
Eternal Outsiders – the Roma in Syria
The term “gypsy” has been used throughout history in a pejorative way and is recognized by many members of the Dom community and researchers to be a derogatory term, particularly
A large number of Syrian people immigrated to American countries in the 19th century and the first two decades of the 20th century, which was due to poverty, political disputes in the region and famine. The Syrian and Lebanese passengers on the Titanic were all labeled Syrian because back then, the concept of Syria and Lebanon as two different states was not yet established.
Not much was told about the Syrian (Today’s Syria and Lebanon) passengers that were forever lost in the sea, and less effort was put into saving their lives. Even with conflicting data about the accurate numbers, it is almost confirmed that dozens drowned or were killed and that 30 (or maybe less) managed to survive.
Arab passengers on the Titanic were mostly 3rd class passengers (with the exception of one man traveling with his employer in 1st class). Their rooms on 3rd class were crowded and they were not top priority when the ship crew started evacuating 1st and 2nd class passengers. Some of them were locked behind metal doors during that procedure and some of those who tried to get to the boats first were shot.
Another dilemma was the misinformation about both survivors’ and victims’ names. The official lists had names that were anglicized and made it harder for the bereaved to get information about their loved ones.
In her 2011 book, Leila Salloum Elias documents the testimony of families and survivors and tries to trace the names provided by western documents. The stories she tells are about those who were locked behind metal doors, separated from a spouse, scared for their babies’ lives, killed amidst the chaos, or even brave enough to face death smiling.
The widow of late Botrous Keoui insisted that her husband was shot dead by the crew. The Tu’mah family from Tebnine managed to get to the boats and reach the US where they had a son who later became the Mayor of Burton, Michigan.
One of the founders of the Joy Cone company was one of the survivors too; Sha’ninah Shahin Yusuf Wihbah.
Nassif Abi Al-Mouna and his Suwaida-born wife survived while two of his family members didn’t. Abi Al-Mouna stated that the ship was like a real life Babel of languages, confusion and chaos.
Moreover, many unnamed and unregistered survivors from Tartus and Latakia kept telling the stories of their families who in turn made it a living oral tradition.
The term “gypsy” has been used throughout history in a pejorative way and is recognized by many members of the Dom community and researchers to be a derogatory term, particularly
Najeeb Halaby was a Syrian-American pioneer in aviation with an extraordinary journey. He was the first to make a nonstop jet flight across the US and led the largest American
Julia Domna was born in Emesa, Syria (present-day Homs) around 160 A.D., descending from a ruling royal line. She became the wife of the Roman emperor Septimius Severus in 187