Zouheir & Nemat - Syria
Zouheir and Nemat are two of the most wonderful people I know. They are both so full of life, caring, and purpose. They live in Istanbul now, but I met them working in Gaziantep, Turkey, several years ago. Zouheir and Nemat met working together in Damascus, and they fled Syria when things became too violent for them to stay. Since then, they've been working alongside Turks, Americans, and other Syrians to help people still inside Syria who are suffering from the ongoing war. Probably the first thing you'll notice about Zouheir and Nemat is that they are beautiful. Talk to them for a little bit and you'll realize they are REALLY smart. Work with them for a little longer and you'll see how driven, committed, passionate, and indefatigable they are. To watch your home be destroyed at the same time you are working so hard to prevent that destruction is unimaginable to most of us. I gain so much inspiration from these two - as long as there are people out there like Zouheir and Nemat in the world, I believe that even in the face of such darkness, Syria's future can one day again be bright. In November they certainly added more brightness to the world when they welcomed their first child, Nabil! Nabil's many skills at 4 months old include: Experience in smiling, screaming, crying and laughing all at the same time so his parents don't know what to do; high capability in burping in three different directions; and on site expertise surprising mom while changing.
Zouheir: "Nemat and I were discussing whether we both represent Islam, and what Islam means. Though we are born to Muslim families, we can't be described as practicing ones, but our families raised us on adapting the goodness in and of everything. They showed us that the real human is the one who shows respect, appreciates all, loves everyone, and spreads goodness if possible. By doing this, you are representing the fundamentals of being a Muslim. While everything else is not in our control neither to judge nor condemn. In our families, we grew up with civilized discussions and respectful arguments, with no boundaries for questions or inquiries. The result was an amazing mixture of individuals with various 'patterns of thinking,' ruled by respect, acceptance, and open mind.
Muslims recently are being judged based on things and behaviors rejected by every single sane human being, not only Muslims. Because the Muslims I know - and I know many - are completely unlike the stereotype image some propaganda is trying to picture."