Just in the previous week, there has been much talk of the Syrian refugee problem especially after the drowned body of Aylan Kurdi (Allah bless his soul) was discovered. The heart-wrenching pictures of the dead boy has triggered much controversy around the world with some questioning why more developed countries like the U.S., Canada, Australia and parts of Europe aren’t accepting more Syrian refugees. Finally, not long ago, the Philippine government has issued a statement that our country is willing to accept Syrian refugees who seek to escape the bloody civil was that has gripped their country. Of course, now comes the question: Are we really serious about that statement?
Look, as a friend once told me, there’s nothing wrong with being nice. But then again, there is also a considerable difference between being genuinely kind and feigned kindness which is just another form of hypocrisy. It’s the difference between saying that you’ll help someone out and then run out on them or turn them away when they come to you and actually doing something to help. Words are easy to say after all, but actually doing something is another matter entirely. While the situation in Syria is indeed deplorable and the refugees could do with some help, we have to ask ourselves what kind of help can we actually provide these people.
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Here are my three points on the matter:
We Are Too Far Away
Sure, helping Syrian refugees find a place to stay is a good thing. But as is the case, we’re simply too far away for majority of them to reach. Unlike the case with the Rohingya Boat People, the Syrian refugees are almost halfway around the world and won’t have an easy time getting here if ever. From my own perspective, offering them refuge is like giving them false platitudes because there’s no realistic way for them to reach us so quickly. If anything, offering them refuge is like dangling unrealistic or outright false hope for these already desperate people.
If we really are going to help these people, let’s give help in the form of relief goods so that they’ll have something to eat or wear while they wait for more countries to open up and give them shelter.
Can We Really Keep Them Safe
Okay, for the sake of the argument, they manage to get here, what then?
Can we really keep them safe from violence and worse? Whose to say that local crime syndicates won’t take an interest in them and make them victims of human trafficking? Remember also that our own country has problems with terrorists and whose to say that said terrorists won’t seize the opportunity to get more recruits and hostages.
Will we truly be giving the Syrian refugees a safe haven, or are we just bringing them into a different kind of hellhole?
We Need To Fix Our Issues First
Connected to the above, are we really ready to accept refugees from a distant land when our own lands are still in disarray. We are still bogged down by organized crime and terrorist organizations and here is the president and the rest of the administration saying that we are ready to accept Syrian refugees and provide for them a “safe” haven. I haven’t heard a more preposterous statement in my life!
How can we offer Syrian refugees safety when our own people, namely the native Lumads, are under the threat of genocide? How can we take care of Syrian refugees when our own Yolanda survivors are still homeless and starving? How can we hope to succor Syrian refugees when countless Filipinos in our country are forced to eat pagpag which isn’t even fit to be considered dog food?
***
Remember ladies and gentlemen, we cannot give what we do not have. We cannot give food to a starving child when our own children are starving back home. I am not saying that we shouldn’t accept Syrian refugees, in fact, if things were a little different, we not only should accept them but be honored to do so. Unfortunately, as a nation, we still have a lot to think about before going out of our way to help others. Are we even fit to help others when we can barely help ourselves?
Please stop and think about that…
I HAVE RETURNED TO LAY WASTE TO OUR ENEMIES!
The Syrian Conflict was caused by the Politics of Oil. Business interests of powerful countries, were at stake. So, they tried to overthrow President Assad regime.
Same as they did to Marcos, Saddam Hussein, Kaddafy, Noriega, etc…
It created refugees. Because ISIS was created by them also, to counter the Shiite power rise in the region. ISIS is mainly Sunni Islam…Shiite Islam is supported by Iran. There is a conflict in Yemen, because of this religious differences. Shiite versus Sunni Islam.
As for the refugee; we cannot even take care of our own people. To bring problems, created by other people, because of the Politics of Oil, is stupid. Aquino is stupid. However, he is a Puppet of the U.S./C.I.A. He has to follow the orders of his masters. Otherwise, he will be overthrown and be tried in the U.S.
What kind of a cry for this child?
Someone asks after the many deaths that are to be deplored by the American invasion of Iraq, Libya, or Syria?
