UNC Charlotte College of Liberal Arts is hosting a free program, Witness in Residence: Stories of Syrian Refugees, on Tuesday, April 18th, 2017, at 6:30 p.m., at UNC Charlotte Center City, 320 East 9th Street. Age 18+.
This event is a public conversation with refugeesZubair Rushk and Amira Elamri about their experiences in war-torn Syria and their journey to the U.S. and is part of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences’ Witness in Residence initiative.
Even before the current civil war began, Syria was torn apart by regional alliances and differences in culture, history and language. Zubair Rushk defied authorities by opening an illegal school in his home to teach the Kurdish language and history to Kurdish children. After being incarcerated for this offense, he sought asylum in Lebanon in 2005. He was selected in 2010 for the U.S. refugee resettlement program and has since made his home in Cary, NC with his wife.
Amira Elamri, her husband and their two children escaped the Syrian civil war in 2013. After nine moves within Syria and one to Lebanon to escape violence, they arrived in the U.S. with tourist visas. They left behind friends and extended family, many of whom have since been killed by bombings. The couple now have work visas and live in the Boston, MA, area, waiting for their Asylum applications to be approved. Elamri teaches in a Muslim preschool. She will join the conversation via videoconference.
Doors open at 6:00 p.m., and the program will begin at 6:30 p.m. The program is open to the public without charge, but registration is requested.
Charles Kurzman, professor of sociology and co-director of the Carolina Center for the Study of Middle East and Muslim Civilizations at UNC Chapel Hill, will provide historical context and facilitate discussion. Poet Susan Shaw Sailer, English professor emerita of the English Department at West Virginia University in Morgantown, will read a new poem about Syrian refugees.
Parking: Complimentary at 422 E. 9th Street with special event permit; information about obtaining a permit will be emailed to those who register a few days before the event.
Other details: Thanks to generous donors from the community, the Anabel Aliaga-Buchenau Witness in Residence Initiative provides Study Abroad Scholarships for student experiences related to human rights and social justice. It also brings to the campus and the community individuals who have personally witnessed an important world event from within that event.
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