The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Actor Edward Norton starts fundraiser for Syrian refugee featured on Humans of New York

A Syrian refugee featured on popular Facebook page Humans of New York (HONY) is having a fundraiser organised for him by film actor Edward Norton after his story touched hearts around the globe.

The father-of-two was photographed by HONY creator Brandon Stanton in Turkey, as part of a project profiling Syrian families who had been cleared for resettlement in America.

Norton said he was “moved to tears” by the man’s story and has started a fundraiser to help him and his family on CrowdRise, which had reached $130,000 this morning.

The man, who is not named in the story, said his wife and six other members of his family had been killed when a government anti-personnel missile struck the family’s home in Syria, forcing him to flee to Turkey with his two children.

His story also attracted the attention of US president Barack Obama, who commented on one of Stanton’s photos, saying the man was “part of what makes America great”.

“My daughter was studying to be a doctor. My son was the smartest in his school,” the man told Stanton.

“We were well known in the community. Nobody had a problem with us. We had no affiliation with any party or regime. Everyone loved us, honestly.

“We survived but we’re dead psychologically. Everything ended for us that day. That was our destiny. That was our share in life.”

The man, who was a respected scientist in the construction industry in Syria, also told of his struggle to complete his education after being born into an agricultural family.

He said he was now suffering from stomach cancer and had been forced to sell building designs for a pittance in Turkey to provide money for his children.

Writing on the CrowdRise site, Norton called for people to reject “anti-human” voices telling them to fear refugees.

“If we don’t welcome people like this into our communities and empower his dream of making an impact with his life, then we’re not the country we tell ourselves we are,” he said.

The man and his two children are being resettled in Troy, Michigan, near the Canadian border.

“I still think I have a chance to make a difference in the world,” he said.

 

 

ABC NEWS