Or someone asks about the many deaths that are to be deplored by the deputy America?
America wants only to be attained, the oil and gas in these countries and strategic locations to Russia.
America is the evil from which the suffering of these people.
Who otherwise claiming blind, stupid, or a representative of American great power interests.
Look at your own country. About what do the Philippines discuss? Approximately about human rights? Or economics? But probably more about corruption and government crime.
A country with such a high xenophobic potential as the Philippines, it should have to resign to the issue of refugees and foreign silent shame.
Dear Grimwald,
(You always keep on triggering me to comment on your articles).
During my last days of my very first visit to the Philippines (Cebu), I was overwhelmed with presents/gifts. Presents/gifts, you say? Well it was all dried foods. Now, do you really think I am/was in need of food? I consider such gifts as an insult. Yeah, yeah, I know for people in your country, thats the only thing they can do. Thinking in terms of food (hospitality and all that).
Secondly, no refugee will survive a trip from Syria to the Philippines. They hardly can manage to cross the Mediterranen Sea. At least not without drowning. So where will the refugees cross waters to enter the Philippines.
Thirdly, thanks for the heads up. The rich countries may solve it again. YOU werent even able to solve the Hayan crises in your own country by your own people. When you are in a crises you always need help from foreigners. And now you write this shit piece article. Arent you a little bit hypocritical yourself. I expect from now on, you will NOT accept foreign aid anymore.
Robert, I think you need to read the article again. Carefully this time.
The author highlights the exact points you make above.
Benign0,
I just read the article again, slowly and carefully.
Let me take you through the points used by Grimwald in his article “The hypocrisy of wanting to help Syrian refugees”.
“Here are my three points on the matter:”
1) We are too far away
The odds the Syrians will show up at a shore in the Philippines is zero, zilch, nada, null.
(hence a lousy point to use and this also makes the statement made by the Philippine government void).
2) Can we really keep them safe?
The answer to this question is simple. Yes, everybody can. Where there is a way, there is a will. But why continue anyway. Since 1) is already established. The article can stop after mentioning no. 1.
3) We need to fix our issues first
This argument gives all West European countries a motive to not help the refugees. Personally for me, this argument (the one used by Grimwald) is a non-argument. And besides, I dont think Philippine people are busy fixing anything.
In Grimwald’s epilogue, he re-iterates it again clearly for us: he doesnt have a Christian heart. I always thought that Christians must help others in need (no matter what).
Personally, I think Mr. Grimwald has a hidden agenda with his article.
Finally, if all western countries would think in the same way when the Philippines is hit again by a devastating typhoon, then you (the Philippines) are off worse.
Now pls tell me which part of the article I didnt understand?
For me its clear that Mr. Grimwald doesnt want to harbor any refugees. And in so many words he tells us to think the same. And to underline that conclusion/statement, he uses 3 arguments.
Your argument seems to have nothing to do with the points made and more around your opinion that the author has no right to write all of these points simply because (1) you think the author has a “hidden agenda” (purely speculative) and (2) you find offense in the perception that the author “tells us to think the same”.
See it is quite simple, Robert. We authors all write to persuade people to see things our way. You the commentor are free to beg to differ. But, ultimately, we WILL write WHAT WE WANT TO WRITE. And if you have a problem with that policy, you are free to fuck off.
“we will write what we want to write”
That is always clear to me especially when reading Grimwald’s articles.
Unless you will delete and block me, I will decide when to “fuck off”
BTW:
isnt Mr. Grimwald himself capable enough to defend his own article?
He is. All GRP authors are more than capable. Otherwise they will not last a minute in our author rolls.
I step in when I want to step in nonetheless.
My eyes can roll with it that you step in every time you see fit. But it can give the impression to the audience that one of your writers is not capable of defending himself. And that weakens his authority (if any).
Sure. What you think of our writers is yours to harbour and, as such, is none of my business (or anyone’s business for that matter). You can think whatever you like about any of our writers and this site itself as long as you comply with the guidelines that govern how users behave here.
