The Syrian Boy

I was sitting in front of the TV, shocked and unable to articulate my emotions as I was watching what was being broadcast on the news channel. Tears were dropping down my cheeks and my hands were covering my mouth as if they were trying to prevent it from saying something.” The Picture of a Drowned Syrian Boy” was the headline of the news.

Trying to explain the picture is simple and hard at the same time. A young boy is lying face down on the shores of a beach. He is wearing a red shirt. I couldn’t tell if he is wearing shorts or pants or if it is his jacket tied on his waist. He is wearing shoes. His hands are resting on the ground with his palms turned upward. The water wave is hitting his head. His eyes are closed. His clothes is wet and his hands covered in sand. He looks so innocent and helpless. The news broadcaster was saying he was three years old. He is young. His body was one amongst hundreds of other corpses that are found drowned in the freezing seas everyday.

I have heard about the Syrian refugees and the immigration crisis before. I knew about ISIS, and Bashar Al Assad. It was all over the news and social media. But I am sure most people including myself never thought of how much it has affected the people of Syria. For most of us, it is just a current issue or a topic of debate over coffee with our friends. But this photo enlightened me into the realization that the immigration crisis is actually affecting thousands of lives. Innocent boys and girls are dying and men and women are suffering. That innocent boy lying on the ground alone and helpless represents all the Syrian Refugees that are wandering around for survival. The war is real. It is real. It has been a little over 4 years now. 4 years ago, I was a totally different person, a lot has changed with me since. What has been changing for a Syrian teenager within these past 4 years?  

The Syrian boy’s photograph is heart touching. The photographer tried to capture the situation as accurate as possible. It was the water, the ground, and the boy only in the photo. The audience could concentrate on the boy only and not on other distracting things around him. The angle of the camera and the lighting correctly displayed the emotions that are being portrayed: loneliness, helplessness, and sadness. But I think it is neithr the camera angle nor the lighting that made this particular photo spread like wildfire all over the world. It is the story that is powerful, convincing, and challenging. It makes you ask yourself a question to what the future holds for the Syrians and humanity in general.