mother, giving an adult's perspective and answering the question, "Why didn't you leave sooner?" Thankfully the family has now relocated to Turkey. Hopefully this book will serve as a wake-up call to end wars in which civilians are targets and children learn things they should never know, whether it's the sound of bombs or the smell of rotting bodies left in the street.
January 23, 2018
I was given this book as a Christmas gift and am very glad to have read it. A few reviews that I have seen talked about whether there was propaganda involved with a young girl sending out messages on Twitter about what was happening in Aleppo. I don't know about that at all so will just speak to what I read.
First of all, this book is very well put together. It is loaded with photographs that are interspersed among the pages so that there is a seamless flow from narrative to picture. Some of the pictures are heartrending. Although Bana has her name as author, the book is not hers alone as some of the chapters are written by her mother. Colour is used on some of the pages and it is appealing.
Bana says she was only 8 years old when she wrote this book so I would assume there was a lot of help that she was given as English is not her first language. The story that she and her mother tell is moving and horrifying and terribly sad. This book would be appropriate reading for students in elementary school as part of an educational program.
First of all, this book is very well put together. It is loaded with photographs that are interspersed among the pages so that there is a seamless flow from narrative to picture. Some of the pictures are heartrending. Although Bana has her name as author, the book is not hers alone as some of the chapters are written by her mother. Colour is used on some of the pages and it is appealing.
Bana says she was only 8 years old when she wrote this book so I would assume there was a lot of help that she was given as English is not her first language. The story that she and her mother tell is moving and horrifying and terribly sad. This book would be appropriate reading for students in elementary school as part of an educational program.
August 21, 2021
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December 10, 2017As I started this book, I was reminded of Martin Niemöller's famous quotation:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
This is the non-fiction account of young girl in Aleppo during the Syrian Civil War. Bana has one key message: "I want peace." And surely no one can disagree with that.
But Bana's account is also interspersed with passages from her mother's perspective, and I had a lot less sympathy for the mother. Towards the beginning of the book, Bana's mother describes some of the events that led up to the war:
when the teenagers were arrested and brutally beaten and tortured by the regime... we were shocked and appalled, but it still felt far away. It was tragic but distant, as so many people's troubles are.... Your father and I were not political people—we were not for or against—we just wanted to work hard and provide for our family.
And I'm sorry, but if you're "not political people" when your own government is torturing teenagers (for the crime of spraying anti-government graffiti on their school), why do you expect that the world will jump to your aid as soon as you're in trouble? There was literally no acknowledgement of the hypocrisy here.
This was December's selection for my Social Justice Book Club, and it was one of the most frustrating in its lack of actionable information. Yes, we're all against war. So what should we do when a country on the other side of the world is in the middle of a civil war? There's a very brief mention at the end that everyone should welcome refugees, and I certainly agree with that. But even that isn't really applicable to Bana's situation. When her mother was pregnant with her third child, she left Syria and went to Turkey so that she could receive the medical care she needed; the Syrian government had been deliberately targeting hospitals in Aleppo.
the weeks before my due date brought a period of intense bombing.... I was haunted by a particularly ominous feeling that I would die in childbirth if I had to deliver in our apartment, which was still a better option than the hospitals, since they were barely operating and were always targets.
So she goes to Turkey and delivers her baby there, and stays for several months. That could have been the end of the war story for her and her children; the youngest child could have entirely avoided the experience of war.
But of course she went back.
And, yes, making the decision to uproot your life is difficult; Bana's father didn't even have a passport, so he had to sneak across the border to visit them in Turkey and wasn't able to work outside of Syria. And yet. This didn't seem to me so much a situation of people helpless in the face of war—Bana's family was relatively well-off and had more resources and choices than many others—as a situation where people made choices that had hugely negative impacts on their lives.
Even if I successfully advocated for North America to welcome more refugees, what difference would that make if people chose for themselves to stay in the middle of a war? What am I supposed to do about a foreign government that tortures teenagers, if their own citizens don't care as long as they aren't directly affected?
Presenting the majority of this text from a child's viewpoint avoids many of these difficult questions. Bana had no choice in the matter; it wasn't her decision whether to stay safely in Turkey or return to a war zone. So it's easy for the reader to be sympathetic, to agree that we shouldn't have war while avoiding any thought of the politics involved in preventing it. But the child's viewpoint also means that we don't learn much about the broader issues. I did learn about daily life during the battle of Aleppo, and what it was like to be in a city under siege. I just would have preferred to learn more. I can't help comparing this book to A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea, another non-fiction account of a Syrian refugee. If you're only going to read one book about Syrian refugees, there's no contest: A Hope More Powerful than the Sea is by far the more informative, compelling, and powerful.
That said, it will be interesting to read up on Bana Alabed in future years and see what she manages to accomplish—she's a strong little girl with a bright future ahead of her.
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
This is the non-fiction account of young girl in Aleppo during the Syrian Civil War. Bana has one key message: "I want peace." And surely no one can disagree with that.
