Malak is a five-year-old girl who was born in Aleppo in Syria in 2010. A few months before the war in Syria started, her mom Iman and dad Saeed had a big celebration when she was born. Malak means ‘Angel’ in Arabic. Iman named her Malak after her aunt Malak because she wanted her to carry her name and be as her aunt.
“Once upon a time, in the ancient Syrian city of Aleppo, one of the most beautiful cities in Syria…” this is how Iman Akroum started her conversation with me. Iman and I can both understand each other, missing home is not easy for both of us. When we first met, we shared our own private stories; we shared our tears and talked about leaving our home.
I immigrated to this great country in 1974, from Guadeloupe, French Caribbean, as a seven-year old on the tailwind of my Syrian-born father's dream of a better life for his wife and eleven children. My father was French by a twist of fate because Syria was under French Mandate.
