"We fled to Malaysia together."

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By Sophie Danielson 

"Everyday, I am tortured by the words 'what if?' Not a day goes by when I don't think about my younger brother. He's 22, same age as you. We fled to Malaysia together. We were waiting outside the UNHCR office in Malaysia to get our refugee card. It was about a 45 minute long wait inside. I went in early and my brother was outside -- about to come and join me. While I was inside, the police came and arrested everyone standing outside. My brother was taken to prison for 11 months. There was nothing I could do. I got the refugee card...and he went to prison. And here I am, in America. I will never forgive myself for that day. If he came inside the office with me, he would be sitting in this very room right now. And now I may never see him again. This is how our life has been. What if things were different? What if we had a home? What if we were not Rohingya?"

Stories of the Rohingya, the world's most scattered people. They deserve to be shared.

#rohingya #refugees #chicago #malaysia #booksunbound #sophieskipstown 

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