Welcoming a New Neighbor From Syria
Donation protected
Friends, many of you saw my Facebook post about welcoming my new roommate, Mohamad who has recently arrived from Syria and resettling in the United Stated. Several people suggested that a GoFundMe page would provide another option for people wanting to help welcome and support a new neighbor.
Below is some information about Mohamed’s journey to Brooklyn.
Some of you know that over the last several years I’ve worked in Jordan, Lebanon, and other places with Syrian refugees, specifically Syrian women and girls. Two weeks ago I was given the opportunity to fight islamophobia and all the happy horseshit about Syria in a different way, closer to home way. Reading through some housing needed ads I saw an ad looking for temporary housing for a Syrian man recently arrived in the US and being resettled in NYC. Long story short I have a new roommate, Almoustafa Mohamad, a gay Syrian man in the process of being resettled in the United States
Mohamad is originally from a village about 30 miles outside of Aleppo, and eventually moved to Aleppo. Some of you know that Aleppo is one of the oldest cities in the world and it has suffered extensively during the war. Even before the war, however, Mohamad faced tremendous discrimination and oppression because of his sexual orientation. With IS (Daesh) advances and the targeting and killing of gay people, and the general escalation of the Syrian conflict, Mohamed fled to Turkey where he has been for the last two years.
Mohamad arrived in the US in October and had housing in a largely Muslim community. While it is common for refugees to live with or near members of their nationality or ethnic group Mohamed felt it would be safer for him, based on his previous experience, to live outside of a primarily Muslim community because he is gay. I am not sure he expected to end up with a big ole Dyke but here we both are, sharing a lot more than a living space.
Deep appreciation to the friends that have already helped to make him feel welcomed. Mohamad is an extrovert and is taking up to 4 hours of English classes 3 days a week. He goes to Manhattan for one class and then to the Arab-American Center in Bayridge for another class. He studied archeology for two years at the University before his studies were interrupted and archeology is clearly his passion. All but one of this family (6 brothers and 4 sisters) have ceased contact with him because he is gay.
He has been on several job interviews already, with no luck, because his English is still limited. The resettlement agency he is working with has more interviews lined up for the beginning of January and but realistically he will not start working until February or March and his English becomes more proficient.
Mohamad is strong and proud and has survived more than I can imagine. I know that he could figure things out and “make it” on his own here and I also feel like he should not have to.
The $3,500 dollar goal will help cover Mohamed’s living expenses for the next 6 months. This will cover the costs like those outlined below. Things you can imagine one might need when leaving their country behind. Any surplus over $4000 will be donated to other agencies resettling or working with Syrian refugees.
$400 living expenses per month X 6
$50 a new pair of shoes X 1
$25 a haircut X 2
$116 a monthly metro card X 5 (one already donated )
$45 per month for phone plan x 6
$150 new phone
Any contribution you make will be greatly appreciated by Mohamad as he navigates the reality of building a new life in New York.
Below is some information about Mohamed’s journey to Brooklyn.
Some of you know that over the last several years I’ve worked in Jordan, Lebanon, and other places with Syrian refugees, specifically Syrian women and girls. Two weeks ago I was given the opportunity to fight islamophobia and all the happy horseshit about Syria in a different way, closer to home way. Reading through some housing needed ads I saw an ad looking for temporary housing for a Syrian man recently arrived in the US and being resettled in NYC. Long story short I have a new roommate, Almoustafa Mohamad, a gay Syrian man in the process of being resettled in the United States
Mohamad is originally from a village about 30 miles outside of Aleppo, and eventually moved to Aleppo. Some of you know that Aleppo is one of the oldest cities in the world and it has suffered extensively during the war. Even before the war, however, Mohamad faced tremendous discrimination and oppression because of his sexual orientation. With IS (Daesh) advances and the targeting and killing of gay people, and the general escalation of the Syrian conflict, Mohamed fled to Turkey where he has been for the last two years.
Mohamad arrived in the US in October and had housing in a largely Muslim community. While it is common for refugees to live with or near members of their nationality or ethnic group Mohamed felt it would be safer for him, based on his previous experience, to live outside of a primarily Muslim community because he is gay. I am not sure he expected to end up with a big ole Dyke but here we both are, sharing a lot more than a living space.
Deep appreciation to the friends that have already helped to make him feel welcomed. Mohamad is an extrovert and is taking up to 4 hours of English classes 3 days a week. He goes to Manhattan for one class and then to the Arab-American Center in Bayridge for another class. He studied archeology for two years at the University before his studies were interrupted and archeology is clearly his passion. All but one of this family (6 brothers and 4 sisters) have ceased contact with him because he is gay.
He has been on several job interviews already, with no luck, because his English is still limited. The resettlement agency he is working with has more interviews lined up for the beginning of January and but realistically he will not start working until February or March and his English becomes more proficient.
Mohamad is strong and proud and has survived more than I can imagine. I know that he could figure things out and “make it” on his own here and I also feel like he should not have to.
The $3,500 dollar goal will help cover Mohamed’s living expenses for the next 6 months. This will cover the costs like those outlined below. Things you can imagine one might need when leaving their country behind. Any surplus over $4000 will be donated to other agencies resettling or working with Syrian refugees.
$400 living expenses per month X 6
$50 a new pair of shoes X 1
$25 a haircut X 2
$116 a monthly metro card X 5 (one already donated )
$45 per month for phone plan x 6
$150 new phone
Any contribution you make will be greatly appreciated by Mohamad as he navigates the reality of building a new life in New York.
Organizer
Heidi Lehmann
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY