The Syrian Question

1,037 words

Genuine love will take no account of what gratifies the other, of what is agreeable to him and gives him joy, but will only direct itself towards what will benefit him, regardless of whether it affords him pleasure or not. That is genuine love and service!

Many people are only brought to an awakening and to activity through suffering. If others help them too soon they slacken, depend upon this help and succumb spiritually, because without some stimulus they cannot remain active. Then they live on aimlessly, often spending their time only in observing what is to be criticized in others instead of looking within themselves, and yet wishing to possess what others possess. A corrupt generation is created by such one-sided giving, worthless for a robust and cheerful life, and therefore harmful to the entire Creation!

– Abd-ru-shin

Recently, I attended an Advent dinner, financed by donations to our volunteer cemetery group ^[3]. Apparently, we are doing such a good job that people want to reward us, which is nice. The food was good (the restaurant is owned by an Indian guy who offers Indian and Italian cuisine – don’t we just love globalism?), and everybody had a fun time telling ghost stories because I had just returned from a research trip to the Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health (IGPP ^[4]), aka the Parapsychological Institute in Freiburg.

So all was fine until the inevitable happened: Syria came up.

There is this Syrian family in our town that two church ladies of the volunteer group take a great interest in. Now, they are in a bit of a quandary. The parents are debating whether to return or not. They have just bought a house. Remarkable, by the way; they were able to do so after only eight years in Germany. I had to save up twenty years for it. Then again, nobody made a deposit for my rental apartment or paid for its fixing up when I moved out, as was the case here – one of our well-meaning ladies did so for this Syrian family.

“But the children!” Of course, the two ladies are absolutely opposed to the family returning home. The children have put down roots here, after all.

Well, if anyone has an easy time being uprooted and placed somewhere else, it’s children. They’ll be fine, ladies.

“We don’t know how the situation will unfold there.”

True, and it’s a testament to experience that people are not buying into the “democratic Islamist” story our media is trying to sell. Then again, the media is remarkably subdued on that topic. Assad very bad, sure; but the “reformed jihadist” is perhaps pushing it a bit too far. Also, it’s not really in the interest of the usual suspects to tell people that everything’s peachy in Syria now, is it?

One of the first things the German government did was to reject ^[5] the idea of forcing anyone to leave (my translation):

Some German politicians immediately launched a debate about the return of refugees who had fled to Germany. … “Some of the statements made in recent days have deeply unsettled our fellow citizens of Syrian origin,” said [Chancellor Olaf] Scholz in his chancellor podcast published on Friday. “That’s why I want to tell them today: anyone who works here, who is well integrated, is and will remain welcome in Germany. That goes without saying.”

Many Syrians have “successfully put down roots here with us”, the Chancellor continued. “Around 5,000 Syrian doctors work in our hospitals alone.” We will not ask people like these “to quit their jobs and leave”, said Scholz.

Why not? Doesn’t Chancellor Scholz want Syria to have doctors?

One of our well-meaning ladies, a retired physician, referred to this very argument (you can always tell which news media a person is following by the use of certain words and arguments alone) when she exclaimed in self-righteous indignation that this further “unmasked” the AfD. I had no idea the Alternative für Deutschland was wearing a mask, and I have no idea what the point of her statement was – the AfD wants everybody to die by depriving them of health services?

By the way, according to this lady, “dictators” have also been “unmasked” by the fall of Syria, namely Assad and Putin. Please. All I’m asking for is some creative, intelligent propaganda ^[6]! It can’t be that difficult.

With a view to the debate on possible upper limits for the admission of refugees and the famous statement by his predecessor Angela Merkel, Scholz went on to say that he thinks “we can be very proud that we have taken in so many; that we can be very proud that we have managed to integrate so many into Germany and that they are working with us”. Many have now acquired German citizenship and many speak perfect German. However, the SPD [Social Democratic Party of Germany] politician emphasized that people without a right of residence would have to leave Germany again. This is especially true for criminals.

Yeah, about that, Scholzi…

“More than 60 percent of deportations failed in 2024” ^[7]

“Youth in custody pending deportation – repatriation failed ^[8]

In North Rhine-Westphalia, a religiously radicalized minor was taken into custody pending deportation. However, the planned repatriation to Serbia did not take place.”

“36 people deported from Hamburg to Serbia and North Macedonia ^[9] – Hamburg has recorded the highest number of deportations since 2015 and 2016. Now another deportation flight has taken off.”

“Asylum expert explains ^[10] why Solingen Syrian ^[11] was never deported”

To name but a few examples.

So, do I believe Syrian immigrants in Germany will leave of their own accord? No, or at least not many; and first polls confirm it. On the contrary, a new wave of Syrian refugees will be knocking on our doors very shortly, I suspect. And our so-called leadership will do nothing to keep them out. After all, there might be some 5,000 doctors among the million of them ^[12].

But hey, according to our church ladies, the few Syrians who might actually leave will take a good impression of the German people with them. In contrast to France, Germany had never really been on the Syrian radar until it took in everybody and their mother. I’m so glad. At least public relations has worked out.