In short, I don’t give a shit what you think but I do give a shit about how you behave.
Hope it is clear in your head now what the difference between the two is. If I continue to observe evidence that you still lack an understanding of (and, as such, are unable to comply with) this site’s policies, I will act accordingly with no further warning to you.
@robert…as i have noted before, you seem to have something against Grimwald much more so other GRP writers…probably gets you off to get a chance to comment on his articles
BTW: I hope you read the entire story of the kid’s father. He was in a safe haven in Turkey (with his family). But he didnt have the patience to wait. He wanted to go to Europe. Because of that he lost his wife and kid. I call that man-slaughter.
That picture of that boy was a typical “too good to be true” story.
Pls Mr. Grimwald, pls do your homework BEFORE you start writing an article.
And the refugees are like (if they were to be brought to the Philippines), “no thanks.”
Anyway, there’s another way. Why don’t we just send help to wherever country they are kept? That I think is still in keeping with our UN commitments.
Some of its advantages are:
(1) We will be keeping the refugees away from the Philippine government’s mismanagement.
(2) We will be keeping these refugees away from our local insurgents and other terrorists.
(3) These refugees will be saved from our shameless politicians who may use them for their election campaign (mga epal!). You don’t want to see these refugees receiving donations with the letter “B” on it or being visited by a cabinet secretary who will talk to one refugee but when the conversation starts to be too revealing, a cameraman will be asked to leave, right? We had enough of these.
(4) Whatever assistance we will be giving, it will be supervised by a better management.
(5) No publicity for some Philippine media companies that projects themselves as a national savior. Corporate social responsibility? Uh, not really. “Back-masking” some of what they’re doing will just sound like self-promotion. (“You need us, therefore stay tuned”)
(6) It can save them from being used by some businessmen (and politicians as well) from being exploited to do cheap labor under the threat of repatriation or deportation.
Unless the Philippine government secured another island in the archipelago and put these refugees there, I don’t think it’s a good idea despite the “noble” intention. So let other countries accept them and let’s just send our help there.
Steve Jobs was of Syrian descent. I agree to accepting Syrian children orphans untainted by Islamic radicalism. Lets give them Phil citizenship, and have the oligarchs and single profs raise them up. Then this country might have the chance of producing a visionary leader like Steve Jobs.
What this country needs is an infusion of foreign blood. I dont know but but the current pool of Pinoy DNA doesnt seem to produce anything beyond greedy unruly low IQ low EQ third graders.
infusion of foreign blood? We’ve been occupied and colonized by the US and Spain for more than 300 years or so. Don’t you think we had enoughinfusion already?!
Let me qualify that – we need non-Spanish foreign blood – as all Spanish colonies seem to have the same issues.
North American, north Asian. Northern European blood are the better breeds to dilute Pinoy “stupidity & selfishness” genes.
And how are you able to say Spanish blood is bad and Americans are good? Let me just remind you after the Spanish left its colonies most were handed over to the Americans as the Spaniards lost to the Americans during the Spanish-American War! We were occupied and colonized by the Americans for more over 50 years and they were almost able to erase the 300 years Spanish colonization as a result we have our present day form of Government which is highly centralized, we speak and write English and the popular choice for most Filipinos going abroad is the US and not Spain! Indeed the Americans granted us “independence” but left us as a vassal state! Somehow they were able figure out that they don’t need us as a “51st” state of their Union rather than another third world country that they can manipulate and exploit!
” Aquino is stupid. However, he is a Puppet of the U.S./C.I.A. He has to follow the orders of his masters. Otherwise, he will be overthrown and be tried in the U.S.” …… Be serious ! The last CIA/US Puppet President in the Philippines was Marcos , and things were a hell of a lot better in the Philippines for most when he was in power ! Seriously ! Where did you come up with that stupid line ?
The Aquinos were installed by former U.S. Secretary of State Shultz.Remember, when Shultz came to promote the Cory Aquino dolls… Aquino sold the Philippine sovereignty by allowing the U.S. troops in the Philippines, under violation of the Constitution…
Aquino is a U.S./C.I.A. puppet.
