From Damascus to Detroit, a Young Syrian Refugee Shares Her Story | Mashable Docs

Zeina Aboushaar was only 9 when the Syrian government bombed her school in the Damascus suburb of Darayya. Since then, things have only gotten worse and the civil war has cost the lives of almost a quarter of a million people.
Zeina managed to escape with her family and today she lives in a suburb of Detroit with her mother and 3 brothers. (Her parents are divorced and her father lives in Egypt.) When memories overwhelm her, she sits down to write.
She shared her story to explain what's happening in her country.
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[@collinsmugodo380]

first time I've heard someone move to Detroit to avoid getting shot.

[@taseenkhan5204]

+collins mugodo llllllllllloooooooooooooooolllllllllllllll..............

[@TIMMYbtcxiiik]

lmfao

[@JwilliamsAssociates]

Lmao

[@DanielaChristina2017]

LOLOLOLOLOL

[@violetyousif8157]

lol Detroit suburbs. It's really different. It's actually a HUGE refugee area and holds lots of middle easterns, my family being one of them

[@hawkteflon]

When Detroit seems like a safe haven, you've seen some terrible stuff.

[@JwilliamsAssociates]

Ain't that the damn truth.

[@TheTapeandscissors]

Nigga, it's Dearborn

[@geraldobrien7323]

Lol

[@spanishinquisition5032]

Thanks John

[@channelVlogger]

John sent me. I'm sorry for the people that are held from reuniting at the moment, I'm sorry for how the elections turned out.

[@lila8593]

+

[@krzysztofprzybylski2750]

+

[@Caroline-pb8xx]

It's hard. I've been lucky where I've been born, what family I'm born into, and how I live. I'm severely fortunate. Wishing everybody the best.

[@Joeker1111]

+

[@Nathan-jm7ji]

+

[@JwilliamsAssociates]

What a sweet girl. Your safe now.

[@perfectfan2006]

+Jeffery Williams not if they really put her in detroit she will be lucky if she gets out with just ptsd. omg poor kid i hope they told her not to drink the water or get it near her face and eyes if she has to use it to wash.

[@paranormallazivity9677]

john green sent me here i am a muslima may allah help you and be with you

[@arinasingh]

Made me cry so bad.

[@Ikanspellolhehehe]

@Vynateya Purimetla muaaaah.....

[@Colm-rp4ff]

What a beautiful soul very rare these days hope u doing well taday all the best from Ireland u do grate in life

[@arianatolbert3421]

this is deeply humanizing. i'm sorry if it seems like the us is being hateful. i choose to believe that more of us are sympathetic than skeptic. we will fight, we will protest, and we will do our part. in the end, love- not hate- will win.

[@arianatolbert3421]

strongman1488 I don't agree with you. Just because someone doesn't agree with denying people basic human rights doesn't mean someone is a terrorist. Could you explain why you believe that way to me please? I'd like to better understand why you think that way.

[@mihud-nw6ez]

Whenever people cry about something SAD I cry

[@miguely6805]

Do not worry, God is there to help you in all of us...

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

miguel y They don't believe in God, they worship Allah and Muhammad which might as well be considered the devil!

[@starkidbubble2000]

She is a little girl who had to flee for her life, can't you see Jesus wouldn't want an innocent girl like her to die?

[@A6Legit]

Allah is god....

[@ashleighcranford3541]

Not every Muslim worships Muhammad, it's a basic principle that split the religion into factions.

[@hazard2857]

you made me cry

[@daniellaghafari1099]

best friend

[@123shindig]

Thank you Zeina for sharing your story. I cannot imagine what you and others have been through. I cried when you said the first thought that came to your mind was to find your brother. All my love - and to your family and strong mother.

[@adrianacurto6126]

Beautiful video. Thank you for sharing your story Zeina.

[@AngelaSealana]

Thanks for sharing, Mashable.

[@Nadasistschoen]

[@ilovenarwhales]

wtf i hate borders now

[@MBeckers]

yay Shengen area :3

[@Amazedchili]

John Green is the best.

[@almostblurry1690]

A such adorable maggot.

[@nameless4630]

love from Iraq

[@203207ab]

After what she has been through, I wouldn't be pushing her to be a doctor or writer. Let her do what she wants. If she chooses something and it doesn't turn out the way she wanted, due to economic factors or whatever, she will feel incredible burden. If you are a writer for instance, you better hope someone will buy your stuff. Let her pick what she wants without the pressure. I think Detroit is a great city. I don't get why people would make fun of it. Sure there is bad areas like in any city. If she is in a suburb, it isn't that bad. The center of Detroit would be safe as well compared to what she went through.

[@ifeanyiokonkwo7130]

this is so sadddd

[@riseseast6864]

Zeina, you're a pretty good football player. I hope one day normalcy, some sort of happiness, and humanity returns to Syria. Hang in there.

[@victordanielcatalan1808]

Half of my class thinks I am stupid and uninformed for being a liberal, for caring about refugees. They believe they are right and that I am definitely wrong. I came here from John's video. Sometimes I amazed how an atheist like myself cares more about strangers than my conservative Christian friends. All I have to say is that I am glad I am wrong.

