Syrians seek God’s shelter

by Preethi Nallu December 5, 2012

written by Preethi Nallu December 5, 2012

The Esmael al-Hojairi mosque in Arsal, a town in eastern Lebanon near the Syrian border, has become a temporary shelter for dozens of families who have fled the intense fighting [Photo: Executive/Preethi Nallu]

Named after a Lebanese man who died fighting in Iraq, the mosque currently houses between 75 and 100 refugees [Photo: Executive/Preethi Nallu]

A few families are sleeping on the upper level of the mosque, but many are in makeshift shelters in the grounds. With the winter fast approaching, they are in dire need of warm clothing, additional blankets and kerosene for heaters [Photo: Executive/Preethi Nallu]

A young boy looks down as his siblings climb up the stairs. With the start of a new school year, the children are short of many basic school supplies [Photo: Executive/Preethi Nallu]

A Lebanese Imam, who has become the community's spiritual leader, is followed by one of the older female refugees to the upper level of the mosque [Photo: Executive/Preethi Nallu]

Sadly, the residents are all too used to death. Here men gather for the funeral of a rebel fighter who was killed inside Syria but whose body was smuggled across the border for burial [Photo: Executive/Preethi Nallu]

The men line up for funeral prayers led by the Imam. Arsal has experienced regular cross-border incursions and shelling by the Syrian army in the past month [Photo: Executive/Preethi Nallu]

Later the man is buried facing towards Mecca, with marble slabs placed over the body. The funeral is followed by a three-day mourning period [Photo: Executive/Preethi Nallu]

Men from the community attend the funeral and burial, while the women usually gather to mourn at the home of the deceased [Photo: Executive/Preethi Nallu]

A farmer breaks down as he talks of bodies that have arrived from the battlefield and the emotional toll it has taken on families stranded indefinitely at the mosque [Photo: Executive/Preethi Nallu]

With the violence inside Syria intensifying, the chances of the refugees leaving the mosque to return home are slim [Photo: Executive/Preethi Nallu]

Preethi Nallu

He is a writer, researcher, filmmaker, and advocacy specialist from India, and the founding editor of News Deeply's refugee-focused media platform. With a career spanning 16 countries, he has led global campaigns on human rights and development issues, including migration and refugee returns. Currently, he co-edits Mediabridge, a collaborative journalism platform supported by International Media Support, with previous work earning multiple awards including two Webbys and an Amnesty Human Rights Reporting Award.

Syrians seek God’s shelter

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