What troubles me is the conspiracy theory that refugees are actually terrorists who will attack the places they are accepted in to spread Shariah Law. And shills are spreading this all over the Net. So the refugees are part of the New World Order’s plan for taking over the world? What the hell.
Some are ISIS terrorrists, that is for sure. Iraq and Syria are where the ISIS Caliphate is formed. They imposed Sharia Laws; killing the Infidel men; making the infidel women, their sex slaves.
ISIS are Sunni Moslem. And, they are bent on establishing and reviving the Turkish Empire Caliphate. Al Bagdadhi of Iraq is their Caliph.
I believe, it is the creation of Sunni countries, like : Saudi Arabia,etc…together with the British , U.S. and Russian conspirators. Arms Sales and Oil Politics in the Middle East combined with religion are very volatile issues.
Aquino is ordered by his U.S./C.I.A. masters. And, he has to comply. Otherwise, they will remove him; and try him in U.S. Court.
Much richer countries like Israel and Saudi Arabia which are neighbor countries to Syria wouldn’t even take them. Dumping the majority of them to Europe and the US is rather unfair now does it?
The turmoil of todays world: the refugee crisis.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/sep/12/the-turmoil-of-todays-world-leading-writers-respond-to-the-refugee-crisis
This thought just occur to me – are Syrians asking the Philippine government for help? I mean, I know desperate situation when I see one and if I’m in that state I’ll definitely cling to the nearest and most available means that can help me out. The Philippine’s government dilly dallying and incapability to help is out there. Like the usual, PNoy is all talk, saying sure we will help, we can but look for the plans behind those “good intention” and you’ll find nothing. All talk no work. Because truth is, the Philippine government can’t. Only those who can, will.
If Syrian refugees got here, the citizens will again make donations. Food, clothing, toiletries, money. There will even be personal volunteers who’ll give psychological help, cook for them, cure the sick, raised tents for them, etc. It’s not that hard. The challenge really is how to give these refugees workable life, how they will be given place under the sun and how to manage the donations to help them. Well, take the cue from what happened in Yolanda disaster and now the Lumads. Needless to say, the traffic and flood situation in Metro Manila then let’s get back to the question, can the Philippine government really help the Syrian refugees?
Too far away? – shouldn’t be a issue.
Just one cargo ship can bring in thousands to our shores in weeks.
If there’s a will there’s a way. how did the Jews escaping Hitler come to Phl?
The main problem is screening out the Islamic radicals. So only children below 5 on board please.
Syrian refugees and the Lumad problem both have the same root cause! Greedy Politics!!! Way back the Phil. accepted Jewish refugees from Europe during the Nazi era when nobody wanted to accept them, not even the US during those times. Vietnamese refugees during the Vietnam War and we were open on hosting the Rohingya people from Myanmar. Doesnt mean our country is poor we can not accept refugees thou I doubt Phil. is a ideal destination for them.
They want to flood Europe to cause a refugee crisis, why not the Syrians go to other Middle Eastern Country? Same as the Lumads if they are evacuating their homes why not go to evacuation centers coordinated with their local governments, why wonder the streets of big cities like Davao or to Haran UCCP? Ah because some people are teaching these refugees to go to Europe or flood cities like Davao!
It’s hard to help fix someone if you’re still broken yourself. And that is the bitter pill reality that Failipinos in the Failippines cannot readily accept.
Let those who created the Refugee problem, solve the Refugee problem. Saudi Arabia is a large and rich country. The U.S. is also a large and rich country…. Russia is a large country. Most of the arms used by the combatants are , made in Russia, AK 47, AK74, Self-Propelled Grenade, T-72 Tanks, etc…
They are not opening their country to these Refugees.
Lumad, bro?
I’d rather help the Rohingyas and the Syrians and the …
Anyone remember when we helped the Southeast Asian Boat people in the 1990s?
What is all the ruckus about? The article simply wants to make a point about not being hypocrites (as we all know most Filipinos are) about telling the whole world our country will be accepting Syrian refugees. How in the world are we going to help them when we cannot even help our own countrymen??
Such hypocrites!