But Bana's account is also interspersed with passages from her mother's perspective, and I had a lot less sympathy for the mother. Towards the beginning of the book, Bana's mother describes some of the events that led up to the war:
when the teenagers were arrested and brutally beaten and tortured by the regime... we were shocked and appalled, but it still felt far away. It was tragic but distant, as so many people's troubles are.... Your father and I were not political people—we were not for or against—we just wanted to work hard and provide for our family.
And I'm sorry, but if you're "not political people" when your own government is torturing teenagers (for the crime of spraying anti-government graffiti on their school), why do you expect that the world will jump to your aid as soon as you're in trouble? There was literally no acknowledgement of the hypocrisy here.
This was December's selection for my Social Justice Book Club, and it was one of the most frustrating in its lack of actionable information. Yes, we're all against war. So what should we do when a country on the other side of the world is in the middle of a civil war? There's a very brief mention at the end that everyone should welcome refugees, and I certainly agree with that. But even that isn't really applicable to Bana's situation. When her mother was pregnant with her third child, she left Syria and went to Turkey so that she could receive the medical care she needed; the Syrian government had been deliberately targeting hospitals in Aleppo.
the weeks before my due date brought a period of intense bombing.... I was haunted by a particularly ominous feeling that I would die in childbirth if I had to deliver in our apartment, which was still a better option than the hospitals, since they were barely operating and were always targets.
So she goes to Turkey and delivers her baby there, and stays for several months. That could have been the end of the war story for her and her children; the youngest child could have entirely avoided the experience of war.
But of course she went back.
And, yes, making the decision to uproot your life is difficult; Bana's father didn't even have a passport, so he had to sneak across the border to visit them in Turkey and wasn't able to work outside of Syria. And yet. This didn't seem to me so much a situation of people helpless in the face of war—Bana's family was relatively well-off and had more resources and choices than many others—as a situation where people made choices that had hugely negative impacts on their lives.
Even if I successfully advocated for North America to welcome more refugees, what difference would that make if people chose for themselves to stay in the middle of a war? What am I supposed to do about a foreign government that tortures teenagers, if their own citizens don't care as long as they aren't directly affected?
Presenting the majority of this text from a child's viewpoint avoids many of these difficult questions. Bana had no choice in the matter; it wasn't her decision whether to stay safely in Turkey or return to a war zone. So it's easy for the reader to be sympathetic, to agree that we shouldn't have war while avoiding any thought of the politics involved in preventing it. But the child's viewpoint also means that we don't learn much about the broader issues. I did learn about daily life during the battle of Aleppo, and what it was like to be in a city under siege. I just would have preferred to learn more. I can't help comparing this book to A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea, another non-fiction account of a Syrian refugee. If you're only going to read one book about Syrian refugees, there's no contest: A Hope More Powerful than the Sea is by far the more informative, compelling, and powerful.
That said, it will be interesting to read up on Bana Alabed in future years and see what she manages to accomplish—she's a strong little girl with a bright future ahead of her.
February 13, 2018
Een boek over de Syrische oorlog door de ogen van een 7-jarig meisje: dat is Hallo Wereld van Bana Alabed. Ze heeft een eenvoudige boodschap: ze wil vrede voor haar en de andere Syrische kinderen. Bana Alabed begon te twitteren tijdens de oorlog in Syrië vanaf dat ze de woorden ervoor in het Engels leerde via haar moeder. Haar tweets werden net zoals de muziek van Aeman Ahmad, de ‘Pianist van Yarmouk’, opgevangen door de wereld. De schrijfster wilde het uitschreeuwen dat de wereld de burgers in Syrië moest komen helpen door de oorlog te stoppen. Zo stuurde ze onder andere een tweet naar Hillary Clinton: “Hi @hillaryclinton my name is Bana I’m 7 years old girl in Aleppo, can you #standwithAleppo children please?” Zoals we allemaal weten, is dit nog steeds niet gelukt. Bana werd ook geïnspireerd door de populaire (jeugd)boekenschrijfster J.K. Rowling. Een blurb van haar siert de cover, waarin Rowling de aandacht vestigt op de verschrikkelijke oorlogsjaren waarin dit meisje is opgegroeid. Het motto van het boek komt uit het dagboek van Anne Frank, Het achterhuis, ook een jonge tiener die een verschrikkelijke oorlog meemaakte, en dit net aan het einde niet overleefde. Dit kan in het Nederlandse taalgebied niet anders dan een gevoelige snaar raken.
