What Refugees in Greece Think About the Paris Attacks

It's Sunday morning in Lesvos and life on the Greek island is waking up under the warm sun. You can see the lines of refugees' wet clothes spread out to dry in every corner of town; the sleeping bags on the waterfront have become an integral part of the landscape. In the harbor, tens of people line up in front of the ferry companies' kiosks to buy tickets that will get them one step further into Europe. Others sit around smoking a hookah or eating falafel in local restaurants that have adapted their menus to fit the tastes of the newcomers.

I approach a few groups and find out that some have not heard anything about the terrorist attacks that took place only a couple of nights ago in Paris. "We've been traveling for three days and three nights—it's been impossible to get any news from anywhere. What happened?" a few ask me.

Others refuse to speak about it, seemingly worried about what they will encounter in the course of their journey. Here's what a few of the people I met around the harbor of Lesvos had to say about Friday's attack on the French capital.

Naturally, after the attack on Paris, Arabs will face many problems because they'll now say that all jihadists come illegally from Syria via Greece. But in fact, the terrorists may have been born in France or be from Turkey or any other country. Our children are the ones paying that price unfortunately. They are innocent, unarmed, and all we want is to bring them to a safe place where you can eat, play, and study.

All Arab countries face a horrible situation. There is no money, no electricity, no water. My daughter got sick in Lebanon because of the huge piles of uncollected trash. Our most basic human rights have been violated. We want to feel clean, externally and internally. Being a Muslim means staying away from terrorism. Islam speaks of harmony and cooperation—not bloodshed. Those attacks do not represent us but tarnish the image of all Muslims. We are proud people and we want to have rights. I am grateful to all countries that welcome us with a smile.

It is absolutely foolish to believe that the attack was carried out by Syrians against countries that now help us, such as France and Germany. These countries opened their doors to us. None of the Arab countries—like Lebanon, Jordan, or Saudi Arabia—told us to "come stay." If the Islamic State carried out the attack, it is unfair to accuse us all. Who strengthened the Islamic State? All the major forces involved. And IS does not believe in any religion—it's all politics.

I understand there is now mistrust in Europe but we are not all the same. I want to continue my studies in medicine and become a cardiologist. If the war in Syria ends, I'll be the first to return. Syria is my country—I love it. Nobody wants to leave, that's why we waited five years before making the decision to move. My family lost our home, our money, everything. We walked down the street while bombs exploded. If we do not come to Europe, we will all die.

We both dream of just being able to do our jobs in a country where we feel safe. Germany already receives many Syrians and we thought we better not go there because we don't want to be a burden. If France blames refugees for the attack, then surely we are in a very difficult position. But if people like us have no place to live in our countries and risk dying on our way out, then why carry out such an attack?

Those who did this say they are Muslims—they are not. No religion teaches terrorism. We read about Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism—none of them motivates you to kill. Our heart aches for those killed in Paris and we send our condolences. Whoever did this has wrongly ruined the relationship Europe has with refugees.

The situation in Afghanistan is very difficult because of IS. I could not go to school or get a job because it was too dangerous. I am very happy that I managed to get to Europe. I think the situation in France will be difficult now but I hope to go to Germany, where things are better for refugees. We all come to Europe to escape from terrorism and war. In Afghanistan, things are really bad for women and I do not like that. In Germany, I want to study, to work and to have a normal life—that's what everyone wants.

Bombs and death are everywhere in Syria. I do not want the same to happen in Europe or in any other country. I do not want trouble and war, only to live in peace. I seek a better life. I want to work. America, Europe, and Russia should help stop the war in Syria. I'm scared about how people will treat us from now on in Europe but people should also be able to distinguish between those who want to harm them and those who don't. My religion forbids me to kill people. All I want is to work.