Syrian Refugee Reacts To President Trump's Decision To Attack Syria Militarily
TARZANA (CBSLA.com) — The United States attacked Syria Thursday evening.
California has accepted more Syrian refugees than any other state. Many of them live in the Southland.
KCAL9's Andrea Fujii spoke to a local woman with Syrian ties about his reaction to the military move.
She did not want her identity used. But the woman told Fujii she came to California from Syria in 2014 in search of a better, safer and more peaceful life.
"The meaning of freedom is to have a good life," she said.
The woman said the images of the recent chemical attack -- many showing children desperately trying to breathe -- are heartbreaking.
She still has friends and family back in Syria and she says they fear they could die at any moment.
"People leave their houses and have no idea if they will go back alive," she said.
Despite this, she doesn't believe the air strikes ordered by President Trump will be a good thing.
"There's Iraq, there's George W. Bush. And what happened in Iraq. I'm so afraid for that scenario to be repeated twice, and this time the victim will be my country," she said.
The former-Syrian resident told Fujii she loves being in the United States but can't help missing her homeland. It is, after all, her original home.
"I'm not going to forget my country and I hope the peace for the whole world." she added.
California has welcome nearly 1,500 Syrian refugees in the last year. Many of them got help acclimating to life here from various local agencies -- like Miryslist.org, including the woman in Fujii's report who didn't want to be identified.