Musab Lütfi Haccar, who is a teacher, says: “Many people around me whose houses were destroyed and who had to leave their stores either went to tent cities or rent an apartment and settled in Reyhanlı”.
Musab Lütfi Haccar Abu Rıdvan: I come from Masharka Neighborhood of Aleppo. I am 35 years old and I am a teacher. I am a father of 2 children.
ORSAM: Could you tell us about your life before the civil war in Syria, what you went through during the civil war and the reasons why you came to Turkey?
Musab Lütfi Haccar Abu Rıdvan: When the civil war broke out, I remained neutral and carried on working as a teacher. However, when the school was closed as a result of bombardments and the arrival of Jaish al-Hur in our region, I left the school and came to Turkey along with my family.
I know nothing other than my teaching profession. Due to the financial problems, I started to work as tea-seller in Reyhanlı for 20 TL a day. I rent an apartment with 2 rooms and a kitchen for 250 TL, and my family and I are striving to hold on to life. Many people around me came to Turkey. Those, whose houses were destroyed and left their stores either went to tent city or rent an apartment and settled in Reyhanlı.
I cannot receive my salary. I need to get back to work as a teacher to receive my salary, but I could not return to Syria as I do not have a life security over there. I would join Jaish al-Hur if I did not have my wife and my children. They give 150 dollar per month. It is close to my teaching salary, but my children and my wife would not be safe there. They cannot live alone here either. Therefore, I did not join Jaish al-Hur. Those who do not have a job or profession and some volunteers join Jaish al-Hur. They receive a salary ranging between 150 and 200 dollars. There are not only Syrians, but also Pakistani, Afghan, Yemeni, Libyan and Palestinian people in Jaish al-Hur. Some of them joined the group for Jehad, and some others joined for both Jehad and money.
I have a decent and holy profession, and I cannot practice my profession. I am far from my country, friends. I am fed up with serving tea, washing the dishes, and cleaning the place out all day long. I am depressed. But, I console myself with the fact that I am healthy, I saved my family from the bomb attacks. If I hadn't came here, we might have been trapped in the wreckage. Maybe we would have been killed by a shrapnel. I wait in patience now. I have nothing else to do.
* This interview was made by Feyyat Özyazar in Reyhanlı district of Hatay on 6 December 2012.
