Still Small Voices

A teenagers story

What follows is an interview I did with a young asylum seekers I know. To protect his identity I’ve not used his real name, but all the other details are factually correct. In a few days I’ll post a separate post reflecting upon this "interview".

ME - Sam how long have you lived in the UK?

Sam - Six Years

ME - What country are from and apart from stories you’ve been told or things you’ve seen on TV or read, what can you remember about it?

Sam - I was from Rwanda. I can remember some things, the Sun, trees, the kinds of houses and roads and the people selling things at the side of the roads.

ME - How old were you when you left Rwanda?

Sam - I was seven years old.

ME - Tell me what you like about Scotland?

Sam - Freedom - because it’s safer you can go outside by yourself, you don’t need your parents with you.

I like the people, they are friendly.

I like the look of the houses and the schools.

ME - what do you not like about Scotland?

Sam - There’s nothing I don’t like about Scotland.....hmm except the weather sometimes.

ME - Have you experienced problems because you are an asylum seeker?

Sam - Yes. In the beginning racist names, people would throw water balloons from the high flats at us. People who came to visit us, people from the church, they got their cars smashed.

I still get called names, but just once in a while.

ME - Is it safe to go out and play where you live?

Sam - My mum used to have to come and watch over us to make sure we were OK. Now I can go and play football on my own. When we play football we all play together, it does not matter where we are from.

[it wasn’t always like that]. In the beginning when me and my big brother wanted to play football people just walked away when we asked for a game. As they kids got to know us they realised we were just like them. They would touch our skin and see we were just the same as them. Perhaps they had believed stuff in the press.

There are fights at the football pitches, but it’s not a racist thing.

ME - What would you like to do when you leave school?

Sam - Join the Army to fly planes.

ME - Do you mean the RAF?

Sam - Yes the RAF, [me - why?], because it interests me. I wanted to fly Spitfires but they don't do them anymore, perhaps now a Tornado.

ME - Someone told me that when you were younger you wanted to be a soldier when you grew up. Is that true and why?

Sam - Yes, but my Mum says she’ll disown me if I left to become a soldier. I’ve always been interested in guns, I guess mainly from the action movies I’ve watched with me brother and also when you join the Army you might get a scholarship to go to uni. I wanted to train as a surgeon.

ME - What’s your favourite sport?

Sam - Football

ME - What’s you favourite football team?

Sam - Roma. I watched them on TV and the captain was really good.

ME - Do you feel Rwandasee, Scottish or a mix of both?

Sam - I feel a mixture of both cause I’ve lived nearly half my life here now.

ME - when your at home what language do you speak and can you read or write in your native language?

Sam - with my sisters and brother I speak English, but with my Mum Rwandis. I can read Rwandis but not write. I’ve asked my Mum to teach me but she gave up because of all the mistakes I made. She still wants to teach me but it’s hard.

ME - Could you be sent back to Rwanda?

Sam - Yes I’m still an asylum seeker. In XXXXXX it will be seven years that we’ve been here so we will apply for residency.

ME - Do you know what tribe your from?

Sam - I never knew if I was Hutu or Tutsi until I watched Hotel Rwanda and then my Mum told me. I had asked her before but she would not tell me. [Sam’s Mum had spoken to me last year about this. She was concerned that if he knew if he was Hutu or Tutsi then he may become suspicious of other asylum seekers near by who were from the other people group. If he did not know then he could continue to be friends with them].

ME - how did the film make you feel?

Sam - I only got to watch ½ of it then my Mum stopped it. I was interested to find out what happened in Rwanda. I don’t remember what happened, they [his older brother, Mum and sisters] they hide all that stuff from me. If I ask my sisters to tell me they run and tell my Mum, who then gets upset. My Mum and big brother know the most about what went on, but they keep me in the dark.

My Mum asked me if I wanted to return to Rwanda, but I don’t know anyone there now. We have family there but I don’t know them they are strangers to me. My life is in Scotland now.

Reflection on the Glasgow Attack

I've been away for a week, thus way from email and all the trappings of modern communication. Sitting in my in-box upon my return was the following email which I thought was worth posting here. It's from Rhoda who works at The Well Asian Information & Advice Centre here on the South Side of Glasgow.

The attack on

Glasgow

Airport

at the weekend brings the reality of terrorist attacks very close.

I’m sure many people have very many mixed emotions – indeed the comment I hear most frequently is “How could Doctors do such a thing?”

As has been the pattern in recent years when major incidents have happened, The Well is at the heart of bridge building between the Christian & Muslim communities.

On Monday morning the first woman who came to see me sat down in my office and said “Rhoda I am so ashamed of what happened in

Glasgow

on Saturday” We talked about it, but I think she was just grateful to have somewhere she could express her feelings.

Since Saturday the streets have been noticeably quieter, with people apparently only going out if they have to, and even then in groups of at least 3.  Even these past few days I have noticed more women wearing the Niqab – possibly to make themselves feel safer?

You can almost hear the relief of the Pakistani community that so far the arrests have not included any Pakistanis, and no British born.  However I feel a real concern for the many other nationalities that are here, anyone from the

Middle East

must be feeling very vulnerable, whether they be professionals, employed in the health service, or asylum seekers & refugees.  The knowledge that “one of theirs” has done this, almost inevitably will cast a suspicion on them – if even unwittingly.

If you know anyone from a Middle Eastern background, then please pray for them, and encourage them. If you using public transport then make a point of sitting beside those of another race or colour.

In life events we can say “this too will pass” and life will return to some type of normality, but as Christians we must look to the bigger picture and see how can God can turn this all around for good.

We appreciate your prayers and concern for us all at this time.

Thank you

Rhoda Yarmahmoudi

Community Worker