Ameen, 23 and Mohammed, 30.
Every day, to relieve the boredom of prison, Ameen and his cellmates would take it in turns to tell the stories of their first loves. “The stories stopped us from despairing, they gave us hope that we’d reach our destinations. We were all from different countries and backgrounds, but it was so easy to become friends, bonding over a universal emotion.”
Serbian police had intercepted Ameen at the border, as he travelled with his brother Mohammad overland through south-east Europe – a journey that still haunts the pair today. “We walked at night and slept during the day – sometimes in derelict abandoned buildings, or just huddled inside plastic bin-bags to keep the rain off,” says Mohammad. Once released and deported to Macedonia, Amin was eventually able to re-enter Serbia on foot and join his brother in Belgrade.
Mohammad and Ameen, former aid workers who had transported medical equipment from Turkey into Syria, made the decision to leave for Europe when Islamic State (Isis) began to make their work impossible. “They killed two of our friends and colleagues. It was already dangerous enough with the regime targeting us, but with Isis too, it was too much. As we couldn’t continue our work, we chose to come to Germany so that we could have a future, and make a difference from here.”
Settling into life in Germany, Amin and Mohammad were quick to make German friends and are determined to counter the narratives of the far right. They regularly attend and speak at anti-Pegida marches, and are keen to meet Pegida members to discuss the reasons for their views. “Talking, communicating, that’s how we need to solve problems,” explains Amin. “That’s also why we love the Così project – it lets us promote peace, and to talk across different cultures.”
(Words by Katie Welsford and Emma Pearson)
Munich, Germany 2015
Every day, to relieve the boredom of prison, Ameen and his cellmates would take it in turns to tell the stories of their first loves. “The stories stopped us from despairing, they gave us hope that we’d reach our destinations. We were all from different countries and backgrounds, but it was so easy to become friends, bonding over a universal emotion.”
Serbian police had intercepted Ameen at the border, as he travelled with his brother Mohammad overland through south-east Europe – a journey that still haunts the pair today. “We walked at night and slept during the day – sometimes in derelict abandoned buildings, or just huddled inside plastic bin-bags to keep the rain off,” says Mohammad. Once released and deported to Macedonia, Amin was eventually able to re-enter Serbia on foot and join his brother in Belgrade.
Mohammad and Ameen, former aid workers who had transported medical equipment from Turkey into Syria, made the decision to leave for Europe when Islamic State (Isis) began to make their work impossible. “They killed two of our friends and colleagues. It was already dangerous enough with the regime targeting us, but with Isis too, it was too much. As we couldn’t continue our work, we chose to come to Germany so that we could have a future, and make a difference from here.”
Settling into life in Germany, Amin and Mohammad were quick to make German friends and are determined to counter the narratives of the far right. They regularly attend and speak at anti-Pegida marches, and are keen to meet Pegida members to discuss the reasons for their views. “Talking, communicating, that’s how we need to solve problems,” explains Amin. “That’s also why we love the Così project – it lets us promote peace, and to talk across different cultures.”
(Words by Katie Welsford and Emma Pearson)
Munich, Germany 2015