Het boek werd oorspronkelijk in de VS uitgebracht, en de Amerikaanse redacteur, Christine Pride, en Bana’s moeder begeleidden het schrijfproces van de jonge auteur. Dankzij een goede redactie en een goede Nederlandse vertaling van Marjet Schumacher komt Bana’s schrijfwerk helder over, en wordt de invloed van bommen en gevechten op de alledaagse zaken waar een 7-jarig meisje mee bezig is, in het eerste deel toch nog, in de vorm van een dagboek beschreven. In de volgende delen zijn er geen alledaagse zaken waarmee kleine meisjes normaal gezien bezig horen te zijn, meer te bespeuren. De dagboekstukken van Bana worden afgewisseld door deeltjes geschreven door Bana’s moeder, zodat je de belevenissen door kinderogen bekeken, ook kan vergelijken met hoe een volwassene die heeft beleefd. De liefde, de zorg en de angst voor haar kinderen en haar man, die alles betekenen voor haar, komen daarin schrijnend en ontroerend naar boven. In het laatste deel is dit wat primeert: haar gezin in veiligheid brengen en op een andere plek, in Turkije in dit geval, een leven met betere vooruitzichten voor henzelf en hun kinderen kunnen opbouwen. De moeder brengt onverwacht tijdens de oorlog nog een derde kind ter wereld hoewel de zwangerschap en de geboorte beide ouders nog meer zorgen en angst brengen.
Het gezin van Bana moet zien te overleven in een wereld vol bommen, gevechten en honger als hun deel van de stad Aleppo, het oosten, afgesloten wordt door het regime omdat het zo de rebellen van het Vrij Syrisch Leger bekampt. De burgers zijn pasmunt geworden tussen de strijdende partijen. Uiteindelijk worden er bussen voorzien om een doorgang te bieden aan de wanhopige burgers uit Oost-Aleppo tijdens een onderhandeld staakt-het-vuren. Voortdurend vertelt Bana over de bommen, vernielde straten en parken, ineenstortende gebouwen met veel slachtoffers tot gevolg, en gevechten tussen het regime en de opstandelingen. De foto’s in het boek getuigen ook van een volledig vernietigde stad.
Door de ‘kindertaal’, die nochtans en jammer genoeg, zeer volwassen klinkt, en de afwisseling in perspectief is het boek in feite geschikt om stukken uit te lezen samen met jongeren van die zelfde leeftijd en ietsje ouder, om hen kennis te laten maken met de – weliswaar verschrikkelijke – ervaringen van leeftijdsgenoten uit oorlogsgebieden en de redenen waarom er momenteel zoveel vluchtelingen uit Syrië, Irak en andere landen uit het Midden-Oosten naar het westen komen. Uiteraard mits een goede begeleiding om deze gebeurtenissen in een juist kader te plaatsen.
Het blijft een afweging die je als lezer zelf moet maken, om zo dicht bij een oorlog te willen komen, maar dit is opnieuw een persoonlijke getuigenis die dit doet, die op je netvlies gebrand blijft en hierdoor veel meer kan betekenen dan de dagelijkse afstompende beelden uit het journaal. De hoop en de moed van de jonge auteur brengen tegelijkertijd wat licht in die onmenselijke duisternis.
Hebban-recensie van eigen hand. Bron: https://www.hebban.nl/recensies/natha...
Het boek werd oorspronkelijk in de VS uitgebracht, en de Amerikaanse redacteur, Christine Pride, en Bana’s moeder begeleidden het schrijfproces van de jonge auteur. Dankzij een goede redactie en een goede Nederlandse vertaling van Marjet Schumacher komt Bana’s schrijfwerk helder over, en wordt de invloed van bommen en gevechten op de alledaagse zaken waar een 7-jarig meisje mee bezig is, in het eerste deel toch nog, in de vorm van een dagboek beschreven. In de volgende delen zijn er geen alledaagse zaken waarmee kleine meisjes normaal gezien bezig horen te zijn, meer te bespeuren. De dagboekstukken van Bana worden afgewisseld door deeltjes geschreven door Bana’s moeder, zodat je de belevenissen door kinderogen bekeken, ook kan vergelijken met hoe een volwassene die heeft beleefd. De liefde, de zorg en de angst voor haar kinderen en haar man, die alles betekenen voor haar, komen daarin schrijnend en ontroerend naar boven. In het laatste deel is dit wat primeert: haar gezin in veiligheid brengen en op een andere plek, in Turkije in dit geval, een leven met betere vooruitzichten voor henzelf en hun kinderen kunnen opbouwen. De moeder brengt onverwacht tijdens de oorlog nog een derde kind ter wereld hoewel de zwangerschap en de geboorte beide ouders nog meer zorgen en angst brengen.
Het gezin van Bana moet zien te overleven in een wereld vol bommen, gevechten en honger als hun deel van de stad Aleppo, het oosten, afgesloten wordt door het regime omdat het zo de rebellen van het Vrij Syrisch Leger bekampt. De burgers zijn pasmunt geworden tussen de strijdende partijen. Uiteindelijk worden er bussen voorzien om een doorgang te bieden aan de wanhopige burgers uit Oost-Aleppo tijdens een onderhandeld staakt-het-vuren. Voortdurend vertelt Bana over de bommen, vernielde straten en parken, ineenstortende gebouwen met veel slachtoffers tot gevolg, en gevechten tussen het regime en de opstandelingen. De foto’s in het boek getuigen ook van een volledig vernietigde stad.
