Syrians in Crisis: Can Canada Do Better?
Hungary, September 5, 2015
As Syrian refugees flee a war torn dictatorship and hundreds march across Hungary and other countries, the people of Canada have many thoughts about what our response should be or should have been over the past few years.
Should Canada and other countries around the world take in more refugees or should those refugees be put in camps and simply held for years as done in many countries. I am not being critical of refugee camps as they serve a very useful purpose when used on a temporary basis, but too often that is not the experience.
Perhaps barriers could be built along borders so they can’t in, an idea that is gaining strength in the United States regarding the Mexican border and in some have even suggested one (at least electronic) with Canada. But, really, is building fences along our borders the answer?
On an individual basis we care deeply and are roused to take action, particularly when see a little boy washed up on the beach, but as one friend told me a couple of days back when looking at the photo on the front page of the National Post: “Yes Harold, but if we take them in maybe they will blow us up.” Such are the results in a country and a world where ‘fear’ is used for ideological purposes. As a result we end up being stymied when dealing with humanitarian needs.
In Hungary, take a moment to reflect that it was just 26 years ago the people of that country gained their freedom after being crushed by a brutal dictator during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Also reflect on the price that was paid by them following that attempt at gaining their freedom, a freedoms we largely take for granted in Canada. Hungary, Greece and many other European countries are dealing with a crisis of monumental proportions and we need to be standing shoulder to shoulder with them in helping to deal with the influx of people.
Dictators sick as Assad in Syria need to be dealt with, but it seems that as long as the problem remains suppressed within their borders, we don’t feel obligated to do anything. For a glaring example, look no further than North Korea.
Finally, if you have a moment read the short travelogue in McNeill Life Stories that provides a little history on Hungary, a brand new democracy that is attempting to deal with a humanitarian disaster that has entered their country. (Link: Budapest: A Historical City in Modern Times)
People of Canada, we have a rich, first world democracy that is almost 150 years old – WE CAN DO BETTER.
Harold
Notes
What happened in Hungary in 1956:
200,000 fled the country with little more than the clothes on backs.
2,500 Freedom Fighters were killed and hundreds more injured. The heaviest resistance was in Budapest which was heavily targeted by Russian artillery and air strikes.
26,000 Hungarians were brought before tribunals
22,000 sentenced
13,000 imprisoned
350 were executed
(82)
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