Breaking stereotypes about Syria | Laila Alhariri | TEDxTUBerlin
Summary
TLDRLayla, a Syrian-born individual, shares her personal story and challenges the stereotypes associated with her country and people. Born in the Soviet Union to a Ukrainian mother and a Syrian father, she moved to Syria as an infant and later pursued medical studies. Her life took a dramatic turn amidst the Syrian conflict, leading to a harrowing escape from a kidnapping attempt. Layla emphasizes the rich history of Syria, often overlooked due to the focus on the ongoing war. She dispels myths about the Syrian people, highlighting the diversity in language, religion, culture, and appearance. Layla also addresses misconceptions about gender roles and women's rights in Syria, pointing out the achievements of Syrian women in various fields. Her narrative aims to foster understanding and bridge cultural gaps, encouraging people to look beyond the headlines and see the multifaceted reality of Syria and its people.
Takeaways
- 📚 Stereotypes are over-generalized ideas about a group of people, often used to categorize information efficiently but can be misleading.
- 🌟 Layla, the speaker, was born in the Soviet Union to a Ukrainian mother and a Syrian father, and her family moved to Syria after her birth.
- 🏥 Layla almost became a victim of kidnapping during the chaos in Syria but managed to escape, highlighting the personal risks faced during times of conflict.
- 🌍 Syria, often misunderstood, is a country with a rich history, being home to one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities and significant cultural achievements.
- 🗣️ Syrians speak Arabic, but there are various dialects within the country, similar to how different regions in Europe have their own dialects.
- 🏜️ Contrary to the stereotype, Syria is not entirely desert; it has a diverse landscape that includes mountains, hills, and even snow-capped peaks.
- 🍽️ Syrians are known for their generous hospitality, offering food and shelter to guests regardless of their origin.
- 🕌 The religious composition of Syria is diverse, with Muslims, Christians, non-religious people, and other sects coexisting.
- 🍻 Contrary to some beliefs, alcohol and pork are available in Syria, reflecting a freedom of food choice and belief.
- 👳 There is no law in Syria that forces women to wear a veil or hijab; the decision is a personal one and both Christians and Muslims are socially accepted with or without a veil.
- 🎄 Syria has a significant Christian population and celebrates Christmas, with festive decorations and activities.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Layla's experience in Germany with making friends and breaking stereotypes shows the importance of cultural exchange and challenging misconceptions.
Q & A
What is the definition of stereotypes as mentioned in the transcript?
-Stereotypes are over-generalized ideas about a group of people that we use as an efficient way to categorize the information we perceive every day.
Why do people rely on stereotypes?
-People rely on stereotypes because it's a way to fall into a comfort zone where they feel they have enough information about all the people they face every day.
What is Layla's background according to the transcript?
-Layla was born in the Soviet Union to a Ukrainian mother and a Syrian father. After her birth, her family moved to Syria, specifically to the capital, Damascus.
What happened to Layla during the chaos in Syria?
-Layla was half kidnapped but managed to escape. The motivation behind her kidnapping remains unclear to her.
Why did Layla decide to move to Germany?
-Layla decided to move to Germany because her hometown, Damascus, which she considered her home, was no longer safe due to the ongoing war in Syria.
What is the common misconception about Syria's landscape?
-The common misconception is that Syria is all deserts, with people riding camels to school and living in tents.
What is the language spoken by most Syrians?
-Most Syrians speak Arabic. Syrian Arabic is a dialect, similar to how there are different dialects in various parts of Germany, Austria, or Switzerland.
What does the demographic of Syria's population look like according to the transcript?
-According to the transcript, 70% of the Syrian population are Muslims, 16% are Christians, 10% are non-religious, 1% are Jewish, and 3% belong to other sects.
How does Layla describe the cultural norms regarding women in Syria?
-Layla explains that while there are distinct gender roles and women often stay home to take care of children, there are also many women who focus on their careers and education, achieving high positions in fields like politics.
What is Layla's perspective on the importance of breaking stereotypes?
-Layla believes it is crucial to break stereotypes to foster understanding and connection between different cultures and to promote love over judgment.
What is Layla's message to people like her potential boyfriend Christian from the transcript?
-Layla's message is to encourage people not to let stereotypes and misconceptions prevent them from getting to know and understand individuals from different backgrounds.