Door de ‘kindertaal’, die nochtans en jammer genoeg, zeer volwassen klinkt, en de afwisseling in perspectief is het boek in feite geschikt om stukken uit te lezen samen met jongeren van die zelfde leeftijd en ietsje ouder, om hen kennis te laten maken met de – weliswaar verschrikkelijke – ervaringen van leeftijdsgenoten uit oorlogsgebieden en de redenen waarom er momenteel zoveel vluchtelingen uit Syrië, Irak en andere landen uit het Midden-Oosten naar het westen komen. Uiteraard mits een goede begeleiding om deze gebeurtenissen in een juist kader te plaatsen.
Het blijft een afweging die je als lezer zelf moet maken, om zo dicht bij een oorlog te willen komen, maar dit is opnieuw een persoonlijke getuigenis die dit doet, die op je netvlies gebrand blijft en hierdoor veel meer kan betekenen dan de dagelijkse afstompende beelden uit het journaal. De hoop en de moed van de jonge auteur brengen tegelijkertijd wat licht in die onmenselijke duisternis.
Hebban-recensie van eigen hand. Bron: https://www.hebban.nl/recensies/natha...
Want to read
January 12, 2024When I was in 5th grade I read this book for the first time. I remember sitting curled up in our reading nook and silently crying while reading this.
My amazing teacher at the time had been working for a non profit organization for a while, and somehow she got the opportunity to take a few people in our class to a refugee camp somewhere in my country.
It was this ginormous buildings—the tallest one I’ve ever been to—and we were going to meet children our age who had fled from Syria.
There was this girl my age there who was really sweet to me. Of course we had a language barrière between us, but I remember making friendship bracelets for each other and later she gave me a very shitty painting she made for me. (She was like 7, it being shitty did not affect my gratitude).
My amazing teacher at the time had been working for a non profit organization for a while, and somehow she got the opportunity to take a few people in our class to a refugee camp somewhere in my country.
It was this ginormous buildings—the tallest one I’ve ever been to—and we were going to meet children our age who had fled from Syria.
There was this girl my age there who was really sweet to me. Of course we had a language barrière between us, but I remember making friendship bracelets for each other and later she gave me a very shitty painting she made for me. (She was like 7, it being shitty did not affect my gratitude).
January 31, 2018
This has been one of the most impactful books I have ever read. I never really understood the extent of the horrors people in war torn countries go through. It is easy to associate war and deaths. What we don't realize is that the trauma that survivors carry in their hearts forever - is even more painful. Bana Alabed has given us a unfiltered view into war stricken Syria. The amount that people there had to endure. This is a heart wrenching read as the eight year old child takes you down her painful memory lane. This is a story of resilience of a child when even the next breathe was an uncertainty.
February 13, 2018
Een heel mooi, heftig boek over het leven in Syrie, in Aleppo. Geschreven door Bana, een meisje van 8, maar ook door haar moeder. We zien hoe het leven eerste best goed was, toen slechter en slechter werd, en op een gegeven moment helemaal de mist in ging. Neem tissues mee, ik had een aantal momenten dat ik gewoon even tranen in mijn ogen kreeg.
Er zijn ook foto's bij, van de familie en van de vernietiging in de omgeving.
Zeker een aanrader!
Er zijn ook foto's bij, van de familie en van de vernietiging in de omgeving.
Zeker een aanrader!
December 28, 2018
Um apelo ao mundo pela mão de uma criança
January 12, 2018
One of the best, most worthwhile books I've ever read. Bana did a great job of telling her story and is a truly special person. Her mother's passages were also moving and beautiful in their own right. I couldn't be happier that they are safe and sound, and I highly recommend this book.
P.S. Bana if you're reading this, thank you for having the courage to speak out on behalf of your people, and God bless.
P.S. Bana if you're reading this, thank you for having the courage to speak out on behalf of your people, and God bless.
November 19, 2020
"When stripped of everything, you understand what you are made of and what is essential." What a powerful and courage filled story against the terror of war. I really want the whole world to hear her, to listen to the horror of bigotry and greed of war.
December 23, 2017
Inspiring
Eye opening, very good read. My heart went out for this very brave girl. Highly recommended. It really touched my heart.
Eye opening, very good read. My heart went out for this very brave girl. Highly recommended. It really touched my heart.
December 28, 2017
What a beautiful little girl with a powerful story! This is a fast read, but it gives the world a lot to think about.
June 19, 2018
Everyone should read this book. I especially enjoyed the interspersed snippets from her mom, addressed to her.
March 12, 2020
My word. This is a short powerful book. Anyone with negative views about refugees should read this book.
