It is the many beautiful conversations with you that now accompany me through the hours.
There is so much to do at the moment! Lots of new things! Before we had so much to do with happy things, finding school places, apprenticeships, congratulating German certificates, etc., now of course our work goes hand in hand with what "wind" is blowing towards you!
when I know you in Afghanistan, when I hear your fears, your loneliness, your pain, just because Austria does not manage to give a new home to a few thousand people who have lost everything.
And sitting next to me is a 15 year old Afghan, Yousuf, a pupil, an incredibly dear boy, who 2 days earlier was torn out of bed at 6.20 in the morning by several police officers with his brother, Ehsan, a painter's apprentice from Ried, Upper Austria, in order to deport him to Afghanistan.....puhh, then your words of love in Austria take on great meaning.
Ehsan and Yousuf, the two brothers: arrested together, in the detention centre. They have to leave their "own flat, made with their own hands" in 5 minutes, as the "little one" tells me, "you know, robe, carpets, dishes, we have a nice flat, worked for it ourselves".
The policemen tell them in passing "return to Afghanistan, quickly, quickly, we don't have time!" You know better than I do what that triggers.
Then they separate the brothers, throw the 15-year-old boy out onto the street, say his brother is being deported because the police notice that the guardian is not there. For one day he wanders back and forth alone between Caritas, Bfa and elsewhere to know where the person is who gives him support at the age of 15, who loves him, who is his home, whom he loves, his brother.
And then I know you are sitting in this country where war, assassinations, cruelty are the order of the day.
You are in your hiding place, many, impressively many, read your lines, support where they can, are very affected.
And you are so strong in your loneliness, your pain, your fear, because you say you trust in our right and our love.
Then it comforts me so much, because I know that everything is possible. That the wounds of the "little one" heal, that you come back and that people say NO, this must not happen!
No, we don't want our country to have no compassion for people who are exposed to unimaginable stress.
NO, we don't want people to be deported to countries like Afghanistan, because there, after the peace of the nights, they almost don't get a wink of sleep, because the fear is a thousand times greater than before.
Breathing peace makes you even more sensitive.
You know, Jan, I imagine once a day what it will be like when you come home. And I ask myself, will we, the people, laugh or cry?
When you tell us your story of hiding, will we say "NEVER again", or will we listen to you and the next ones will be picked up in the village next door?
You speak of the love of the people here, of their compassion, their kindness, you give me hope, you give me comfort.
I trust you, dear friend, so I go in search of them and I will find them in great numbers.
And you, Yousuf, ehsan, Matin and all the other Afghans will receive compassion and support.
#justiceforafghanes
#beassured
I believe and trust in justice and in love and MANY of us are not giving up the fight for you and the others because as you describe us we have a great responsibility to you, that of your trust!
I hug you, think of you and wish that one day you will be able to look at what you are wearing now in freedom here in Austria.