Dear Freedom (Libya)

Dear Freedom,

I still have nightmares. Sometimes I close my eyes and see darkness. Not darkness due to lack of light, but of days where there was no hope in sight. Of days I spent in Abu Salim Prison dreaming only to see an inch of sunlight. Slash marks etched on to the rigid walls, symbolizing all my days behind these bars. Gun shots as my morning alarm--sitting here, unarmed, tell me how I stay calm, when wanting freedom leads to my harm? Just a victim, just a number. Oh freedom, how I dream of you in my slumber: your gracious wings and beautiful smells, your radiance shielding me from all the bomb shells. It was on that day that I was freed, that day after I saw my country bleed, that I finally planted my hopeful seed. Qaddafi had fled, he and all his greed. Oh freedom, you were right...God IS all I need.

Love,
A Grateful Libyan

Holding On

Today I took my little sister to the store to pick out any toy she wanted. We went through endless isles of dolls, talking Doras, dress up games, singing microphones. Even I found myself distracted and curious. I tried suggesting ones for her to take but she had this interesting look of determination in her eyes. It was until she found a Repunzel doll that she yelled, "that one!" After the doll was in her hands, it seemed like nothing around her mattered anymore. Here we were in this colorful maze of toys yet it was like she became blinded to anything that wasn't what she had in her hands: the thing that made her happy. She focused on what she was looking for from the start, and then she told me, "let's go home". To me that taught me a valuable lesson. Sometimes life is filled with things that we want, things that tempt us but we must keep our eyes on the true prize- the thing that will make us truly happy in the end. We have to grab it and never let go. We have to take it home. And that thing is Faith.

Dear Freedom (Syria)

Dear Freedom,

I went to school today and my friend beside me was gone. I tried assuring myself that to a better place he had moved on, but the tears without my control left streams on my face forever drawn. At night I sleep to the pleas of my mother, the crying pains of my brother, and the gun shots fired one after another. Silence now as my loudest scream, I close my eyes in hopes to dream, of something besides this horrid scene. There was just one incident that gave me hope. That one day that we chanted out in the streets, caring less who might hear our freedom beats. That day where I held hands with someone I never knew, because we both shared that same dream of you. Oh freedom, when the echoes of "AMEEN" struck my heart, I knew we could never be apart. Standing in that crowd I saw hope, as me and my fellow brothers held on to that rope. I saw a knot we could untie, a voice that could reach the sky, and a joy manifested in tears...flowing from my eyes.

Love, 

A Hopeful Syrian Voice 

اللهم لك الحمد بالايمان ولك الحمد بالقرآن ولك الحمد بالاسلام ولك الحمد على نعمة الحمد ولك الحمد حتى ترضى ولك الحمد اذا رضيت . اللهم انك ترى ما حل بنا فلا تعاملنا بما كسبت ايدينا ولا تعاملنا بما نحن اهله ولكن عاملنا بما انت اهله فانك انت اهل الرحمة والمغفرة . الله انا نشكو اليك ضعف قوتنا وقلة حيلتنا وهواننا على الناس ياأرحم الراحمين . أنت رب المستضعفين وانت ربنا, الى من تكلنا, الى قريب يتجهمنا ام ا...لى عدو ملكته امرنا . من لاعراضنا غيرك يالله ومن لاطفالنا ياالله ومن لشيوخنا غيرك ياالله ومن امهاتنا واخواتنا غيرك ياالله, ومن لحمص غيرك ياالله ومن لسورية غيرك ياالله , اللهم مالنا رب سواك ولكن عافيتك أوسع لنا ,نعوذ بنور وجهك الذي أشرقت له الظلمات وصلح عليه امر الدنيا والاخرة من ان يحل علينا غضبك او تنزل علينا سخطك ,لك العتبى حتى ترضى ولا حول ولا قوة الا بك .