Outlines
😀 Understanding Stereotypes and Personal Narrative
The first paragraph introduces the concept of stereotypes as over-generalized ideas about groups of people, explaining that they are used for efficient categorization of information. The speaker, Layla, shares her personal background, being born in the Soviet Union to a Ukrainian mother and a Syrian father. She discusses her near-kidnapping experience in Syria, her escape, and the emotional aftermath. Layla's narrative then shifts to her move to Germany, her efforts to learn the language, and the common misconceptions people have about her country of origin, Syria.
🌍 Debunking Myths about Syria and Its People
In the second paragraph, Layla aims to break common stereotypes about Syria. She clarifies that Syrians speak Arabic, not Syrian or Persian, and highlights the diversity of the Syrian landscape, which is not entirely desert. Layla also addresses the misconception that Syria only experiences hot weather, sharing a personal anecdote about snowy Damascus. She further dispels myths about Syrians being solely Muslim, explaining the country's religious diversity, and talks about the availability of alcohol and the social acceptance of various religious practices in Syria.
👳♀️ Syrian Culture and Countering Stereotypes
The third paragraph continues with Layla's efforts to challenge stereotypes about Syrian women, explaining that there is no law enforcing the wearing of veils or hijabs. She emphasizes the social acceptance of both Christians and Muslims in Syria and mentions the country's celebration of Christmas. Layla also discusses the physical diversity among Syrians, referencing various ethnicities and the accomplishments of Syrians abroad. She talks about the generosity and hospitality固有的 of Syrians and the importance of manners and etiquette in the culture.
🤝 Experiences of Integration and Friendship in Germany
In the fourth paragraph, Layla shares her experiences of trying to integrate into German society and make German friends. She describes her attempts to join various social groups and activities, and her eventual success in forming friendships. Layla also touches on the differences between Syrian and German social norms, particularly regarding the depth and speed at which friendships are formed. She expresses pride in her Syrian background, including her ballet training in Damascus and the high educational attainment among Syrians, highlighting the importance of cultural exchange and understanding.
💖 A Call for Connection and Understanding
The final paragraph is a heartfelt appeal from Layla for people to look beyond stereotypes and to invest energy in building bridges of understanding. She shares a personal anecdote about a lost connection due to her Syrian origin and uses it to illustrate the importance of not judging others. Layla quotes Mother Teresa to emphasize the importance of love over judgment and thanks the audience for their attention.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Stereotypes
💡Syria
💡Cultural Misunderstandings
💡Diversity
💡Personal Narrative
💡Integration
💡Refugee
💡Hospitality
💡Education
💡Cultural Exchange
💡Religious Diversity
Highlights
Stereotypes are over-generalized ideas about a group of people. They are used as an efficient way to categorize the information we perceive everyday.
The speaker, Layla, was born in the Soviet Union to a Ukrainian mother and a Syrian father. Her family moved to Syria when she was a baby.
Layla was studying medicine in Syria for 3 years before the war broke out. She was almost kidnapped but managed to escape.
After escaping the kidnapping, Layla moved to Germany with her family to continue her studies. She joined a language class to learn German.
When asked where she is from, Layla often gets the response that people don't know much about Syria. Her country has been in the news for the war.
Syria is located in the heart of the world with a population of 18.5 million. It is half the size of Germany and belongs to the Arab world of 22 countries.
When people think of Syria, the most common associations are refugee and war. But Layla wants to show the other, less known face of Syria.
Syria has a rich history. Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities since 8000 BC. The Phoenician alphabet was discovered there.
Contrary to stereotypes, Syrians speak Arabic, not Syrian or Persian. Arabic is the common language across the Arab world.
While the Syrian desert covers 50% of the land, there is also a variety of landscapes including mountains, hills, and the sea.
Syria has four seasons, contrary to the stereotype that it is always hot and never snows. Snowy Damascus was photographed last year.
Syrians are known for their generous hospitality. They readily offer food, shelter, and directions to guests from any country.
70% of the Syrian population is Muslim, but there are also 16% Christians, 10% non-religious, 1% Jewish, and 3% other sects.
There is no law in Syria forcing women to wear veils or hijabs. It is an individual choice, and both Christians and Muslims are socially accepted.
Syria has a diverse population with different ethnicities like Arameans, Armenians, Circassians, Chechens, Assyrians, and Kurds. There is no one 'Syrian look'.
