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CNN (Certainly Not News) reported a story about the heroic adventures of two young Syrians with a whale of a tale about their swim "through the dark waters of Greece."
The story starts out with Hesham Modamani (his friends tease him and call him "Heshy" 'because it sounds so Jewish') looking out at sea, the same sea "separating him and his dream of getting to Europe, the continent that could finally free him from the horrors back at home in Syria. The 24-year old felt nervous." CNN writes.
Roll the music.
Heshy couldn't afford to pay the $1350.72 to be smuggled across the channel (okay, I added the 72 cents) between Turkey and the nearest Greek island, so he decided to swim instead.
" . . . He couldn't give up now."
Heshy turned to Feras Abukhalil, his new Syrian buddy, as they strapped on their blue life vests (bought at a discount Syrian yacht shop), packed away their passports and $2500 cell phones in a plastic bag that came with the life vests, and jumped into the salty brine.
The water was cold and angry, and the young men feared "the dark waters of the Aegean Sea," CNN wrote without barfing. Yet somehow they managed to gather their courage and swim on.
Heshy told CNN "This was the scariest moment of my life." I do not doubt this.
Feras (his friends call him "The Big Wheel") had planned this for two months, meticulously plotting and researching the journey, possibly on Google. The Greek island they would be swimming to, would be Chios, starting out from the Turkish coastal city of Cesma.
It was a 5 mile swim that took courage and guts, determination and resolve, and yes, it took the blessings of Allah or somebody. But they did it and CNN blew their horn.
Many CNNers will look upon that epic journey as a testimonial to the courage those young Syrian men had. Others will look upon it as refusing to fight for their homeland and simply allowing ISIS to have it.
I look upon it as Hijrah--tell me if you agree.
The story starts out with Hesham Modamani (his friends tease him and call him "Heshy" 'because it sounds so Jewish') looking out at sea, the same sea "separating him and his dream of getting to Europe, the continent that could finally free him from the horrors back at home in Syria. The 24-year old felt nervous." CNN writes.
Roll the music.
Heshy couldn't afford to pay the $1350.72 to be smuggled across the channel (okay, I added the 72 cents) between Turkey and the nearest Greek island, so he decided to swim instead.
" . . . He couldn't give up now."
Heshy turned to Feras Abukhalil, his new Syrian buddy, as they strapped on their blue life vests (bought at a discount Syrian yacht shop), packed away their passports and $2500 cell phones in a plastic bag that came with the life vests, and jumped into the salty brine.
The water was cold and angry, and the young men feared "the dark waters of the Aegean Sea," CNN wrote without barfing. Yet somehow they managed to gather their courage and swim on.
Heshy told CNN "This was the scariest moment of my life." I do not doubt this.
Feras (his friends call him "The Big Wheel") had planned this for two months, meticulously plotting and researching the journey, possibly on Google. The Greek island they would be swimming to, would be Chios, starting out from the Turkish coastal city of Cesma.
It was a 5 mile swim that took courage and guts, determination and resolve, and yes, it took the blessings of Allah or somebody. But they did it and CNN blew their horn.
Many CNNers will look upon that epic journey as a testimonial to the courage those young Syrian men had. Others will look upon it as refusing to fight for their homeland and simply allowing ISIS to have it.I look upon it as Hijrah--tell me if you agree.
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