Lips Sewn Shut in a World of Fence Builders

Photo Credit: CNN

From CNN: In one of the most extreme protests since the start of the refuee crisis, about 10 men trapped on the Greek-Macedonian border have sewn their lips shut to silently oppose being blocked from continuing further into Europe.

What I'm saying is, people will move. You can't stop that.

It's a divine thing on the one hand.  God is the first first mover of peoples. His original "fill the earth" command (Gen. 1:28), was very clear.  And a simple look back at the world through the lens of Acts 17:26 to see that it is God who determines the times and places where people should live should be enough to convince us that He is not interested in a static world of the permenanent ethnic enclaves. God is interested in filling the world with his image bearers and to do this so that people can reach out for him and find him.  More on that another time.

And then there is evil and sin and the Enemy and all which keeps arising which pushes people away from their homes -- the war and the killings and the disease and the poverty and the genocide and the environmental disasters and so much more.

There is no stopping it.

You can put up walls and fences.  They will only exacerbate the problems.

In a world of ever-accelerating people movement, the one who builds the highways will prove very wise.  The one who builds the walls, history and the Kingdom will prove to be foolish and cruel.

What is meant by highways? Channels (implications for legal, physical, economic, technological infastructures) of preferred movement which governments create and organizations and businesses support and leverage.  But such highways are never built by those who are in love with the status quo and protecting what they have -- those who are unwilling to adventure and risk for the chance of a better world.  Those who see migrants burgeoning at the borders as sub-human takers and threats can see no good in opening the gates.  But if you have eyes to see the throngs as bearers of the image of God, each one laden with more intrinsic beauty and value than the entire Rocky Mountains -- if you can see that, you will run to lay asphalt for a new and glorious highway.

Oh build the highways!

I want to run to the man in the photo above and cry out to him.  Why are you shutting your mouth? Some have said they don't want to hear what you have to say.  Such do not speak for me.  Let me hear your story.  Let me hear your wisdom.  Let me learn from you about how to be strong and wise and resilient.  Let me cut those threads!  I want to hear your voice.

Dumb Okies Like Me: A New Relfection on America's Greatest Migration

Image Credit: USDA

Today, a historical reflection followed by three principles and three prayers.

The "Dust Bowl" environmental conditions of the 1930s -- a period of extreme and prolonged drought and dust storms affecting especially Great Plains states like Oklahoma -- resulted in the displacement of 3.5 million Americans.  This represented the largest internal migration event in the history of the United States.  

As Oklahoma families struggled to survive in the "dirty thirties", word gradually began to spread about a better land far away.  Consider:

California! California! California! To the Okies the word "California" was magical, describing a place where they could go to better their lives. It was said that thousands of workers were needed to harvest a hundred different crops -- peaches, pears, tomatoes, potatoes, beans, apples, oranges -- the list seemed endless. It was said that no one ever went hungry in California because lush orchards were everywhere and people just helped themselves to whatever fruits or vegetables they wanted. It was said that no one ever got sick out there, ever, and it was big news if anyone died in California before their 200th birthday!  -- Jerry Stanley, Children of the Dust Bowl

Of course, the dark reality was that these promises of paradise were empty and migrant families reached California only to find exploitation, hostility, violence, and hatred towards "dumb Okies".  

As I consider again this part of my home state's history -- I don't think I've given it much thought since high school -- I do so with a mind towards modern displacement stories:

1. Displacement happens for all kinds of reasons and there is really no people group or part of the world that is immune. The number of Syrians that have fled their homeland now far exceeds the total number displaced by the Dust Bowl.  As of writing this, the UNHCR has the total at above 4.3 million.  When in the West we hear of displacement events we tend to think of it as a developing world issue.  But, the Dust Bowl was only a few generations ago and included people that were a lot like me -- maybe even some relatives.  Smaller displacements happen all the time.  It is very foolish to think of displacement as something that could never happen to me.  There is an old Dust Bowl tale of a California child who observed some migrants picking cotton in a field and commented to his father, the owner of the field, "Daddy, those Okies almost look like real people when they stand up on two legs."  Dear God, help me to see myself in the face of every refugee I meet -- we really are the same, whether I see it or not.

2. The promise of a better life somewhere else is still proclaimed wherever people are vulnerable.  I have seen so many examples of this.  I knew of Rohingyas that were migrating en masse to a certain Midwestern city because of the promise of jobs only to find the celebrated factory closed upon their arrival.  I've heard Bhutanese friends tell of the great opportunities in Buffalo and then Oakland and then Pittsburg and now Columbus.  I've heard women tell heartbreaking stories of moving from the village to Kampala because of the promise of a job or a place to stay with relatives only to be exploited and forced into sex work.  I have Nepali friends in Dubai who moved there because of the grand promises of job recruiters only to find themselves in oppressive debt to those same recruiters upon arrival.  Sometimes these promises of greener pastures are told by well-meaning relatives who simply long to reunite the family and will bend the truth in order to accomplish that.  Other times there is intentional and malicious deception spread by oppressors who want to exploit and enslave the vulnerable.  The mission of managing expectations and protecting migrants from exploitation is holy, thankless and difficult.  I have not sorted out how to do it well, but I pray that while mine is just one of many voices my migrant friends will hear, let it at least be truthful.

