Syria

 

A Nightmare

You wake in darkness, the noises around you deafening.  You hear gun shots, screams, cries, banging, thumping, shrieking.  You are momentarily numb with confusion and terror.  You spring from bed, driven by fear and instinct, running to your child.  Running to protect your family.  As you run to your child's room, you collide with something hard.  It hits you in the face, the chest, the legs.  The butt of a gun?  Fists?   You are stunned, winded and knocked hard to the ground.  Yet still you rise, driven to your child by instinct and adrenaline.  Bright lights shine in your face and many hands grab, pull, beat and restrain you.  Loud voices ring in your ears, but you can only hear the distressed sounds of you child.  Your heart pounds in your chest and a sick feeling rises in your stomach.  Men in military outfits surround you and you watch helplessly, begging, pleading, crying out for help as many uniformed men with guns and sharp blades enter your child's room. You struggle with all your might, but again are beaten down by fists and guns.  You listen to your child cry for what seems like an eternity, then a shot rings out and they are silenced.  Your child is silenced, forever.  You topple to the ground, a ball of rage, pain, and terror.  Screams escape your mouth that seem to come from the bowels of the earth and you give in....you lie on the ground, shaking, shrieking and vomiting as the final gunshot rings out and you are finally silenced.  No one came as you cried out for help, or pleaded for the life of your child.

What you have read above is my nightmare.  I am lucky, for me this is only a bad dream.  Was it hard to read?  It was hard to write.  Yet still it was only a dream. A fleeting fear which I am never likely to have to face in this country.

For the people of Syria this is not a nightmare.  This is a reality.  A week ago 108 people were killed in Houla, Syria, 49 of them were children. Slaughtered with knifes and guns at the hands of their government's army.  Entire families wiped out.  Their cries for help silenced.  Their voices silenced.  You can see it on the news, read it in the papers if you don't turn away.  Please don't turn away.  It is hard to see and to read but the people of Syria need someone to answer their pleas, to hear their cries.  Their lives, and voices have been stolen.  They are helpless.  Unless we help.  I don't want this to be a reality for anyone.

So lets do what we can.  It may not seem like much, but we need your voice.  If you do one thing, please sign the Save The Children Petition.

You can also sign the Amnesty Petition and the Avaaz Petition.  

You could even write a post and link it on Britmums or tweet your support.

The Syrian Government have stolen the lives and voices of so many, lend them your voice. Speak out for those who have been lost, to protect those who can still be saved.

Thank you.