No one leaves home because he loves to, but because he has to. This extract is the bitter juice that I savoured from my experience ever since I had to depart my country of origin. William Shakespeare certainly crafted a gem regarding how awful it is to lose hope in your own house when he said;

“Venus smiles not in a house of tears.”

William Shakespeare

You can call me Bill, close though not my real name, and I have come from Lebanon, the once-said jewel of the Mediterranean. I didn’t turn my back on the place where I was born, I didn’t give up loving being a Lebanese national, nor did I have the desire to quit being a man with an identity. I used to have everything a normal human being, a creature of the Lord, would aspire to have: career, house, reputation, and -above all- purpose in life. I have a Master’s Degree in English Literature, and I do education for living, for thriving, and for building up a community to protect the future, whether or not I live to see it. I am an educational counsellor, an instructor, and a lead practitioner in English.

I told you; it wasn’t my wish to leave what I LOVE.

I am here now, in the UK, and glad for it. Faith keeps my sanity solid because the only alternative is loss. Believe me when I say it is not easy to skin a person by taking away everything that gave his existence a true meaning. An asylum seeker is not a burden that would bring troubles to a community; in contrast, he is the best that has concluded survival means standing up for the community, that serving others is the best way to love and shields human values from disintegration. We are Peace Seekers who have survived the jaws of anti- human monsters in our countries.  We come in peace!

The white hands in this country patted our shoulders, smiled at us, and proved that there is still hope. They understand that we are not aliens and treat us as if we were born from the same mother. They say, “What happened to you could happen to any of us.” They are the volunteers from different charities and organisations across the UK, men and women, young and seniors. You deserve a monument to be erected in the heart of London to celebrate your achievements, your endeavours, and your benevolence. You are the unknown army of excellence that bridges locals to immigrants to sustain solidarity and peace.

What do I want? Simply, peace and another chance to start over, and the sooner the better, because time is man’s worst enemy. I want to feel I belong to this community and to return the favour by using my skills again to contribute in building up its future, whether or not I live to see it!

Written by Bill
Refugee from Lebanon

Posted on: 15 June 2022