3.  Too often the world's pilgrims find no welcome.  I can begin to imagine now the feelings of my Okie ancestors who encountered "Okies Keep Out" signs posted seemingly everywhere upon completion of the arduous weeks or months-long journey across Route 66.  Now every, single day my newsfeed has several stories of similar unwelcome.  It may be a presidential candidate in the USA pandering to some rather racist group by spouting anti-immigrant rhetoric or any number of horrific stories of hostility towards refugees in Europe.  It seems like every day I see a new image of refugees crowded at some fence line in Europe.  Meanwhile, I celebrate the nation of Uganda which is currently hosting greater than half a million refugees!  On a recent trip I found myself waiting for my flight at the gate in Dubai.  Glancing around the seating area I noticed that many people where holding the distinctive white and blue plastic bags emblazoned with the letters "IOM".  These were refugees!  I decided to make my way around the room to greet them.  I sat down with one husband and wife from Afghanistan who were on their way to Texas.  We talked for a while and before departing I felt the need to tell them the truth.  "Not everyone will be happy for you to come to America," I said.  "But I am happy.  I welcome you.  I am very glad you are coming to live in my country."  Feeling a heart of welcome to refugees and immigrants is grace.  It must be grace because I have some really awful sin in other parts of my life.  So, since it is grace, I give thanks for it and ask God to increase my welcome and my hospitality.  How can I go to greater lengths to welcome the sojourner?  Lord show me. 

An Open Letter to Syrian Refugees

Photo credit: Borderless 2015

Dear friend,

I originally wrote this "open letter" two years ago as the refugee camps were filling and Western nations were beginning to consider resettlement.  Now in the United States,  in the wake of recent terroist attacks, there are many who are afraid of you and political candidates score cheap points by promising to block your access to my country.  Still, our president has promised to open our borders to thousands of you and that process has already begun.  

I recognize that the odds of you reading this are not good.  Many of you are tightly packed in refugee camps that are ill-equipped to provide you with adequate food, water, medicine, housing, and more.  Others of you are somewhere along the refugee highway between Syria and Europe or even already resettled in a Western nation.  Still, you are on my heart today and I wish to say something to you.  And, insha'Allah (God willing), this message might reach one or two of you.  My message is simple:

I am a citizen of the United States of America and i welcome you here.

Today, I am praying that President Obama's plans to thousands of you in our nation will succeed.  I want you to come.  I am deeply saddened by what you have had to endure and by the conditions that you are even now enduring.  I am not considered rich by my country's standards.  But, I have so much compared to you and I am willing to share.

I am willing to share my money, my time, my nation, and my life with you.  And, if the Lord opens the door for you to come as refugees to my country I promise to do everything in my power to welcome you. I want to greet you at the airport, take you grocercy shopping or to medical visits.  I want to help you learn English (though you probably already speak it fluently) and I want you to teach me your language and culture.  I want to spend time with you as a friend and invite you to my home. I will listen to your stories if you are willing to tell them to me.  Not only this, but I will mobilize and equip as many people as I can to do the same.

Some of you will be concerned that I will try to convert you to Christianity. I should say first that I would never put it in those terms.  But, let me be as honest as possible.  The Lord Jesus (Isa al-Masih), has changed my life and has given me an overabundance of love, peace, and hope. It is impossible to keep this to myself.  I've not had to suffer like you.  But, when I have suffered, he has been a constant presence and help.  He has always saved me.  So, I will certainly pray for you in His name.  And I will tell you about His life.  And, if you desire to follow Him, I will teach you what I know about how to do that.  But, even if you don't. I will still love you and serve you with all my heart.  Indeed, I must do this because the love of the Lord Jesus compels me.  When I teach you English or pick you up at the airport or take you shopping or eat a meal in your home -- this will all be because of His love.

I cannot promise that every American will welcome you in this way.  Many will not.  Some will even be afraid of you.  But, I will not be.  I want you to come!

We have a famous statue in our country called "The Statue of Liberty".  You may have seen a picture at some point.  On the statue is an inscription which reads as follows:

Give me your tired, your poor, 
Your huddled masses, yearning to breath free, 
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, 
Send these, the homeless, tempest tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

This is the heart of our country and also the heart of the Lord Jesus.  It has become my heart as well.  I hope you will come.  I hope America can become your home and I hope you will become my neighbors and friends, my brothers and sisters, my uncles and aunties.  

Blessings and peace to you,

Cody

Enough with the Huddled Masses Already!

The world has gone mad with it's increasingly hostile approach to migrants. We cry for walls and fences, turn back boats and ship people off to dead end camps and hidden away detention centers. We put a gag in the mouths of those who would cry out for justice and trumpet out an exclusive invitation only to the best and brightest. Meanwhile the base of the New Colossus, must be deeply dust-covered. Brush it away and read the inscription that must have been written by some strange and alien civilization:

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

For Example, let's end Rohingya Suffering

Photo courtesy BBC World

So, here is an example of what I'm talking about. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32970808

Most people have still never heard of the Rohingya peoples, but for those of us who have been in refugee ministry for a while, we have heard of their plight for years.  I still remember the shock and joy of discovering an entire, large apartment complex totally filled with Rohingya refugees in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.  I don't know them well, but whenever I hear an update about their plight, my spirit groans.

I'm not going to tell their story here but to say that they are the ultimate people without a country.  They are South Asians who have spent the last few generations in Burma thanks to the post-abolition policies of Great Britain who semi-forcibly reshuffled the peoples of the world through their ghastly system of indentured servitude (which alone is enough for the entire world to call the UK to step up and solve the Rohingya problem that their greed is ultimately responsible for creating).

But I digress.

