CHRISTMAS MESSAGE 2014/NO PLACE FOR REFUGEES IN

FORTRESS EUROPE/REFLECTIONS ON CHRISTMAS EVE



SEE ALSO



http://www.astridessed.nl/christmas-message-2014no-place-for-refugees-in-fortress-europereflections-on-christmas-eve/



At a certain moment in the history of Mankind, a man leaves his

home with his pregnant wife, in search for a better existence.

They travel on a donkey cart, under the burning sun.

No pleasure for a mother to be, but better than walking.

When they enter a remotely city, they can't rest anywhere,

as poor as they were.

But compassionate farmer shows them a cabin, where they

can sleep.

That night the woman gives birth to a child.

But they can't stay there for long, because the local

ruler hates foreigners and already killed many of them

in a massacre.

So they have to run away with a newborn baby to

another country.

They were lucky to have been born two thousand years

ago, because had they fled to Europe with its

killing asylum policy, their refugee story had not

been believed and they were sent back to the place

of death and destruction they came from.

And Christmas had not been celebrated.

FORTRESS EUROPE

The same horrible flight this Family made, is now

being done by boat refugees, two thousand and

fourteen years later, who cross the Mediterranean Sea

in the hope for a better future.

A normal thing to do, you would say,

because who doesn't want to escape a life of

poverty and war?

But the European rulers have a different line of

thinking and picture those refugees as villains ,

criminals and ''gelukzoekers''[ Dutch for searchers

for fortune and happiness]

So what:

Are we not all searchers for happiness and fortune?

Have not European emigrated to other countries,

in search for a better life?

But egoism rules.

Egoism of capitalism with its ruthless dictate

of who is useful to the economy and the system and

who is not.

Capitalism that doesn't care about human beings.

When those boat refugees were to be used economically

as the former Turkish and Moroccon domestic workers

in the Netherlands [and other European countries], the

door would be open to welcome them.

Now capitalism can't use them, they try to keep them outside

Europe with any means possible.

Rich Europe [which exploits and makes its profits out of the

countries of the refugees] is militarising its borders with

Frontex European Agency, to make it impossible

for reaching Europe on a safe and normal way.

Therefore they have to take dangerous and unseaworthy

boats.

By the policy of ruthless European gangster rulers, the

Mediterranean Sea has become a graveyard for

thousands of boat refugees.



CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION IN EUROPE



Actually it is strange, that every year, Christmas celebration in Europe

becomes more luxurious.

Because it is the celebration of a poor Child, who was not welcome,

like the boat refugees.

I wonder, how all those European Christmas celebrators

[I don't mean them, who care about refugees, of course],

would have reacted, when the Child of Bethlehem would

come to Europe now, as one of those boat refugees, who

they call criminals and ''gelukzoekers'' [ Dutch for searchers

for fortune and happiness]

''Not welcome''

''Coming to benefit from our wealth''

''Stay in your own country''

''Another would be terrorist''

The story of Christmas is not different from the refugees tale,

for who was no place in the safe world.

In Fortress Europe.

In the Netherlands.

Anywhere in the world.

Only when refugees are no longer considered as

criminals or ''collateral damage'', but are welcome

in Europe, The Child of Bethlehem is welcome.

And has Christmas a true meaning.

For everyone

MERRY CHRISTMAS

JOYEUX NOEL



Astrid Essed

Amsterdam

The Netherlands