Some prominent people with Syrian heritage are Steve Jobs (father was Syrian) and Jerry Seinfeld (mother was Syrian Jewish).
Syrian women are not universally oppressed. Many focus on their careers and education. Women have held important roles like Minister of Culture.
Layla struggled to make German friends at first. She tried various classes and hobbies. It takes more time and effort to form friendships in Germany.
Education is highly valued in Syria. School is free and compulsory through 9th grade. English and French are mandatory languages. Most Syrian refugees in Germany have a high school diploma.
Layla emphasizes the importance of building bridges between cultures rather than perpetuating stereotypes. She shares personal stories to challenge misconceptions.
Transcripts
what are stereotypes and why do we have
them stereotypes are over generalized
ideas about a group of people we use
stereotypes because it's an efficient
way to categorize the information we
perceive everyday and thoughts we fall
into our comfort zone where we have
enough info about all the people we face
every day I wish I could tell you more
about this but unfortunately sociology
is not my middle name so let me move to
the one thing everybody enjoys and
excels at talking about themselves my
name is Layla and I was born in the
Soviet Union to a Ukrainian mother and a
Syrian father
right after my birth my family moved to
Syria specifically to the capital
Damascus then I started studying
medicine eighteen years later I'm almost
at my fourth year of studies a year
after the chaos have started in Syria I
was half kidnapped half because I
managed to get out and yeah I intended
to take a cab that day to meet a friend
but suddenly we were on a highway
connecting Damascus with the south and
cities and Lebanon and despite the tear
gas the taxi driver gets spraying into
my face I managed to call my best friend
she herself called my brother-in-law and
gave him my coordinates
he sent a few cars to look for me and
yeah
phew very very long minutes later I
managed to get out because the driver
pulled over and I ran away and I escaped
I escaped the scenario which awaited
most of the kidnapping victims getting
tortured filmed and then killed the
motivation of is of this kidnapping is
still in the dark for me I still don't
know why this happened but yeah although
I managed to recover my health
Division few months later they fear in
my heart which I carried years later on
only began to evolve knowing that my
city previously known to be one of the
safest on earth was no longer an option
for me it was the only place where I
feel home where I belong so I had to
live and my family and I decided that I
should move to Germany and I should
continue my studies here and Here I am
arriving in Germany when I first arrived
in Germany I joined a language class to
learn the language and I was often
confronted with the question what comes
to hell where do you come from
at that time only very few of my friends
knew actually where Syria is which was
totally ok no problem but as time passed
by my country started invading the news
and I was constantly reminded of the
horrible war even on the small screens
on the subway trains but let me here
introduce my country Syria located at
the heart of the world at least if you
see the perspective of this map it hugs
me it has a population of eighteen point
five million and is around half the size
of Germany Syria belongs also to the
Arab world consisting of 22 countries
well both in Asia and Africa facts and
figures in preparation of this talk I
have asked people what they think of
when they hear the word Syria or Syrians
and as you could imagine the most
frequent answer I got was refugee or war
well today I don't want to talk about
war I want to show you the other face of
Syria a very surprising contradiction
for me is how unknown Syria is despite
its rich history think of Syria as just
another small third-world country in the
Middle East
no Damascus is actually one of the
oldest continuously inhabited cities
since 8000 BC
and in yoga it's now known as receive
chambre was not only the oldest verified
alphabets worldwide discovered the
Phoenician alphabets but also it's home
to the oldest melody known in history
the hurryin him how can a country with
such rich history be unknown for many
but anyway let me now start breaking the
stereotypes for you and maybe many of
them will not sound that unfamiliar
first Syrians speak Syrian or Syrians
speak Persian one quick answer we speak
Arabic and I mean we do have Syrian is
just another dialect just like Germans
have in different parts of germany or
austria or switzerland but yeah one
thing to say is the whole Arab world so
around 420 million people can
communicate using the same language the
standard or high Arabic second Syria is
all deserts many people think Judea has
a yellow landscape that we ride camels
to schools or not social live in tents
so is this true it's quite tricky to
break this one to be honest because it
is quite true I mean we do neither live
in tents or ride camels to school
definitely but the Syrian desert does
cover 50% of the area but we also have a
variety of landscape of mountains hills
the sea legs and even our Mount Hermon