Yesterday, I mused about Grey's Anatomy (which is playing in the background as I read through the morning news and blogs) and how TV series' writers with a vision only as big as the world seem to have great difficulty in writing about changing the world.  It's far easier to write about a great character getting killed off in a car accident than to imagine them actually realizing their potential to make history.  In trying to inspire our newly arrived set of summer interns, referenced this and hoped to convince them that God isn't like this at all.

Perhaps it is the logical outcome of my evangelical generation's upbringing that we either give in to the numbing influences of the prevailing culture or finally throw off the restraints of small-mindedness -- to rebel against the drop-in-the-bucket kind of thinking and utterly give oneself to actually changing the world.  Those early days of Piper and the Passion Conference Posse must finally take on flesh and dwell as uncomfortably as the Hulk in a china closet in this basically status quo world of trendy protests, je suis whateverisms, and awareness campaigns that never do anything.

So for me.  What I do now when I hear about the Rohingyas is I start to ask myself, "What is the plan to actually solve this problem?  Why can't I be the one who makes it?"  Because I'm sick of assuming that I can only do my part!  If I am content to only do my part, transformation won't come because by now I realized that the vast majority of people will never do their part!  Some won't because they cannot.  Others won't because they simply don't care.  At 37, I know that I must do the part of thousands if things are going to change.  And I know that while I came to the Lord's table empty handed at first, I've been at the table so many times for so long that I can only blaspheme Him by the suggestion that my hands are still empty.

I can change the world.

Indeed, the one who has written in his book all the days of my life before even one of them came to pass intends that it should be.

So, Amen! May it be!

Propaganda Piece by @SwarajyaMag Falsely Claims 80% of Bhutanese Refugees have Converted to Christianity

Image credit: Swarajya Magazine

[NOTE TO READERS: I have just changed the settings on my blog to disable anonymous comments.  I know that will discourage conversation on some level.  However, I find it a bit unfair to all critics to hide when I'm not.  For those of you who want to dialog personally, you can email comment@tibm.org and I will eventually respond]

[UPDATE: Swarajya has updated their article to change the 80% figure to "large number". Of course, unless they have also updated their research methodology, their argument hardly gains weight.  Also they have yet to amend the other terrible errors in the piece I discuss here.  I doubt they will.  Too much ego involved.  The author has dismissed me as a "pastor" going "ballistic" instead of engaging my critique of her article. I hope she will do the right thing and withdraw her article. I know it can be difficult to get published and Swarajya is a magazine that can amplify one's voice a lot, but if what you are saying is false, you are only amplifying error.  It seems hat Ms. Singh is doing important work in the realm of climate change and clean water access.  I fear that evidence of faulty research on display in this article will cast doubts on her credibility elsewhere.  I hope she will choose the greater good and retract.]

I can't help but respond to an article that is being shared widely from the Indian social issue and current affairs magazine, Swarajya.  The piece is provocatively entitled, "Persecution to Proselytization: Bhutanese Hindu Refugees in America" and is authored by Sahana Singh.  Poor journalism is always sad, but I always feel worse when it comes from a nation for which I am constantly rooting.  I want to say to India, "PLEASE DON'T LET THIS PASS FOR JOURNALISM!"  Let me hit the highlights:

1. 80% of Bhutanese Refugees have Converted -- Singh quotes "anecdotal" statistics in claiming that 80% of Bhutanese refugees have converted to Christianity since arriving in Houston, Texas (USA).  Let me just say, that I can't imagine a scenario in which unnamed, "anecdotal" sources can be considered worthy of inclusion in a journalistic article.  How does Swarajya print such a figure? How does Singh include it in her article?  If a journalism student came to me with an unnamed, anecdotal statistic in an article, I would immediately give her a failing grade.  This is just inexcusable!

Now as for the figure itself, we are talking about a level of inflation difficult to imagine.  In reality, not more than 5-10% of the Houston Bhutanese community would identify itself as Christian and this includes those who were already Christian before arrival in the USA.  And, while I will protect the anonymity of my source, I will tell you that it is from a Bhutanese Christian living in Houston who is heavily involved in community development activities.  I also know demographic researchers on the ground who haven't published their data yet, but who would laugh at this 80% figure.  Actually, I can't wrap my head around the type of person from Houston who would even give such an estimate.  Perhaps the number came from someone who didn't understand mathematics or maybe the source was intentionally trying to mislead Singh or else was pranking her.  But she says, "anecdotal numbers".  That's plural! Are we to believe that multiple people gave this figure to Singh and that none of them are willing to go on record?  Actually, these aren't even "anonymous" sources, which would indicate that she spoke with someone who asked not to be named.  They are just unnamed anecdotes.  Which means, Singh could have gotten the number from one of my baristas in Uganda. Or she could have just made it up.  We have no way of knowing.  All we do know is that it is utterly false.

2. Houston as the epicenter for Bhutanese Resettlement -- Singh compounds the egregiousness of her 80% fabrication by calling Houston the city which has "absorbed the largest number of exiled Bhutanese".  There is no sense in which this is true!  First of all, no serious study has been conducted to determine the population of Bhutanese refugees city by city in the United States.  There are figures that resettlement agencies have but these only consider initial points of arrival.  The Bhutanese are highly mobile and secondary resettlement is very common.  There are a lot of Bhutanese in Houston. But also in Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Akron, and a hundred other cities across the United States.  But, Singh needs to inflate the role of Houston because of her incredulous 80% "numbers" which come from unidentified sources there.  This gives her justification (but only in her own mind and apparently in those of her editors) to lead the article with this shocking sentence, "About 80% of Bhutanese Hindu migrants in the US have been converted to Christianity."  What is really shocking is that anyone should consider this to be legitimate journalism.

