I borrowed Stefano Massini’s monologue to share my thoughts about Europe’s migration crisis because I have no more words. - Thank you for listening Written by @stefanomassini.official Translation and adaptation by Ginevra Tortora Originally streamed by @piazzapulitala7 on 17 March 2023
Wahel, a nine year old kid. Wahel, a good kid. Wahel grading school. Wahel's pencil is always sharp. Wahel. One day the teacher asked to draw cars in school. And Wahel was the only one who drew windshield wipers. Jeez, how smart is Wahel? So good. Wahel. It's not like every child draws windshield wipers when someone's asked to draw cars. Bravo, Wahel. Well done, Rahel. He's so bright. He's the first one to arrive at school in the morning. Always the first one. Despite what happens at night, Wahel can't sleep. He really can't. He hasn't slept for a long time. Since he and his family arrived in Turkey from Syria. They went to Turkey because their house exploded during the war. They had nothing left. So his parents took their children and left. They traveled to Turkey. Wahel's mom risked being raped twice before his eyes one night. So Wahel asked his father, it's not like they will get us here too, right?
Wahel was terrified that they would get him at night at home in Turkey. And his father, who is a veterinary, said, la Wachel Walla, don't worry, they won't come get you, Wachel. But now he can't sleep. Wahel never sleeps at night, so he's always the first one to sit down in class in the morning. Wahel. He's a good kid. Wahel. He's witty. Wahel. Wahel plays in a way you'd never expect. Once he caught the tablecloth in the house and ran away with it. Where did Wahel go? And where's the tablecloth? Wahel had it. Wahel was on the streets playing pirate with the tablecloth on his shoulders, while everyone else played pirate with a sword. Wahel didn't care about swords. He was playing pirate with an old watch in his hand. And when they asked him, what's the watch for, Wahel? He said, that's only until I get a compass. Why a compass, Wahel? Because at least I know where to go. And why don't you know where to go? I don't know.
Because when they were coming to get us at night in our home in Syria and they wanted to rape my mother, we were told we had to leave. So we came here to Turkey. And now people are spitting on us in the streets. And they tried to burn our house down because they say we have to go back home. But we can't go back home. Back home they wanna rape my mom. All of this is to say that one day in October 2019 one day Wahel came back to his house with a rope. And nobody what is Rahel doing with that rope? Because Wahel always played with strange things, like that time with that tablecloth. So nobody thought, what is Wahel doing today with that piece of rope? The next day Wahel Al Saud, that was his name, was found hanging. He died by suicide at 9 years old, hanging at the gate of the cemetery. Why did you do it, Wahel? Because at school all the kids were telling him to go back there, go back to your home. Why did you come here? Go back home.
When the teacher heard, she threw him out of the class, not the others. Maybe she threw him out of the class because the teacher also thought that these Syrians should go back home. We can't go on like this. Migrants can't keep coming here. So much talk, so many words, big experts blabbing smart things on talk shows. We can't go on like this. Migrants can't keep coming here. Why don't they stay in their countries? We should get them back there. People say that while sinking in their couches, they never risked their wives getting raped or seeing their houses on fire. Nobody spit at them in the streets. It never crossed their mind that their nine year old son would die by suicide by hanging himself at the gate of the cemetery. So every time I hear migrants can't keep coming here, we should get em back there. I answer, that's only because your son probably never died by suicide, hanging at the gate of the cemetery.
If you had a nine year old who risked dying hanging at the gate of the cemetery, maybe would you also take your family and get on a dinghy boat? I would.