October 2, 2017
I Recommend This Book
Yes
Title: Dear World: A Syrian’s Girl’s Story of War and A Plea For Peace
Author: Bala Alabed
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publish Date: Sept. 12, 2017
Buy Link: TBP
Rating:
Book Blurb: “The planes came, and instead of dropping bombs, they dropped pieces of paper. The papers said: This area will be destroyed, you will face death. You must leave at once. The government also sent texts to warn us that in twenty-four hours terrible bombing would start.” (165)
Book Review by Nicole Harmon
This book as so many others that you read tells you a story about war and peace. It tells you about a young girl’s life and what it was like for her during her time in the war. Reminiscent of Anne Frank but yet different. Whereas Anne Frank is no longer with us we still for now have Bana. She is still in an area where she may be hurt, maimed or killed (murdered) but she is still with us. This book is her way of telling the world what it is like and her way of handling the war.
I do not think I should summarize this book except to say that this war began in Syria when Bana was three years old. At the time of this book’s completion, she had just turned eight. So imagine you are a little girl whose whole world is her family. She gets up to play with her little brother and mother; goes to visit her grandparents and uncles and aunts; she has a best friend named Yasmin. Then all of a sudden, things started happening. Her father got picked up and kept for a long time by the Mukhabarat within the town. When he returned he didn’t say much except that it would be fine. Then the bombing started. After that all this little girl knows is that she is being bombed but yet still has her family. She has to change her ways of living; running to the basement to avoid bombing, stops washing up and her clothes because water is precious, eating little meals at a time and conserving what little electricity they have through the use of solar panels so they can use a cellular phone and her iPad. During this time she also with the help of her mother starts a Twitter account in which she recounts what is happening via pictures and posts. With the help of the Turkish governmental agency of the nearby state, her and her family, as well as others, are taken out of that area to a place of safety. Now no longer near the direct fighting, she is still telling her story hoping that you and everybody else will take note and help.
As with all who speak out against the regime in a Muslim country or one where the country is run by a dictatorial government anyone who speaks out is considered to be an enemy of the state or one who needs watching. Death threats happen and possibly attempts on one’s life. For Bana, this is no different. But for now, she despite having to watch her back is safe. Who knows- maybe she will end up in America under Political Asylum.
I really liked the novel. I think that you should all buy it and read it to your children so that those who come after us know what it is like. We all know people who wish to become soldiers and want to defend the country. In America despite our many battles here there isn’t a real outbreak of civil war in the country. We have racial fighting, militia who live in stockpiled encampments and rogue gunmen who go after those who riot or are different than them. But a civil war where the actual government agency that controls the army sends that very army after us-no we don’t have that. So read this book to them so they understand the difference in the fighting and the type of fighting. And maybe if in ten years or so when they have to go to war should they choose to they will do it with the understanding that the war you may walk into might be that very same war that Syria is fighting. Fight for freedom, and equality and fight for normal life. Whatever is your normal.
Yes
Title: Dear World: A Syrian’s Girl’s Story of War and A Plea For Peace
Author: Bala Alabed
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publish Date: Sept. 12, 2017
Buy Link: TBP
Rating:
Book Blurb: “The planes came, and instead of dropping bombs, they dropped pieces of paper. The papers said: This area will be destroyed, you will face death. You must leave at once. The government also sent texts to warn us that in twenty-four hours terrible bombing would start.” (165)
Book Review by Nicole Harmon
This book as so many others that you read tells you a story about war and peace. It tells you about a young girl’s life and what it was like for her during her time in the war. Reminiscent of Anne Frank but yet different. Whereas Anne Frank is no longer with us we still for now have Bana. She is still in an area where she may be hurt, maimed or killed (murdered) but she is still with us. This book is her way of telling the world what it is like and her way of handling the war.
I do not think I should summarize this book except to say that this war began in Syria when Bana was three years old. At the time of this book’s completion, she had just turned eight. So imagine you are a little girl whose whole world is her family. She gets up to play with her little brother and mother; goes to visit her grandparents and uncles and aunts; she has a best friend named Yasmin. Then all of a sudden, things started happening. Her father got picked up and kept for a long time by the Mukhabarat within the town. When he returned he didn’t say much except that it would be fine. Then the bombing started. After that all this little girl knows is that she is being bombed but yet still has her family. She has to change her ways of living; running to the basement to avoid bombing, stops washing up and her clothes because water is precious, eating little meals at a time and conserving what little electricity they have through the use of solar panels so they can use a cellular phone and her iPad. During this time she also with the help of her mother starts a Twitter account in which she recounts what is happening via pictures and posts. With the help of the Turkish governmental agency of the nearby state, her and her family, as well as others, are taken out of that area to a place of safety. Now no longer near the direct fighting, she is still telling her story hoping that you and everybody else will take note and help.
As with all who speak out against the regime in a Muslim country or one where the country is run by a dictatorial government anyone who speaks out is considered to be an enemy of the state or one who needs watching. Death threats happen and possibly attempts on one’s life. For Bana, this is no different. But for now, she despite having to watch her back is safe. Who knows- maybe she will end up in America under Political Asylum.