Of course most of the article is devoted to Singh casting Christian organizations in a bad light by claiming that while the Indian Hindu organization, Sewa, is busy teaching refugees practical life skills, the American Christians are offering money and gifts to Bhutanese people in order to convince them to convert.  Here, I suspect, is the real motivation for Singh's writing.  This old "rice Christian" attack is a tired sensationalist strategy of isolationist Hindus which has nothing at all to do with true dharma and which hinders efforts by sincere Hindus, Buddhists and Christians to engage in inter-religious dialog and partnership for community transformation.  To be sure, there is the occasional Christian group that is guilty of this kind of religious baiting, but the Bhutanese Hindus should be insulted by Singh's suggestion that so many of them would be so easily duped by such worn out tactics.  I know many Bhutanese of various religious stripes, and precious few would fall for this kind of approach.

But, of course, Singh is just simply making stuff up.  From 2008, when the Bhutanese began to arrive in the United States, it was overwhelmingly the case that Christian organizations, agencies, and churches were the first responders.  English classes, job classes, computer training, business coaching, tutoring, family counseling, and much more were made available for free in nearly every city where the Bhutanese landed and the volunteers who provided the help were almost always directly or indirectly connecting through their local church or a Christian agency.  And, almost all of these very same agencies, churches and Christians will be the first in line to welcome the next wave of refugees be they Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, or Muslim.  To say that this is not the case betrays a truly blinding ideology of hatred toward the religious other that any sincere Ishwar Bhakta would quickly reject as antithetical to a Hindu worldview.

Sadly, Hindu organizations, even the very well-funded ones, were very slow to get involved with the Bhutanese refugees.  Indeed, today they largely stay aloof.  The city where I live (Aurora, Illinois) has a medium-sized Bhutanese population which is about 98% Hindu and Buddhist.  There are three Hindu temples in the city and except for one or two social events over seven years, these organization have remained entirely uninvolved in the affairs of the Bhutanese community.  Now, we see arising in almost every city Bhutanese-led organizations which are taking on the needs of their own community.  They are organizing citizenship classes, collecting relief funds, organizing development programs, applying for government grants, and more.  These associations are imperfect, but they tend to be multi-ethnic, multi-caste, and inter-religious.  Indeed, such organizations exist in Houston (e.g. http://www.bhutaneseassociation.org/), a fact completely ignored by Singh's article.

In the end, let me say that this is not the kind of article that either Bhutanese Hindus or Christians need.  It is a propaganda piece designed to invoke fear in the hearts of Indian Hindus rather than compassion and constructive engagement.  It insults the gullibility and ingenuity of Bhutanese people who have proven their resilience through years of suffering in Bhutan and Nepal (during which times India's help was non-existent, by the way).  It further denigrates the fruitful partnerships and deep friendships that have been forged between many Bhutanese and Americans which may often involve spiritual matters but which far transcend religious barriers.

The Bhutanese-Nepali peoples have survived a long journey of displacement without the help of Swarajya Magazine and will continue to do just fine without their hollow attempts at advocacy through shotty journalism.  I call upon Singh and Swarajya to retract their article immediately in light of its patent fabrications and insulting implications.

Bhutanese Take On Technology Abuse and Relationships in the Short Film "One Day"

Today I want to commend a group of young Bhutanese creatives who are seeking to make a positive difference among the Bhutanese refugee global community through film-making.  The short film entitled "One Day" is clearly a beginning effort by a group that is just becoming acquainted with the medium.  However, they take on a very important issue (i.e. how social media and technology impact personal relationships) and they do so with clarity.

I hope you will watch "One Day" and share it with your friends.  Also, I encourage you to visit the YouTube Channel of Tassie Bhutanese Entertainment and encourage these youth.  Personally, I believe that Bhutanese-Nepali young men have a natural penchant for the creative arts and that this may be a very significant sign of hope for their future.



By the way, if you are unfamiliar with the unique genre of Nepali cinema, you will find certain things rather shocking.  For example, their is a rather unexpected scene of violence that non-Bhutanese viewers may find laughable or otherwise unappealing.  However, I found that it rather fits very well into what I've come to expect in Nepali films and is actually a kind of powerful symbolism to communicate the destruction that social media sites can wreak on family relationships.

Enjoy!

I'm Calling on the Bhutanese Refugee Community to Stop Killing Yourselves!

With now over 70 thousand Bhutanese refugees in the United States, the suicide rate among them remains staggeringly high.  A recent article published in the Wall Street Journal (India) called attention to this problem.

American Dream Becomes Nightmare for Bhutanese Refugees - India Real Time - WSJ:

A report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a federal U.S. government agency, published in Oct. 2012, stated that in the three years to Feb. 2012, the rate of suicides among Bhutanese refugees resettled in America was 20.3 per 100,000 people.

This rate was almost double that among the U.S. general population and exceeded the global suicide rate of 16.0 per 100,000, according to figures from the World Health Organization.

Now, I greatly appreciate contributing author, T.P. Mishra, continuing to raise awareness on this important issue.  However, practically every article I read on the topic seems to get lost in some confusing points.  Let me elaborate:

1. The title here (American dream becomes nightmare ...) is very misleading as it suggests that somehow coming to the United States has created a suicide crisis.  However, as the article itself points out, the suicide rate of these people in the refugee camps was as high as it is now.  Coming to America, hasn't resulted in more suicides.  It simply hasn't improved the situation.

