Hassan al-Kontar, a Syrian refugee who is living in a Kuala Lumpur airport’s terminal since last 130 days. This Syrian refugee isn’t allowed to leave the airport as his passport has been revoked by the Syrian government for not fighting with the government in the Syrian civil war. He wants nothing more than to be able to leave the airport he’s been calling home since early March.
The Emigration authorities captured him and jailed and later deported to Malaysia as its one of the few countries who is allowing the Syrian refugee only with an arrival visa for 90 days. But since Malaysia is not a signatory of 1951 refugee convention or the 1967 protocol, that is why they cannot him a refugee visa.
His protest is drawing fresh attention to his country’s civil war, which began in 2011 and has left around 5, 00,000 people dead.
He says “Enough is enough, war is not an answer and it’s not the solution. It’s other’s war in our land and we are the guys who refuse to be a part of this war and refuse to be a part of the killing machine, which destroys our houses or to kill our own people. Yet we are blamed for the price of this war. No one cared on a human level. Here is something wrong with the international system. 1481 Syrians have been killed because of the airstrike from the USA and their allies, yet we have a travel ban.”
He has also been a vocal opponent of the U.S. travel ban which includes several Muslim- majority countries. “It’s your duty to stop invading our country, we are not the ones who have troops in American soil, et we are having a travel ban in America.”
He’s received a significant amount of help from people sympathetic to his plight, including from the group of Canadian and American supporters who brought him a mattress – allowing him to sleep below a stairwell, instead of on airport chairs or floors.
To pass the time, Al Kontar video chats with his mother surfs the Internet, and reaches out, tirelessly, to aid agencies, non-governmental organizations, and immigration officials—anyone who might be able to help his case. He also tweets, narrating his strange new life through selfie videos.
A change.org petition has been signed to migrate him to Canada and it has generated tens of thousands of signatures. “There’s a lot of moments of depression but as long as there is a hope at the end of the tunnel, you will keep yourself working. It’s like you are rediscovering your soul,” says al-Kontar.
You can help him and sign a petition on change.org through this below link
SIASAT NEWS.