as you see in the picture here the
highest mountain in Syria at 2814 metres
is almost as high as the highest peak in
Germany that sucks but we also have a
variety of fauna like deer wolves and
bears and rodents and the Syrian hamster
self-explanatory who was also discovered
in the north of Syria
the weather in Syria is dry hot and it
never snows no we do have four seasons
here's a photo of snowy damascus taken
from last year now I'd like to tell you
a small story
few days not few days a few years ago I
intended to take a cab in Berlin because
I needed to catch my train to Tristan
and it was early morning hours I admit
maybe not the best time but the taxi
driver asked me where do you come from
and I hesitantly said from Syria he
shrugged and he rolled his eyes not a
look of satisfaction but anyway as we
approach our destination he sneezed so I
said spontaneously gesundheit or bless
you but he did not say danke
or thank you in return but his answer
was they have been about adverse it's
young I think you have some manners for
a refugee I smiled and I did not comment
because we Syrians we say gesundheit if
somebody chokes coughs or of course also
sneezes and we saw also we say also name
and when somebody leaves the shower as
in please
we say Allah if somebody trips us and
may God protect you and we also say die
may when we finish our food as may we
always have food on our table not only
in words but also in action Syrians are
known for their generous hospitality so
they are more than ready to offer their
time a place to sleep
a Syrian table a table full of food
basically for any guests who comes over
from a foreign or not foreign country
and in Syria you don't need any GPS
which I'm not sure works there anyway
but because you can ask anybody and
there are numerous number of people who
will go out of their way to direct you
to the to your destination to move to my
next point are all Syrians Muslims well
there are two very wrong misconceptions
in this
typical world about Arabs the first one
is Arab equals Saudi well this is
definitely wrong because Saudi Arabia is
just another country in the Arab world
and they have their very individual laws
and culture the second one is Arab
equals Muslim this is also wrong
although we have a huge number of
Muslims but actually the most number of
Muslims worldwide they reside
not in the Arab world but in countries
like Indonesia Pakistan and India let's
take a look at the Syrian population as
you see in the chart seventy percent in
blue of
Syrian population are Muslims 16 percent
are Christians but we also have ten
percent of non-religious people 1
percent of Jewish people and 3 percent
of other sects does everybody wave
alcohol and pork and well as we have a
freedom of belief we also have a freedom
of food choice so of course you can buy
alcohol in many supermarkets in many
restaurants and so on and we even I know
nobody knows about this but we have our
own beer brands and shut it and also
better than probably not the most famous
worldwide but it does exist work is also
available to buy in different
restaurants and yeah special
neighborhoods may be more Christian but
it does exist and you don't need a
license for that are all females first
wear a veil or a hijab there is
absolutely no law in Syria that forces
any female to wear a veil or a hijab and
of course I mean it's absolutely an
individual decision but even in schools
nobody will make sure you're close as
much as your religion or so and both
Christians with a veil as well as
Muslims without one are socially
accepted Syrians don't celebrate
Christmas I just said we have a good
fraction of Christians so yes we do
here's a photo of a decorated Damascus
with Christmas lights
not only we have decorations but we also
have a Santa Claus distributing candy
and small gifts for children Syria was
the mascot was also home to the biggest
Christmas tree in the Arab world of
course 27 meters let's talk about looks
many people think stereotypical Arab
person with probably for a man look like
this and for a woman like this or this
so let's let me introduce my friends
rewards me down Mohammed Rowan's sitting
here in the audience yes Ann and Lana in
a country alike studio with a very
complex history and different
ethnicities like arameans Armenians
Circassians Chechens Assyrians and Kurds
it's really hard to speak of a
particular look which represents
everybody we are diverse and we are
mixed we have all hair colors I colors
and body types of the prominent people
with Assyrian heritage are Steve Jobs
born to a Syrian father and Jerry
Seinfeld born to a Syrian Jewish mother
is everybody calls in Hamid's
well I mean I don't know 45 in Hamid's
and 23 a much it's true but I mean it's
just a few name in the Muslim community
and I mean let's face it are the Germans
any more creative with their max modes
and marija options women are oppressed
and controlled yes women are oppressed
and controlled but not all of them and
it's quite funny to say I have never
felt more women Li than in my own home
country don't get me wrong I'm not
trying to say that Syria is the leading
country with women rights or gender
equality but is there no silver lining
of being the delicate fragile sex I mean
all men stand up if you enter a bus to