2. These articles always end up talking about the pressures of resettlement including culture shock, employment stress, relationship problems, and other financial difficulties.  However, they usually fail to mention that these pressures are faced by practically every other refugee group entering the U.S. and the Bhutanese commit suicide as startlingly higher rates than other refugees.  That is to say, while resettlement-related issues may be cited in any given case, these alone cannot be blamed for the suicide as they are experienced by other peoples who do not commit suicide.

At the end of the day, the Bhutanese community must be willing to ask the really difficult questions about how suicide as a viable option for dealing with problems has become deeply embedded in the psyche of the people.  Every Bhutanese refugee that I know (over the age of 20) has personally seen one or more dead bodies hanging from trees in forests near their camps.  I have seen several Nepali-language films in which a main character commits suicide and in which this act is not condemned by the film but rather seen as somehow noble, good, or rational.  And there is an undercurrent of spiritual ideas which suggest that those who commit suicide can enter the realm of ancestors and even be worshiped as household deities.  This last idea is not what may be considered "mainstream" Hinduism/Buddhism/Christianity but is a subtly influential folk belief that may be responsible for giving people the idea that suicide is not an "escape" or an "end" but rather a means of rectifying problems (more on this idea in chapter 5 of my book Ethnographic Chicago).

I encourage the Bhutanese community leaders (now various kind of community organizations have formed in practically every city where Bhutanese refugees have been resettled), to adopt the following initiatives:

1. Reject an introverted and culturally isolationist posture towards Americans who want to help and other diaspora groups and instead welcome strong partnerships with others in seeking to solve this problem.  God has not created a world of isolated peoples cut off from one another but has created us for cross-pollination.  The Bhutanese will not solve this problem alone.

2. Seek to create community-based preventative counselling opportunities for those who have personally witnessed, attempted, or considered suicide (this will be almost everyone).  Get people talking about it honestly especially with experts who are trained not only in mental health but also in cultural anthropology.

3. Publicly reject and criticize any media (songs, films, etc) which portray suicide in anything other than a tragic and immoral light.  Call upon musicians and actors/actresses to condemn suicide publicly.  (Like performing artist Wilbur Sargunaraj recently did.)

4.  Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian spiritual leaders should engage together in interfaith dialog towards the development of a joint statement about suicide which can confront and condemn the folk beliefs which penetrate and influence EACH faith group.  Surely, the pundits, lamas, and pastors can all agree that suicide is a violation of God's will and desire for his children which are created in his image and endowed with great value.  Suicide is a violent act of murder which is sinful in God's eyes.  It is never the answer to the problems that we face in life.  Such as joint statement should also suggest concrete ways of dealing with stress and depression such as through spiritual disciplines of prayer, meditation and Scripture reading as well as through investing in important relationships and by seeking help from community and spiritual leaders, qualified volunteers and trained professionals.

[Photo by Mlhradio]

Za'atari Camp: Day in the Life (Syrian Refugees)

The following series of short films has been produced by the United Nations and does a good job of showing what life is like in the second largest refugee camp in the world.  I hope you will watch the following with your church, small group, or family and pray for the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis.  After watching, please continue to learn about the crisis by clicking on keyword "Syria" below or by reading my key article, "Bracing for the Syrian Tidal Wave".

Al Qaeda in Kentucky: Another Setback in the Resettlement of Syrian Refugees

Recently some national media outlets have picked up on a story from way back in 2009 about some Iraqi terrorists who managed to slip through the cracks and enter the United States as refugees.  While shining light on this story will hopefully help to improve the resettlement processes in the country, I am saddened that it will also be used as another excuse to keep Syrian refugees languishing in camps.

During FY2013, the United States resettled only about 35 Syrian refugees and yet the conflict in Syria drags on.  It is expected that the total number of externally displaced peoples will swell to 3.5 million by the end of the year.   And now, in light of the current climate of disfavor towards President Obama's administration, the previously committed public commitment to resettle 2000 Syrian refugees in 2014 (just a drop in the bucket as it is) is being carefully walked back by State Department officials who now say that that number will be shared by several countries.  Which, given the fact that so many Middle Eastern, EU, and Latin American nations have already stepped up to resettle hundreds and thousands of Syrians, is to say that the United States hasn't really committed to anything.  This is a marked departure from the great, modern American tradition of being the world's leader in the resettlement of refugees.

As I prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family, my heart goes out to these people and I deeply and sincerely wish that the golden door of my country was open to them.  I pray that my fellow Americans will shift some of their concern about Obamacare and money and scary Muslims and a thousand other things to the side so that we can extend hospitality to thousands of Syrians who are now suffering in the midst of the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today.

Below, you can read the story from ABC News on "Al Qaeda in Kentucky" -

Al Qaeda in Kentucky: US May Have Let 'Dozens' of Terrorists Into Country as Refugees - ABC News: "Several dozen suspected terrorist bombmakers, including some believed to have targeted American troops, may have mistakenly been allowed to move to the United States as war refugees, according to FBI agents investigating the remnants of roadside bombs recovered from Iraq and Afghanistan.  The discovery in 2009 of two al Qaeda-Iraq terrorists living as refugees in Bowling Green, Kentucky -- who later admitted in court that they'd attacked U.S. soldiers in Iraq -- prompted the bureau to assign hundreds of specialists to an around-the-clock effort aimed at checking its archive of 100,000 improvised explosive devices collected in the war zones, known as IEDs, for other suspected terrorists' fingerprints."