I really liked the novel. I think that you should all buy it and read it to your children so that those who come after us know what it is like. We all know people who wish to become soldiers and want to defend the country. In America despite our many battles here there isn’t a real outbreak of civil war in the country. We have racial fighting, militia who live in stockpiled encampments and rogue gunmen who go after those who riot or are different than them. But a civil war where the actual government agency that controls the army sends that very army after us-no we don’t have that. So read this book to them so they understand the difference in the fighting and the type of fighting. And maybe if in ten years or so when they have to go to war should they choose to they will do it with the understanding that the war you may walk into might be that very same war that Syria is fighting. Fight for freedom, and equality and fight for normal life. Whatever is your normal.
October 29, 2017
This book is so beautiful. Bana is a wise and kind soul. For being only 8 years old now, she has shown strength and empathy far beyond her years. It is incredible that despite the horrors she has experienced in her brief life that she still believes in peace and the goodness of the human spirit. Her parents and family demand respect and gratitude for raising such an inspiring child. I hope that the world takes a page from Bana’s book. Every person needs to read this book. Regardless of your thoughts on the war in Syria or the arrival of refugees in your country. The people in Syria are still people, they deserve respect and kindness. I beg you all to read this book and see for yourselves that “they” are no different from “us”. We are all human and we all deserve peace. Best wishes to Bana and her family and her country.
April 8, 2018
Bana Alabed has helped to humanize the war in Syria and the impact it has had on children and families.
The book is her account of living through many bombings, lack of resources such as food and water, losing their house to explosions... the types of things we can't even imagine here in the U.S.
She has helped bring exposure through the use of a Twitter account (when they had WiFi access) to connect to other people and ask for help.
This little girl has been through more trauma and hardships than anything I have and hopefully will ever experience. I wish the best to her and many other people from war torn countries.
We all deserve peace.
The book is her account of living through many bombings, lack of resources such as food and water, losing their house to explosions... the types of things we can't even imagine here in the U.S.
She has helped bring exposure through the use of a Twitter account (when they had WiFi access) to connect to other people and ask for help.
This little girl has been through more trauma and hardships than anything I have and hopefully will ever experience. I wish the best to her and many other people from war torn countries.
We all deserve peace.
February 18, 2018
https://twitter.com/alabedbana?lang=en
A widely circulated photo of Alan Kurdi , a 3-year-old boy who drown in the Mediterranean whilst seeking refuge from the war in Syria, once prompted global outrage.... and was then seemingly forgotten about. There is still a war going on and children are still being bombed and killed. Bana's twitter feed is not rainbows and butterflies, but it's important. I'm not sure what I can do to help, but I'm grateful for the reminder and that I got to read this.
A widely circulated photo of Alan Kurdi , a 3-year-old boy who drown in the Mediterranean whilst seeking refuge from the war in Syria, once prompted global outrage.... and was then seemingly forgotten about. There is still a war going on and children are still being bombed and killed. Bana's twitter feed is not rainbows and butterflies, but it's important. I'm not sure what I can do to help, but I'm grateful for the reminder and that I got to read this.
October 20, 2017
Bana Alabed. What an amazing child to use Twitter to relay the dire situation in Aleppo as it unfolded. Thank goodness the Turkish government provided the means for Bana's family and so many others needed to bring them to safety.
The final lines: "I want there to please be peace. I am now eight years old, and this is my wish."
The final lines: "I want there to please be peace. I am now eight years old, and this is my wish."
April 27, 2018
There's mad and madness. Then there is madness and war. Then there is Syria.
A 7 year old provides her thoughts on life in Aleppo. She does not judge who does what but in plain language describes a lost childhood, a destroyed land and a shattered people. Her mother adds some stylist vignettes but Bana's words are more than enough to show the madness of hatred.
A 7 year old provides her thoughts on life in Aleppo. She does not judge who does what but in plain language describes a lost childhood, a destroyed land and a shattered people. Her mother adds some stylist vignettes but Bana's words are more than enough to show the madness of hatred.
October 21, 2017
incredible
February 10, 2018
Should be required reading for every world leader, every human. The realities of war told purely, unabashedly, through a child's eyes. Please read.
June 16, 2018
An eye opening story of a lil syrian girl in Aleppo
January 7, 2019
Meine Meinung
Ein sehr berührendes Buch!
Jeder Krieg ist schlimm! Ich leide mit jedem Kriegsopfer und mag mir gar nicht vorstellen, wie schlimm es sich in Wirklichkeit anfühlen muss. Am allerschlimmsten trifft es aber die Kinder, die lieben kleinen und reinen Seelen, die eigentlich draußen spielen und das Leben erkunden sollten. Doch in diesem Krieg lernten Kinder ganz schnell die verschiedenen Geräusche und Alarme auseinanderzuhalten. Sie wurden zu Experten, die Bomben voneinander unterscheiden konnten.
