Take a second and think about something you long for. Something that could possibly change your life forever and take you somewhere you long to be. Something you and your family have dreamed about receiving for as long as you can remember. Now take a second and imagine receiving it and the joy that fills your body, mind and soul when you hear the news. A dream that has promised you a better life, has been a part of you your entire life, and it just came true. Now, imagine that dream being taken away from you in just a matter of months. This was the heartbreaking reality for a refugee, Aya, and her family.
Aya’s story was first seen on the Facebook page Humans of New York when the creator, Brandon Stanton, launched a petition encouraging President Obama to bring Aya to her dreamland, America. The petition, “Let’s Bring Aya to America” has about a million signatures and counting, and is the site’s second fastest growing global petition.
Aya and her family fled to Syria to escape their horrific life in the midst of the Iraq War. When the Syrian civil war began, they knew that they needed to flee again so they continued on their journey to Turkey, where they applied for resettlement in the United States as refugees. After two months of endless waiting for their fate to arrive in the mail, Aya and her family found out they would be starting their new lives in America.
Months of tears of joy, planning and excitement passed when Aya and her family received the unthinkable in the mail: a letter stating that there had been a mixup and their application for resettlement had been rejected for “security-related reasons.” Aya’s dreams of putting her family and herself through American schooling, experiencing Christmas in New York City, and living in a land of peace was unfortunately taken away from her.
Aya’s irrevocable love and passion for the U.S. is the reason I have decided to become a friend and supporter of Aya. Most Americans take for granted the abundance of freedom we receive in this country, when others, like Aya, would do anything to receive the same freedom. Aya spoke of America saying, “Our family loved America. My father always told me about America. He made us go talk to American soldiers during the war. Other people were afraid of Americans, but he told us they were here to help us and not to be afraid of them. He told us that America was a place where so many different people lived in peace. So many religions. So many communities. We loved America!”
Much like Aya, I have hopes and dreams for my future that I would do anything to achieve. However, unlike Aya, I have the freedom and the opportunities to be able to accomplish my goals. I encourage you to join me, and become a #FriendofAya and sign the petition here.
“For every man who lives without freedom, the rest of us must face the guilt.”
