HEART, NOT SHOES: a good virus

“I am sitting at the other side of a sentence space/

and you are here with a question mark”. Ali Mohamedi, 17

This is work to which attention should be paid. It was produced from the heart, in the writing workshop of Villa Azadi, of Lesvos Island, a shelter then for the adolescent immigrants who were looking for one. it was an idea of writer Evi Labropoulou.

What good is literature to ‘illegal’ immigrants who arrived in Greece, after weeks on the road, with no shoes or cell phones on?

People with no shoes on, don’t need shoes; shoes are easy enough to acquire, even if second hand; and there is everywhere some food to be found. They need something to hope for; to establish to the world that they are not swarthy dangerous starving savages. They want to call their mother until she hears them. They need to write to her and to the world. And the world needs to read them; and realize the alikeness. And love them.

Western societies, are based on intelect. We easily deem others to be non-persons when they do not speak our words. Seeing their words, though, works as a good virous! It is like words restore their humanity.

Their fresh voice resonates against the tired, unfair stereotypes of the “illegal, dangerous, disease bearing immigrant” with the kind of urgency and defiance only heard in Greece during wars. They ‘ve had thick lives, experiences of the kind that we don’t encounter in Europe. ‘Hungry’ is a stronger word when it comes out of their lips; as for ‘death’, that in Europe happens in sterilized hospitals, they ‘ve really seen it. And they carry it around in their mobile phones. 

I swear. These kids are clever, kind, cultured, they are just like us. And they have their words to prove it. Viva la literature and viva la HeartNot Shoes!