Also, check out this great series of short films from the United Nations entitled "Za'atri A Day in the Life" which gives you a terrific inside look into life in the largest Syrian refugee camp.

You may also want to check out other resources posted here on the Syrian Refugee crisis by clicking on the keyword "Syria" below.  Be sure to begin with the key article "Bracing for the Syrian Tidal Wave".

[Cover Photo by IHH]

Bracing for the Syrian Refugee Tidal Wave: Preparation Points for Churches

Photo by United Nations Photo

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 9, 2013 - UPDATES HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW

The growing crisis in Syria is grabbing the attention of more and more people as the United States considers the possibility of a military strike.  In case you haven't been tracking this story very closely, let me suggest a couple great places to begin:

1. Infographic- Will Strikes End Conflict in Syria (Maps of World):  Not everyone loves infographics, but well-designed ones are very effective ways to communicate information.  I this one is really good.  As the title suggests, it puts the question of U.S. military involvement front and center rather than some of the other critical questions.  Still, I recommend it as a way to get caught up.  (Note: link is to my "pin" of the infographic).

2. Nine Questions about Syria You were too Embarrassed to Ask (Washington Post): If you prefer just a straightforward textual summary of the Syrian situation, here's an article from the Post that I thought did a great job.  

3. Infographic- Syrian Refugees:  Here is a simpler infographic published by PBS Newshour that focuses specifically on the refugee crisis.

Of course, the purpose of my post here is especially to inform and prepare the global Church (and especially the North American) to respond well to the situation.  Personally, I believe that the most important issue facing the followers of Christ with respect to Syria is the refugee crisis.  There are now more than 2 million Syrians that have been forced to flee their homeland and at least a million of those are children!  It has become the worst refugee crisis on the planet today and the Body of Christ must respond!

Indeed there are other critical questions.  In particular, many Christ-followers are now debating the pros and cons of military intervention.  Should the United States strike?  This is certainly the opinion of President Obama and his administration.  With evidence suggesting that the Bashar Al'Assad regime has used chemical weapons against civilians, certainly we must be asking God for justice.  It is not my desire to wade very far into this aspect of the Syrian conflict.  I have lived long enough to become very skeptical about the idea that violence and war can bring about anything positive.  However, I strongly believe that evil leaders should not be allowed to simply do whatever they want and to kill and oppress whomever they want with impunity.  On this, I have found a post from Jonathan Merritt to be especially helpful.  Merritt provides three "Christian" perspectives on the issue of military intervention.  It is a very good read.  By the way, I personally found the pacifist view to be the weakest in terms of its presentation in the article.  So, to give it a boost, take a look at the recent letter from Pope Francis to Vladimir Putin on the subject.

Now, back to my main focus.

How can local churches, especially in the US and Canada, prepare themselves for the potential of future resettlement of refugees from Syria?  At TIBM, we believe it is important to be aware of what has quickly become one of the worst refugee crises of all time.  We believe it is important to pray for the situation.  And we believe it is critical to prepare for the wave of resettlement that is very likely coming.

I am using this article as a launching pad or as a place for churches to begin their preparation process.  I'm glad you are reading it and hope you will bookmark it and return from time to time. I will update it as I learn more and as things develop.  Here you will find several critical considerations and key questions for you and your ministry to consider.  I will also post helpful resources at the bottom as I discover them.  If you have things to add, please mention them in the comment section.

The Scope of the Crisis
The Syrian refugee crisis is one of the worst in history.  Currently, more than 2 million people have fled Syria (http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/syria.php) for neighboring countries and the United Nations is predicting that the number will surpass 3 million by the end of the year.  The main nations to which Syrians have fled include Jordan (500K), Lebanon (720K), Turkey (460K), Iraq (170K) and Egypt (100K). Officials in these nations report that they are completely overwhelmed by the massive numbers and need substantial help.

The Nature of the Crisis
The displacement of Syrians has stemmed from a violent military conflict in that nation that originated in 2011.  The struggle is essentially between government forces under the leadership of President Bashar al-Assad and opposition groups which want to see him ousted.  The resulting violence has resulted in more than 100,000 deaths (mostly civilians) and the displacement of millions (for more on the death toll, see this helpful article from The Atlantic).  

Photo of the "Houla Massacre" by Syria Freedom. Over 100 people were killed, most of them women and children.

The United Nations has published a short video on the crisis which provides a heart-wrenching summary of how things stand right now.  Here it is:



Who are the Refugees?
Syria is a nation of more than 20 million people, the largest bloc of whom (14+ million) are Syrian Arabs. Other major people groups include Kurds, Najdi Bedouins, Alawites, Palestinians, Druze, Assyrians, Turkmen, and Lebanese.  New reports I have seen specifically have referenced Arabs, Kurds, Bedouins, Palestinians, Assyrians, and Lebanese as being among the refugees.  Additionally, smaller people groups have been mentioned including Armenians.  Religiously, greater than 90% of Syrians are Muslim. Some 6% follow some form of Christianity (54% Orthodox, 37% Catholic, 4% Protestant, 3% "other").  According to most reports, the vast majority of the refugees are women and children.

The Response by the Global Community
Syria's neighbors have largely welcomed the refugees but are totally overwhelmed by the numbers.  Jordan has reported a water shortage.  Turkey is pleading with Western nations to pitch in.  Still stories of great humanitarianism and hospitality have emerged.  The Kurds of Iraq have constructed multiple camps and expended millions of dollars.  Israeli Jewish volunteers have tirelessly served in Jordanian camps.  Cyprus has announced its willingness to receive as many as 200,000 refugees!  Sweden has recently shocked the world by announcing that it will grant "blanket asylum" to Syrians refugees!  Germany likewise has a plan to provide temporary resettlement to as many as 5,000 and reports are regularly coming from Italy of refugees arriving there by boat. 

Reports are now coming in of Syrian refugees flocking to Latin America.  Both Brazil and Columbia have welcomed 100% of Syrians who have applied for asylum.  Apparently, there are large Syrian communities already in Latin America (as many as 3 million in Brazil alone?!?!)

In North America, Canada has agreed to resettle high need refugees and the United States has agreed to open its doors to 2,000 refugees. Pressure is beginning to build from some quarters for Canada to resettle more than the thousand or so initially committed to.  

There are, tragically, other stories which highlight the darker side of humanity. Reports have come of Syrian refugees trying to cross into Greece by boat only to have their vessels intentionally capsized by the Greek coast guard. Hundreds have reportedly drowned as a result.  Many women and girls are being victimized in the camps as lack of security and high poverty is creating a human trafficking crisis.  Other reports are emerging of price gouging as refugees are being financially exploited.  In some cases, life in refuge is so bad that many are opting to return to Syria and fight.  They do so expecting to die, but, according to one Syrian refugee, "We would rather die with dignity in Syria than beg in Jordan."

Photo courtesy of BBC News

What Should we Expect?
It is pretty impossible to predict when and how many Syrian refugees will eventually be resettled in North America.  Canada has announced earlier this summer that they will be working with the UN to resettle refugees.  This initial announcement was of a "very small and discrete resettlement program" that will focus on refugees determined to be in high need.  I suspect that this will not exceed 1,000 before the end of 2013.  Additionally, pressure is growing for the government to create a special expedited program to process family reunification visa applications for Canadian-Syrians who have family members in harms way. With a population already over 100K, Canada's Syrian population could absolutely surge simply through normal immigration routes even without a special commitment to resettle refugees. 

In the United States, word has recently come that 2,000 refugees will be welcomed for permanent resettlement.  Traditionally, the U.S. is the largest recipient of refugees, often permanently resettling as many as all other Western nations combined. But the political climate now is tenuous.  Many Americans feel a renewed sense of fear and suspicion towards Muslim immigrants in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings and the still unresolved debate over immigration reform has further complicated the scene.  So, we can expect that this process could be very slow and subject to extra security measures.  Whether or not the U.S. will ultimately increase that number is difficult to predict.

Back in June, I predicted that the United States would announce plans to resettle a small number of refugees from Syria sometime during 2013.  My guess was that the number would be higher (10,000), but I'm glad that even this small number has been announced.  I believe that this number has been floated by the State Department as a trial balloon.  I still believe that if things go well in terms of the public and political response to these efforts that we can expect a much larger announcement by early 2014.  There are a lot of variables, of course, and a tremendous amount of politics and public relations involved for the Obama Administration.  However, in a matter of months, media images of snow covered refugee camps and freezing Syrian children will likely call greater attention to the already desperate humanitarian crisis.  I still believe that churches and agencies should ready themselves for a resettlement effort in the United States as high as 100,000.  Additionally, as in Canada, family reunification visas will increase so that Syrians arriving via traditional immigration routes will go up.  Refugee resettlement of course will occur along the patterns that many of us have grown accustomed to.  Resettlement agencies will be used to facilitate the process and thus the Syrians will initially be resettled in areas where other refugee communities are located.  

The newest variable in this situation is whether or not the U.S. will engage Syria militarily.  I believe that this will impact the future of refugee resettlement, but I am not sure how.  Here are a few things to consider:

1. If the U.S. topples the current Syrian regime, what percentage of the displaced will be able to return home?  Will widows and orphans be able to return home?  What about those whose homes have been destroyed?  Whatever happens, I think we must accept the fact that many have become permanently displaced.

2. Will U.S. military involvement lead to a more generous resettlement effort similar to the resettlement of Iraqi refugees?

3. Will non-involvement mean that Assad completes his victory over the rebels and thus permanently displace those who have become refugees?

The following paragraph is maintained for archival purposes.  I think it helps us to understand the pressure points behind the U.S. resettlement announcement.  I wrote it in June 2013:

I suspect that Canada's recent announcement to resettle paves the way for the United States to make a similar announcement.  Incidentally, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has just publicly called upon the US to open their doors to Syrian refugees.  In a press release, Archbishop Jose Gomez said, "We have an obligation to help these vulnerable populations, including and especially the most vulnerable refugees: unaccompanied minors and those that have become victims of human trafficking." Gomez called the US the "world's leader in protecting refugees" and wants to see the country do much more in the face of this crisis.

Tweets about "syrian refugees"


Questions for Churches and Ministries to Consider:

1. Syrian refugees will not have spent decades in refugee camps like the Bhutanese or the refugees from Burma. They will not be as far separated from the horrors of war. How can we bring hope and wholeness to them? How will we address emotional, physical, relational needs?

2. There are likely to be larger numbers of fatherless families resettled due to two things.  First, over three-quarters of Syrian refugees are women and children (men being involved in the fighting).  Second, the UN is especially emphasizing the most vulnerable for resettlement to Western nations.  How will you prepare to address this?

3. Do you know where the nearest refugee resettlement agency is in your community?  If not, leave a comment below and I will help you locate it.  Have you begun a relationship with that agency?

4.  Have you begun or are you partnering with another organization to offer ESL (English as a Second Language)?  If so, how can you prepare your church/group to double your capacity for the number of students you can handle?  For related ministries which are attractive and helpful to refugees, consider how you can double their capacities within the next 2 years.