[@ZahidKhan-bl9ts]

thay just like my mothers my sisters my brothers

[@mohamedelsharkawy5761]

Run around without getting scared? In Detroit? I used to live in Detroit.' Used to' for a reason. Damn

[@venabameb3055]

Those same folk you're putting job will revitalize areas of Detroit locals may have abandoned. Some pts. to point out- a lot of Arabs mostly Syrian and Lebanese Christians were brought by Ford the car manufacturer by in the 1920s to work in his factories. Those people left the Middle East during the end of the Ottoman Empire and WWI and colonial powers were dividing up the Middle East. Steve Jobs dad is/was Syrian.

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

Venabame b THERE ARE NO FACTORIES ANYMORE DUMBASS! All the jobs left require a TON of education which "refugees" don't have!

[@ethanmitra5351]

Yeah definitely not true. 11 percent of Syrians are business owners. That is much less of than US national average.

[@venabameb3055]

Eventually these new immigrants will revitalize certain areas of Michigan. Some will be high achievers and other's will just be regular sorts, and yes some will not adapt as well. It's the same with any ethnic group.

[@AdamSmith-gs2dv]

Venabame b No they won't, they are making Michigan WORSE! Uneducated non working people don't make a place better!

[@florabescansaluers]

She is clearly educated, did you not see her writing pages upon pages of poems? She also mentioned being in school when the bombs went off. I am sure her mom is working to provide for her family and create a better life for her family.

[@danielazita7327]

It good

[@haider22229]

Shes got hands though

[@venabameb3055]

Mona Simpson sister to Steve Jobs, Paula Abdul, Michael Ansara (actor), Jerry Seinfield (dad was Jewish from Ukraine, mom was Jewish whose parents were originally from Syria).

[@mataharidyaharianne1562]

im crying bullets

[@danielazita7327]

🙏⛪️

[@MCWaz]

الله يعينكم يا اهل سوريا ،اثبتوا بالقران اللهم ثبتكم يا رب علموا من حولكم عن الاسلام والنصر قادم ان شاء الله

[@orhblin]

I watch this and I don't feel anything. What should turn my insides out instead moves me to doubt. "is this story real?" or "is she made to say those things?" are the questions that pop into my mind I don't know if there's something wrong with me, or if these kinds of stories has somehow numbed me. Maybe some part of me don't want to believe this, maybe I don't care Nevertheless, if this is real, and her story is true. I wish her the best. Sincerely: a self centered bastard.

[@brandenmerritt1]

orhblin I urge you to Google pictures of what Damascus and other Syrian cities look like right now, and find video of bombs landing in them. I can assure you it's very real, and there are hundreds of thousands of stories very similar to this girls sadly

[@kadanseward3022]

orhblin The scope of the situation seems incredibly overwhelming, especially with all the different stories and viewpoints floating around. It's possible that we may become numb to this, but we should also keep trying to care.

[@orhblin]

leoo321 well that second question can be asked in a variety of ways, it depends on where they're from, where they are going to and so on. I can't with any certainty put myself in their place though, since the closest thing to that that i might experience, may be a housemoving.

[@IMGsmereka]

As sad as this story is, it's not the United States job to take in the worlds disenfranchised people's, tell your men to stop fleeing and fight to keep your nation

[@IMGsmereka]

Reiad Khan your insulting remarks make me question your intentions, I fully understand the severity of modern conflicts. Freedom is sometimes paid in blood my friend like my family has for my military, if you just want to give up Assad will continue to torture the population, how about grow a f*cking backbone and defend your family with force, not "call of duty" when your family's blood is on the line, I'd die for my country would you die for yours?

[@vaibhav2k13]

Show individual stories as much as you want but the hard truth is that according to pew research 56% of muslims in the Middle East and North Africa believe that death should be the punishment for apostasy. The bulk of the anti immigration sentiment arises not from threats of terror attacks but mainly due to a fear of the host countries demography changing in a direction that's poses an existential threat to individual Liberty.

[@ashleighcranford3541]

How did they take such a wide survey? Also, what were the exact questions on it because "Do you think that people should be executed for having beliefs outside of your religion" seems pretty leading.

[@Dyslexic-Artist-Theory-on-Time]

:)

[@ZahidKhan-bl9ts]

very sad for Muslims of the world why not help them

[@changemymind2021]

These people turned Dearborn into little Baghdad. Thanks, Obama!

[@ZahidKhan-bl9ts]

i m ready to help Syrians Muslims with money r marry

[@michaelstillwell3513]

That's a pretty nice house the government gave them. Why won't the government help me with anything? I'm a hard working taxpayer. Hmmm maybe i just answered my own question.

[@samuelshaulov4623]

Deadass

[@sugarscout6810]

The government does not provide resettled refugees with housing in the US.

[@brucewayne3892]

Syrian men should stay in Syria to fight ISIS. not run away

[@syrianaramean1259]

Bruce Wayne Most are running from Assad not isis. Isis in only is in raqqa and other not so populated and important areas

[@AlexRodriguez24]

Thanks John

[@MBeckers]

is this gonna be the new "Thanks Obama"?

[@therayleviathan]

Mike Beckers No cause John green put this vid in a playlist called stories from refugees