A crime scene investigator for 18 years, the paramilitary policeman Mehmet Ciplak said the incident left him “sick at heart”.
Speaking to Turkey’s Dogan News Agency, he said: “When I saw the baby on the beach, I approached and said to myself, ‘Dear God, I hope he’s alive’.”
He said: “When I found out he was dead, I was crushed deep down inside. It was a terrible sight, it was a terrible loss.”
(Source: www.independent.co.uk)
The heart throbbing sight of an innocent child’s corpeal frame bereaved of life found on the Turkish shore manifests the crystal clear picture of the plight of lives in the entire Middle-East.
Life ran short on Aylan Kurdi, a young Syrian who was on his last journey fleeing the native war in Syria and the terror of ISIS. He and his innocence was drowned in the turbulent waters of Turkey and the image of his body- face down in the surf of a Turkish beach- bulleted around the world this week. His 4-year-old brother and mother also perished with him.
Doesn’t this incident plunge us into deep grief?
Well the irony lies in the fact that this is just the trailer that has triggered the conscience of the people around the globe, the actual scenario is too pitiable to be framed into words. Misfortune has rooted itself so deep into the lives of people in the Middle East that it lies in complete turmoil.
Whether it is this toddler dead on the Turkish beach, the desperate families crowding the Hungarian station, their kids sleeping on floors or people hit by starvation and penury, today, millions of people have been forced to elope away from their indigenous lands because of war, persecution, and oppression, and every day thousands more join them.
Many of them head for Europe, which is why the crisis there appears to be most acute. Internal web of wars within the countries have forced the people out of their lands in Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, and other places. The refugees initially fled to the camps, but the camps turned out to be indeed graveyards for them and their families. Another less known reason for the Dire situation is the anti-refugee politics in some western and wealthy countries who are reluctant to help people when they need it the most.
It is now that the awareness has spread around the globe and countries have started to extend out their hands to help. However, loss of life, property and economy has already embarked since long ago. It all started far back right from the Arab Spring in 2011 which is one of the major contributors to the chaos.
For years The European Union kept the refugees off their lands by paying heavy sum to Libyan dictator Moammar Qaddafi’s government to crush the migrants heading towards Europe back to their lands. His methods to bounce the people back to their lands were horrible, as a result of which started the Arab Spring. It is termed as the uprising by the public against the authorities in the Middle East. Hence, Libyans rose against Qaddafi. Meanwhile, US and European Union intervened and eventually Libya collapsed into chaos. Followed by the crush of Qaddafi’s regime, a wave of refugees began via Libya. It made easier for both the refugees and the migrants from Africa to use the country’s shore as the launching pad of their journey towards Europe.
The Arab Spring gradually engulfed the war in Syria and Yemen and also led to the rise of ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Thus, the Arab Spring was perhaps the strongest single spark of the ongoing, global refugee crisis.
The major contributor to the crisis amongst all is however Syria, where the civil war is incessantly been fought since 2011 after the president Bashr-Al-Assad ordered to massacre some young children for their provoking painting which drew mass criticism for the curb of freedom by the government. Since then the conditions in Syria have worsened and in fact have led to dangerous chemical weapons and barrel bombs attacks. Taking the advantage of the plight, ISIS has invaded it and torn it with terror.
Such is the lugubrious scenario of the Middle East and its poor people whose lives have been surrounded by miseries and moans. There seems no end and no compensation to their immense losses.
So, does that mean the end?
-Certainly Not.
It is said that there is a silver lining to the darkest of clouds. A young toddler has though ceased to exist but while bidding Good Bye to the globe he has agitated a wave of revolution in the hearts of all the people. He left behind a ray of hope that manifests itself now, on the social media where people have come forward to speak, to debate which may bring in a change.
In such a grave scenario, government of Germany has opened the arms for the refugees. Also the Germans open heartedly are welcoming them. Hands in support have come from football clubs like Bayern Munich and other countries as well. The change has already begun.
Most importantly, we should not forget that, if the whole globe comes together to contribute their bit, a massive change can be ushered in.
Remember,
“All for one and one for all.”
― Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers
