BOTH DISCERNMENT AND COMPASSION REQUIRED TO PROCESS SYRIAN REFUGEES

Over the last few weeks the partisan banter related to Syrian refugees has reached a fevered pitch.    I sense it’s time to be very candid and maybe even break a few pastoral confidences.   I spent 19 years serving East Africa in church development, education, and media.  About 10 years ago I started to conceptualize I may have a USA posting.   At that point I met every immigrant I could when I visited America. When I took a USA posting 3 years ago I went full bore on meeting as many immigrants as possible. I'd guess I've interacted with over 1,000 and maybe as many as 2,000 immigrants.     With many immigrants their context is new to me, and I have lots of cultural learning to do.     However, if they are from Africa’s Great Lakes I know the context well.   The region has a history of conflict.   Some come to America as refugees.  I've twice interacted with an African immigrant that I quickly realized most in his “home” nation would consider a war criminal. I've a couple other times had some strong suspicions. I was struck with how naive the American immigration system can be. I've felt that in the political rhetoric of the day the vetting process was inadequate.    With these experiences a terrorist entering the United States under the cover of refugee status seems a distinct possibility.  

I've also been friends and maybe even the pastor for USA embassy personnel who do the immigration interviews. I've been amazed at the pace the work. My conversations that lead me to judgment take hours. Their conversations and work pace only allow a few minutes. They are horribly overworked. Time constraints will mean they miss details. All I've known have leaned heavily towards a sense of when in doubt don't issue a visa.   My experience with USA government immigration and refugees sees naivety grown by partisan banter with an under resourced staff.

Yet, I also see that immigrants represent the values that most resonate with my interpretation of the ideals of America.  They are more likely to be employed than native born Americans. Asian and African immigrants are twice as well educated as native born Americans. Almost all immigrant groups have lower rates of divorce. They have more kids. Their children are more likely to be born to married parents.  They attend church more often. They reason in community. Their homes are multi-generational. They have higher rates of entrepreneurial success. Though I'm currently a political abstainer I tend to vote conservative. I find my conservative family values are more represented in immigrants to America than in native born Americans.

The partisan banter about immigration strikes me as paranoid. It’s driven by fear. My boss told me over and over again to fear not. His answer to fear was to act out of sacrifice, courage, and compassion. Love always overcomes fear.

Pragmatically it is a minuscule number of refugees who are really terrorists. Yes, the vetting process should be improved. Hire more people. Slow down the interviews. Get some Americans who well know the cultural details as consultants. Yet, recognize the relationship networks that bring potential terrorists to America are already here. The USA economy and low birth rates of native born Americans created the surge in immigration. The immigration river can't be stopped, but it can be stewarded. Closing borders and banter only fuels the social and economic reasons that create the frustrations that fuel terrorism. 

Another pragmatic is to recognize most Iraqi and Syrian refugees are fleeing the terror of ISIS. Allowing them to become part of the American experience will strengthen the security of America. They bring knowledge that can be channeled to make America's security forces wiser. Practically when refugees find education, employment, and opportunity in the USA the internet gives them a voice of reason back "home."

My American Evangelical family when you are tempted to blindly bash Syrian refugees please read your Bible.  It shows that refugee communities have always changed their “home” nations.  Just follow Daniel, Nehemiah, and Paul's refugee journey.

As an American Evangelical whose bottom line is evangelism what price will we pay if our immigration policy prevents a Daniel, Nehemiah, or Paul from entering our borders?   Both discernment and compassion are required to process Syrian refugees.

GUEST BLOGGER: SOPHIA JENKINS - MISSIONARY KID REFLECTIONS ON THE USA REFUGEE CRISIS OF UNDOCUMENTED CHILDREN

Sophia as baby on the back in Uganda, 1993

Growing up in East Africa, I have many friends who were born in times of trouble, war, and genocide. Often when given the opportunity their families left their countries in order to save the lives of their children. My friends lived in refugee camps and were fed by relief efforts of wealthier nations. Neighboring countries opened their arms providing refugee children with the opportunities to go to school and gave their parents jobs. I did not fully understand the complexity when I was a small child in Uganda; and my best friend was not Ugandan, but Rwandan. Our favorite thing to do was sit under the jack fruit tree’s at church, tell stories, and take turns on the swing. As children our stories never involved violence and abuse.  My friend and I were blessed to live with our parents in safety.

 As I grew older and lived in Rwanda, one of my best friends in high school was

Doreen Rwigamba and her dad who served with others to stop Genocide

born in Uganda during times of trouble. Her father served in the Rwandan Patriotic Front, and she and I talked much of war and politics that raged throughout sub-Saharan Africa past and present. We had the luxury of attending a school where we were taught to engage in public issues and social change, because we were all aware of how our country Rwanda and the region was changing all around us.

Now I live in the US, and it is very easy for me to forget about the ugly, war ravaged places in the world. It is very easy for me to go through out my day and never once read the news. I am grateful that I still have friends and family, who continue to share stories that are often ignored.

          This week I have not been able to avoid the stories on my Facebook feed or the news on my television. I am bewildered and disgusted by watching the stories on the US News. If a nation in the global south had between 60,000 and 80,000 children cross their border fleeing violence the western media would call it a "refugee crisis."(http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/07/13/opinion/sunday/a-refugee-crisis-not-an-immigration-crisis.html?referrer=,
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/latest-columns/20140629-refusing-sanctuary-to-children-in-need.ece.)

2011 Kigali International Community School Graduates

How do we show compassion to these children? I do not know what I can do to make a change. I am overwhelmed with questions.  How can we provide for these children? How can we welcome them into America? (http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/immigration-border-crisis/some-towns-immigrants-met-aid-instead-anger-n148956, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bethany-anderson/unaccompanied-alien-child_b_5555584.html?utm_content=buffer3f3a1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer.)

          On the news I see plenty of discussion centered on border control, more agents, more guns, and very little discussion on protection of the most innocent and vulnerable. My father reminded me of some African stories.   President Kagame and Museveni when they guarded borders would let children cross and protected them from men with guns. Many of the children who are coming to the US have been victims of rape, abuse, their lives have been threatened.  Yet in response the most common public response is to say, “Return to your country.” I question this line of deportation thought that encourages children to go back to their abusers; the drug lords and gangs that control their homes.

         

Sophia and Doreen Rwigamba

Today I am grateful for the resources, the compassion of the church, African nations (and others) who cared for my friends when they lived for a season as refugees. I am praying that the same or even better treatment, care and compassion can be extended to the thousands of children that are fleeing Central America for the United States (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-wallis/the-moral-failure-of-immi_b_5557775.html.)

 I fervently ask, “Lord Jesus send us Your hope, provide a way for the most hopeless in our world. As Your people we often strip the dignity away from the most deserving. Remind us that You yourself came as a child. Jesus You fled to Egypt as a refugee. When I cry out in confusion and grief for these children, I am reminded that You are there with them. You have experienced their pain, and You are caring for each child now. Teach me, teach Your church, Your people how to love the way You love and to see the humanity in each child You have created”

KIGALI AS I SEE HER: RESPONSE TO PEOPLE MAGAZINE'S ARTICLE ON CHRISTINE AGUILERA'S VISIT TO RWANDA

Christine Aguilera visiting Rwanda

This morning as I started my morning ritual of checking emails, news, and social media two Rwandan friends, Denis Kamugisha and Ndahiro Emmanuel drew my attention to a recent article in People Magazine on Christina Aguilera’s June 2013 trip to Rwanda (http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20738743,00.html.)  The article states, 

“Christina Aguilera knew visiting war-torn Rwanda would be eye-opening. But it wasn't until she spent time in Kigali, Rwanda, on a hunger relief mission this June – visiting refugee camps and seeing the severe poverty firsthand – that she discovered just how profoundly moving the experience would be.”

Though the article promotes godly values such as empathy and compassion People Magazine’s article was based on inaccurate assumptions.   In that process I believe it created an inaccurate perception of both Kigali and Rwanda that merits correction.   The Kigali People Magazine describes is one I have never seen.  

First, there is no war in Rwanda.    There was a war fought from 1990 to 1994 that resulted in the

2020 Vision Estate, Kigali, Rwanda

1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.   Now Rwanda and her capital city of Kigali are some of the safest places you can find.     

Rwanda has occasionally suffered incursions and grenade explosions in markets from the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR) based in Eastern Congo.    The FDLR is largely made up of the remnants of those who perpetrated the Genocide in 1994 that retreated to Congo.   Also, Eastern Congo has been plagued with civil unrest and war for a number of years in which various militia groups (which include the FDLR) operate.   

I am currently living in the American city of Chicago.   Some call Chicago, “The murder capital of America.”   The reality is that Chicago has some tough violent neighborhoods.   Yet, it also has some delightful neighborhoods, and great educational and economic opportunities.    African Diaspora are flocking to Chicago (http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/international/2013/08/05/spc-inside-africa-chicago-a.cnn.)   It would be both inaccurate and hurtful to Chicago for Diaspora to repeat the negative stereotypes.    I don’t know any Diaspora who communicates about Chicago in stereotypes.   I believe Rwanda and Kigali deserve the same dignity.   

Secondly, I am unaware of a refugee camp in Kigali.    However, some refugees do find their way to Kigali.    Most Kigali refugees that I know find extended family with which they live.   Also, most refugees that I know in Kigali are educated professionals who soon find employment.   Kigali offers hospitality and opportunity which should be praised.

 

The refugee camp visited by Ms. Aguilera was in Kigeme.   The Kigeme camp is populated largely by Congolese refugees that Rwanda has graciously received (http://www.wfp.org/stories/christina-aguilera-and-yum-brands-fight-world-hunger-new-psa.)  

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees reports, 

“Rwanda hosts another 43,000 refugees, more than 99 per cent of whom are also from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The majority of these refugees live in three camps, in Gihembe, Kiziba and Nyabiheke, with a small number residing in the capital, Kigali. This brings the total of refugees and asylum-seekers in Rwanda to more than 57,600. The worsening security situation in the DRC limits these refugees' prospects for return (http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e45c576.html.)”

Besides these inaccuracies there is a YouTube video explaining Ms. Aguilera’s trip that though it may show accurate scenes from Kigali likely creates inaccurate perceptions (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aP46YKM-Dg.)  From my perspective inaccurate perceptions actually increase the likelihood of poverty becoming systematic. The video shows Ms. Aguilera with children singing and dancing.   It also shows Ms. Aguilera cooking food, and distributing school supplies.   She says in referring to hunger, “It is time for us to do something about it.”

Kigali is a city of paradoxes.   It has a growing middle class.   The city is not only safe, but clean.   Universities are thriving.   Yet, a portion of Kigali is poor.   I agree with Ms. Aguilera that it is time to do something about poverty.

I suggest the best answer can be found in the dreams of the Rwandan people.   Those of us who

do not carry Rwanda passports should show our concern by first listening.   We should read the 2020 Vision (http://edprs.rw/?q=content/vision-2020.)   Then we should adapt our plans to best fit Rwanda’s dream.   The vision is to transform Rwanda into a middle income country with a knowledge based economy.    The pragmatics of the plan calls for investment in education and business.The images the Western media creates of Rwanda many times negatively affect the implementation of this vision.    Long-term investors in business and education are most stirred by images of hope.   Rwanda has many and these images are the ones that should be most seen.

 

If we from the United States feel compelled to address the Congolese refugee situation in Rwanda I offer two suggestions.   First, it is time to cease enabling the Congolese conflict (For further reflections see http://hekimagreatlakesmessenger.blogspot.com/2013/08/pastoral-reflections-on-congo-stop_30.html.)   Second at the risk of rumor mongering, I have been hearing persistent rumors that some of the Congolese refugees in Rwanda may soon be resettled in the United States.   We should be praying about this rumor.   If it does happen we need to rally American good will to match the hospitality and kindness of Rwanda.

Thank you Ms. Aguilera for displaying compassion to the Congolese refugees in Rwanda.   I ask that People Magazine correct the inaccuracies in their story on Ms. Aguilera’s visit to Rwanda.