“Wir konnten ja nicht ahnen, wie schlimm es werden würde. Hätten wir von Anfang an begriffen, wie es in Aleppo enden würde und welches Grauen uns erwartete, wären wir geflohen. So viele Menschen taten das, zumindest zu Beginn der Kämpfe, als es noch möglich war. Einigen erging es gut, aber wir hörten auch schreckliche Geschichten über Isolation und Armut und Schlimmeres, wenn Menschen in Flüchtlingslagern strandeten oder bei dem gefahrvollen Versuch starben, das Meer oder die Wüste zu durchqueren, um in Länder zu gelangen, die sie gar nicht haben wollten” (S.58/59)
Bana und ihre Familie hatten nicht geglaubt, dass es in Aleppo so schlimm werden würde. So schlimm, dass sie in ihrer geliebten Stadt eingeschlossen werden würden. Wie lebt es sich in einer Stadt, in der täglich Krieg herrscht und Bomben fallen? Unvorstellbar! Doch das Leben ging irgendwie weiter, mit all den ganzen Einschränkungen. Ab und zu musste man auch mal fröhlich sein und so feierte man auch die Feste, wie sie kamen.
Die Stadt wurde in Ost- und West-Aleppo geteilt, Menschen verschwanden, wurden eingesperrt. Mal vom Geheimdienst, mal von den verschiedenen Gruppierungen. So auch Banas Vater und einige Onkel, die alle glücklicherweise wieder nach Hause kamen. Doch die Angst ließ niemanden los. Jederzeit konnte man wieder verschwinden.
Und während all dieses Grauens sollte Bana noch ein weiteres Geschwisterchen bekommen. Doch wie sollte das gehen? Wo bekam man ein Baby, wenn Krankenhäuser beschossen wurden und durch die Belagerung kaum noch etwas in die Stadt kam?
“Der Krieg war Schuld daran, dass manche Babys krank geboren wurden. Ich sollte eigentlich einen kleinen Cousin bekommen, aber er war nicht lebensfähig, weil er keine Knochen hatte. Es gab nicht genug zu essen, und die Luft war ständig voll von schädlichen Chemikalien und Staub. Überall roch es nach Metall und brennendem Öl.” (S.69)
Das Baby wurde in der Türkei geboren. Die erste Flucht aus Aleppo. Danach wurde es für eine kurze Zeit ruhiger in Syrien und die Familie kehrte zurück, was sich als großer Fehler herausgestellt hatte, denn kurz darauf fing die große Belagerung Assads an. Während dieser Zeit war das Smartphone das einzige Fenster in die Welt. Bana und ihre Mutter twitterten an die Welt und erzählen, was vor Ort alles geschah und welche Angst sie hatten und die Welt antwortete! Der Hashtag #StandwithAleppo war geboren und wurde mehr als eine Million mal geteilt.
Bana und ihre Geschwister lernten was es bedeutet kein Zuhause und keine Medizin zu haben und von Durst und Hunger geplagt zu sein. Das Regime griff in Aleppo die von den Rebellen besetzten Gebiete an und scherte sich nicht um die Zivilbevölkerung, die durch all die Bomben sterben würde.
Durch Twitter gaben Bana und ihre Mutter den eingesperrten Menschen eine Stimme. Dadurch aber gelangten sie in den Fokus der Regierung, die nicht wollte, dass unkontrolliert Informationen nach außen drangen. Bana und ihre Familie war in Syrien nicht mehr sicher! Sie hatten Glück und wurden in die Türkei evakuiert, nachdem sie mit Bussen aus der Stadt geholt wurden. Endlich in Sicherheit!
Fazit
Die Geschichte und die Erlebnisse in diesem Buch haben mich sehr erschüttert. All das, was in diesem Buch beschrieben wurde sollten keine Menschen und vor allem keine Kinder erleben müssen! Der Teil, in dem immer die Mutter erzählt, ist so gestaltet, dass sie dabei an ihre Tochter schreibt. Es ist wie ein Tagebuch, das das Kind eines Tages erhalten wird, um sich zu erinnern. Ganz toll! Viele Fotos machen das ganze bildhaft vorstellbar. Insbesondere die Fotos aus dem Krieg, den zerstörten Häusern und den erschöpften Menschen machten mich sehr traurig.
Von mir gibt es eine absolute Leseempfehlung! Es ist wichtig, dass wir immer wieder daran erinnert werden, dass dieser Krieg nur Leid produziert und alles dafür getan werden muss, damit er aufhört und die Zivilbevölkerung geschützt wird! Diese traumatisierten Leute brauchen endlich Ruhe und Frieden.
Ein sehr berührendes Buch!