offer their seats boys will offer to
carry your grocery bags from the
supermarkets and also if your car breaks
in the middle of the road there will be
a number of men jumping under it to fix
even if they don't know how to or they
will even push it or stand by and give
an advice or a suggestion there are
definitely things which I miss about
being home getting complemented from my
male friends on a night out in a legally
non harassing way and their urgency to
accompany of girls when it's getting
late
but our women really oppressed I mean a
general look on the Syrian women will
give the impression she is oppressed
because on one side we do have the
distinct gender roles so I mean women
like to stay home and take care of the
kids but on the other hand in the last
year's there are many women who focus on
their career and education and are high
achieving even in politics women have
attained important roles like the
Minister of Culture Social Affairs labor
and even the current political adviser
in Syria is a woman let's integrate a
year after I have arrived and lived in
Berlin I only had foreigner friends and
I thought it's time to look for German
ones
and integrate them into my integrational
process and yeah I asked Google
how should I find friends and the Google
search recommended me joining a class or
a hobby where I meet my potential peers
on a regular basis so I was really doing
all sorts of things
I joined girls couchsurfing writing
groups I was also in different John
musical jump sessions but also in
international improvisation theater
I met random people for a tofu kabob or
a cucumber smoothie and still I did not
manage and then I started to question my
social skills what am I doing wrong and
then I learned that in Germany it takes
really much more time and effort and
also patience to make a friendship but
then it's also stronger whereas in Syria
you meet somebody in the university you
smile you strike a conversation you have
food you exchange numbers you're best
friends by the first day that is
considered rather superficial in Germany
but anyhow by the end of my third year
living in Berlin I did manage to make
two German friends of which I was really
proud but then I had to move to twistin
because of my medical studies anyway
among the classes which I troll which I
joined in Berlin was ballet classes and
being the brilliant dancer which I am
just kidding I'm actually just okay well
my teacher asked me where did I get my
liberal ballet training in a country
where women are oppressed and may not
attend elementary school and culture is
backwards cultural from Syria what's
that
I did my ballet training photos of me in
our National Ballet School located in
Damascus Syria and required for
admission are only actually a nominal
amount of money but also potential
talents not only the School of Dance was
almost three but universities in Syria
are almost cost
three and schools are free and
compulsory to ninth grades English and
French are mandatory languages and
German statistics show that two-thirds
of Syrian refugees arriving in Germany
have already attained their high school
diploma so having the twelve year school
system just like in Germany we are
allowed to enter University immediately
I am a Jew day a fellow TEDx speaker and
also a dancer from Syria was rescued by
the Dutch National Ballet and he is a
graduate from the higher Institute of
well dramatic arts but also dance in
music located in Damascus a little
Assad's a famous archeologist he was a
head of Antiquities in Palmyra for over
40 years but in 2015 he was detained by
the ISIS and then he was tortured and
then beheaded at 83 years old because he
refused to reveal the location of the
hidden artifacts of that murder in Anna
dance troupe was also created in Syria
had made tours worldwide in Europe and
the US and have now to dance schools in
both Dubai and Canada at a mom has some
graduate from your Faculty of Fine Arts
in Damascus had a work art which went
viral online the freedom graffiti
explaining the power of love in a
war-torn country another work of his is
the bon voyage Damascus why do I stand
to break stereotypes here today few days
ago I was having a chat with my
potential new boyfriend Christian from
tinder and and we were really getting
along and yeah then I mean I had the
dreaded question probably upon my
brilliant German grammar anyway he asked
me where do you come from and I wrote
him from Syria one has to be on
it's tinder and and then he disappeared
into thin air so I stand here today to
say Christian if you're listening to me
please come back there's a world to
discover don't you think Rafi show me a
very famous German Syrian order wrote in
his book I need or shall I turn shafts
Naaman Snoodle salats
that he wants to live as an Arab but die
as German because for example in terms
of funerals Syrians tend to cry and
scream their hearts out
whereas Germans more East exchange some
food and coffee in their license mouse
why not really invest our energy in
building bridges that connect us
intellectually socially and emotionally
instead of setting them on fire mother
Teresa said if you judge people you have
no time to love them thank you
[Applause]
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