5. How much Arabic do you know? Have you learned anything about Islam?  Do you know where are the local stores and markets which sell "halal" products?  Prepare yourself now so that when Syrians come to your cities you will be better able to befriend them.

6. Do you know were refugees are initially resettled in your area?  Do you know where they tend to move to after 3-4 years?  Can you predict where resettlement will take place over the next decade?  Since new refugees often have transportation challenges (no cars or driver's licenses) are your ministries accessible to them?

Resources to Consult:

There are too many resources to mention.  For now, let me suggest a couple things:

1. The Latest on the Syrian Refugee Crisis:  Make it a point to check out the United Nations site devoted to the Syrian Refugee Crisis. http://syrianrefugees.eu/.  This site isn't being updated as regularly as I would like, so also check out http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/syria.php.  Surf with discernment through other sites realizing that there is an especially large amount of anti-resettlement sentiment against the Syrian refugees due to the fact that they are predominantly Muslim.  Additionally:

• The UNHCR YouTube Channel has some compelling videos on the situation. I also like to keep an eye on Journeyman Pictures for the same reason.
• Angelina Jolie has been serving as a UN Special Envoy to Syria and has released a video report that is also worth watching.

2. Missions and Missiological Preparation:  I recommend that you read up on diaspora missions (here and/or here) and consider taking the Perspectives course within the next two years so that you can gain a better sense of God's heart for the nations.  Regardless of what happens with this specific crisis, it is clear that the Lord is bringing many of the world's least-reached peoples to areas of the world where they suddenly have unprecedented access to the Gospel.  Followers of Christ should be embracing this growing phenomenon.

BREAKING: The United States Opens Doors for Syrian Refugees

Photo by Trocaire

[PREPARE FOR THE SYRIAN TIDAL WAVE]

Foreign Policy has an exclusive story posted yesterday announcing that the United States will open its doors to 2,000 Syrian refugees.  This follows a similar announcement from Canada just a couple months ago and daily news updates on how the humanitarian crisis for the refugees is growing more and more desperate.

Here is a quote from the FP exclusive:

The numbers are relatively small: just 2,000 refugees, compared to an estimated two million people who have fled Syria during the civil war. But it's a significant increase from the 90 or so Syrian refugees who have been permanently admitted to the U.S. in the last two years. And it's not entirely uncontroversial. The refugees, mostly women and children, will be screened for terrorist ties -- a process that could take a year or more to complete. 

If nothing changes from this initial announcement (which is unlikely), we can expect to welcome new Syrian refugee families in the first half of 2014.  My expectation, of course, is that there will be changes to this announcement.  After the November elections, I expect that efforts will be made to make the US public more aware of how winter weather is making the Syrian crisis more intolerable.  Perhaps by the end of the year or beginning of 2014, we may see a larger announcement.  The Church needs to get ready to welcome these new neighbors!

If this is your first exposure to the issue, please read my primer article: "Bracing for the Syrian Tidal Wave: Preparation Points for North American Churches" as well as my "Open Letter to Displaced Syrians".  If you are hungry for more, you can check out everything I've posted on the Syrian refugee crisis here.

A Report on Suicide among Bhutanese Refugees

Photo by nahlinse

Here is a recent article reporting on a study conducted among Bhutanese-Nepalis on the topic of suicide.  Some of you will recall my post from earlier this year on this issue.  This article from Psychiatric Annals, says the suicide rate among the Bhutanese refugees is nearly double the US national average.

The article also provides a list of contributing factors, which is helpful. However, in my opinion, the big question remains as to why the suicide rate among Bhutanese refugees is so much higher than other refugee groups who experience so many of the same issues including poverty, PTSD, depression, identity loss, etc.  When I read the article, I want to ask the researchers what is unique about the Bhutanese!  In the end, the true answer may be something that this kind of research just can't get at.  I'm personally beginning to feel that there may be a "spirit of suicide and death" over the Bhutanese refugees - a kind of spiritual stronghold that needs to be broken.

Since I have readers from all kinds of backgrounds, I'm sure that will come off as very odd thing to say.  If that's how you feel, I welcome your thoughts one why suicide is so prevalent among these people - people I love so much.

Here's the article:

Suicidal ideation among refugees associated with resettlement issues | Psychiatry: "The annual suicide rate among those who had resettled in the US could be as high as 24.4 per 100,000, exceeding the estimated global suicide rate (16 per 100,000) and that among US residents (12.4 per 100,000)."

The Displacement of Syrians is Leading to a Massive Sex Trafficking Crisis

Lord, have mercy!

The Syrian refugee crisis is a global emergency.  May the United States, Canada, and many other nations step in immediately and provide humanitarian aid, security support, and resettlement.

The following videos will disturb you.  Here's what we've been saying.  The refugee crisis resulting from the violence in Syria has created an overwhelming refugee crisis.  The camps are overcrowded and growing every day.  Most of the refugees are women and children (like 75-80%).  They are vulnerable and now evil men are taking advantage of the situation.  Unless drastic action is taken immediately, we may be on the verge of one of the worst trafficking situations in history.

After watching, let me encourage you to share this post with others.  Also, if you are a church leader (or if you know a church leader) read and share my post on how churches should prepare for the coming Syrian "tidal wave".  Then, read and add your endorsement to my "Open Letter to Displaced Syrians".  Or you can check out all my posts on the Syrian crisis here.

Syria's Sex Slaves


The Price of Refuge