Shifting the Syrian Memoir

“My body is here and my soul is in Syria” said one of the Syrian refugees that I interviewed for my doctoral research. It has been 10 years that I have been feeling this emotion.

My story within this memoir began as any Syrian citizen that lived outside of Syria before the conflict for studies or work. I watched the beginning of the “the Arab Spring” from abroad and felt that I was detached from what was happening back home, as I still do. The difference between now and then is that today many more Syrians can relate to the same feeling.

I am writing this essay to stress on the importance of considering the resilience of Syrians as part of “the memoir of the Syrian crisis” that is being often shared on this anniversary on social media. While being victims of a conflict, Syrians had no choice but to become assets of their societies that aim to offer better perspectives for their lives and others, transcending nationalities and borders.

In fact, as one of my informants noted in one of my interviews in Amman: ‘As I am now outside of Syria, I try to replace my willingness to care and serve my country by focusing on supporting others and Syrians’.

As many of us remember different aspects of the Syrian conflict, I believe that it is worth noting the resilience that came out of the war. I would like to take this anniversary as an opportunity to voice some of the beliefs and emotions that I captured among Syrians living in Jordan since the outbreak of the war through my doctoral research. While it is undeniable that the Syrian conflict destroyed many lives, we ought to remember that the destruction generated changes in lives, beliefs and values, as they only had one option that went beyond survival; adapting to pursue better lives.

It is important to forge this resilience within “the memoirs of the Syrian crisis”, as Syrians (or any other refugee) should not only be considered as victims, and can become greater actors of their lives and societies. From the businessmen that expanded their local brands to new markets by internationalizing the heritage of Syrian chips, to artisans that provided new arts of living to societies by reviving the tradition of carving with the mother of pearl, and the women that offered new perspectives to other women and to the Syrian Laurel soap (…), they all built resilience to pursue their lives, while developing new skills that enabled them to adapt to the new places they have adopted.

My intention is not to expand on the new skills and social transformations that Syrians developed during their 10 years outside of Syria, as it is the purpose of a different (and more scientific) exercise that I have been undertaking through my doctorate.

I would like to remember Syrians on this (positive) note of humanity and hope that it showcases how refugees may rise from difficult circumstances to become resilient for themselves and the societies that surround them. 

Maya Chehade is a PhD student at Sciences Po in Paris. After having worked for several years in the private sector and with international donor agencies in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, she decided to take a step back to analyze the impact of the private sector on Syrian refugees' livelihoods in their region of origin.