Standort: fm4.ORF.at / Meldung: "A personal story: Sali, a 13 year old Syrian refugee"

Kate Farmer

Cutting to the chase

25. 9. 2012 - 15:42

A personal story: Sali, a 13 year old Syrian refugee

Reality Check: Syria and one refugee's story, Abu Hamza extradition, German Church Tax, Interstellar travel

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Tony Cheng reports from Turkey on the problems facing Syrian refugees fleeing the violence at home and meets one of them: 13 year old Sali, who is being hunted by Assad's forces in his home town of Aleppo.

This is their moving conversation:

Sali: My name is Sali

TC: How old are you, Sali?

Sali: 13 years old.

TC: 13 years old. Why did you come here, why did you leave Aleppo?

Sali: Because in Syria, if anyone from your family is wanted, all of you will be wanted. My two big brothers, in the beginning they made a lot of protests. After that they they worked for the media and other things, and after that they believed that Assad will not go by this [means] and they decided to join the Free Army. After that we left Aleppo because I was wanted as well. They came to the school.

TC: You were wanted?

Sali: Yes, because I made a few protests and because my big brothers are wanted. So they came to my school, after I left the school for the day. I said thanks to God at this moment, because they didn't catch me.

TC: And then you left with your family?

Sali: Yes.

TC: And all of your family is here?

Sali: Just my two brothers. The others are still fighting.

TC: And one of your brothers died fighting?

Sali: There was a small hospital in Aleppo, and the Free Army was on this street, but a lot of tanks and a lot of people from Assad's army tried to come down the street. When they knew there was a hospital there they came to kill all those in the hospital, because in Syria if you're helping the [injured] people you will die before the people from the Free Army. So, when my brother heard that, he knew that he would die, but he said "If I don't go, maybe more than a hundred people will die in the hospital. They will kill the people who got hurt and the doctors. So, he went towards the army, there were thousands [of them] but he was alone, and he tried to get the army to leave the hospital and come to him so the people in the hospital could run away, and he died.

TC: ...and he passed. Good luck. Stay safe.

Sali: Thank you.

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sali with his friends

Tony Cheng

Tony also gave us his impressions and analysis of the current situation.

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Germany Church Tax decree

German bishops have just issued a decree refusing Holy Communion and Catholic burials to people who do not pay Church Tax. Christian Weisner of We are Church talks to Elizabeth Alcock about the controverial move.

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Terror suspects to be extradited from UK to USA

Abu Hamza, the radical London-based cleric famous for his inflammatory speeches and missing hand, has lost his appeal against extradition to the USA at the European Court of Human Rights. He, and 4 other suspects, will now be extradited as soon as possible. Analyst Sajjan Gohel looks at the decision and what it will mean for future cases.

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Interstellar travel

Just how far are we from travelling to the stars? Steve Crilley finds out whether the world of Star Trek is really within reach from Robert Freedland from Icarus Interstellar.

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