Sumayya (#721) 12-05-14

While sipping a cup of Joe in the Indigo Coffee Shop, I watched Sumayya working diligently on a laptop. She was intent, and clearly not just doing e-mail, or Twittering her life away. Her scarf made me hope that she was Muslim (she was). I envy Jeff Bowen in Toronto, where there seems to be a huge Muslim population from which to draw. Not so in Southwest Florida.

I was delighted when she was happy to talk and be photographed. Sumayya is attending the Cooley School of Law in nearby Riverview, FL. I had not heard of it, but is part of Western Michigan University. See it HERE.

Sumayya is from Syria. Her parents and siblings are in the U.S., but she has lots of other relatives who did not emigrate. They have successfully fled Syria, however. Sumayya says that the conditions are worse than seen on TV. I asked if they went to Turkey. “No, Jordan. It is stable.” I winced. Jordan is politically stable, but geographically vulnerable. I hate to think what would happen if King Abdulla were to exit the scene. Even if the war ended tomorrow, she said that it would take many years to rebuild.

I asked Sumayya if she has experienced discrimination. She said that there was for a couple of years after 911, but not since. The apparent discrimination online is largely due to anonymity, in person there is little.

Bob