Jeder Krieg ist schlimm! Ich leide mit jedem Kriegsopfer und mag mir gar nicht vorstellen, wie schlimm es sich in Wirklichkeit anfühlen muss. Am allerschlimmsten trifft es aber die Kinder, die lieben kleinen und reinen Seelen, die eigentlich draußen spielen und das Leben erkunden sollten. Doch in diesem Krieg lernten Kinder ganz schnell die verschiedenen Geräusche und Alarme auseinanderzuhalten. Sie wurden zu Experten, die Bomben voneinander unterscheiden konnten.
“Wir konnten ja nicht ahnen, wie schlimm es werden würde. Hätten wir von Anfang an begriffen, wie es in Aleppo enden würde und welches Grauen uns erwartete, wären wir geflohen. So viele Menschen taten das, zumindest zu Beginn der Kämpfe, als es noch möglich war. Einigen erging es gut, aber wir hörten auch schreckliche Geschichten über Isolation und Armut und Schlimmeres, wenn Menschen in Flüchtlingslagern strandeten oder bei dem gefahrvollen Versuch starben, das Meer oder die Wüste zu durchqueren, um in Länder zu gelangen, die sie gar nicht haben wollten” (S.58/59)
Bana und ihre Familie hatten nicht geglaubt, dass es in Aleppo so schlimm werden würde. So schlimm, dass sie in ihrer geliebten Stadt eingeschlossen werden würden. Wie lebt es sich in einer Stadt, in der täglich Krieg herrscht und Bomben fallen? Unvorstellbar! Doch das Leben ging irgendwie weiter, mit all den ganzen Einschränkungen. Ab und zu musste man auch mal fröhlich sein und so feierte man auch die Feste, wie sie kamen.
Die Stadt wurde in Ost- und West-Aleppo geteilt, Menschen verschwanden, wurden eingesperrt. Mal vom Geheimdienst, mal von den verschiedenen Gruppierungen. So auch Banas Vater und einige Onkel, die alle glücklicherweise wieder nach Hause kamen. Doch die Angst ließ niemanden los. Jederzeit konnte man wieder verschwinden.
Und während all dieses Grauens sollte Bana noch ein weiteres Geschwisterchen bekommen. Doch wie sollte das gehen? Wo bekam man ein Baby, wenn Krankenhäuser beschossen wurden und durch die Belagerung kaum noch etwas in die Stadt kam?
“Der Krieg war Schuld daran, dass manche Babys krank geboren wurden. Ich sollte eigentlich einen kleinen Cousin bekommen, aber er war nicht lebensfähig, weil er keine Knochen hatte. Es gab nicht genug zu essen, und die Luft war ständig voll von schädlichen Chemikalien und Staub. Überall roch es nach Metall und brennendem Öl.” (S.69)
Das Baby wurde in der Türkei geboren. Die erste Flucht aus Aleppo. Danach wurde es für eine kurze Zeit ruhiger in Syrien und die Familie kehrte zurück, was sich als großer Fehler herausgestellt hatte, denn kurz darauf fing die große Belagerung Assads an. Während dieser Zeit war das Smartphone das einzige Fenster in die Welt. Bana und ihre Mutter twitterten an die Welt und erzählen, was vor Ort alles geschah und welche Angst sie hatten und die Welt antwortete! Der Hashtag #StandwithAleppo war geboren und wurde mehr als eine Million mal geteilt.
Bana und ihre Geschwister lernten was es bedeutet kein Zuhause und keine Medizin zu haben und von Durst und Hunger geplagt zu sein. Das Regime griff in Aleppo die von den Rebellen besetzten Gebiete an und scherte sich nicht um die Zivilbevölkerung, die durch all die Bomben sterben würde.
Durch Twitter gaben Bana und ihre Mutter den eingesperrten Menschen eine Stimme. Dadurch aber gelangten sie in den Fokus der Regierung, die nicht wollte, dass unkontrolliert Informationen nach außen drangen. Bana und ihre Familie war in Syrien nicht mehr sicher! Sie hatten Glück und wurden in die Türkei evakuiert, nachdem sie mit Bussen aus der Stadt geholt wurden. Endlich in Sicherheit!
Fazit
Die Geschichte und die Erlebnisse in diesem Buch haben mich sehr erschüttert. All das, was in diesem Buch beschrieben wurde sollten keine Menschen und vor allem keine Kinder erleben müssen! Der Teil, in dem immer die Mutter erzählt, ist so gestaltet, dass sie dabei an ihre Tochter schreibt. Es ist wie ein Tagebuch, das das Kind eines Tages erhalten wird, um sich zu erinnern. Ganz toll! Viele Fotos machen das ganze bildhaft vorstellbar. Insbesondere die Fotos aus dem Krieg, den zerstörten Häusern und den erschöpften Menschen machten mich sehr traurig.
Von mir gibt es eine absolute Leseempfehlung! Es ist wichtig, dass wir immer wieder daran erinnert werden, dass dieser Krieg nur Leid produziert und alles dafür getan werden muss, damit er aufhört und die Zivilbevölkerung geschützt wird! Diese traumatisierten Leute brauchen endlich Ruhe und Frieden.
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