Syrians take refuge in Goulburn after traumatic ordeal

Goulburn volunteers are changing the lives of refugees who were caught in Syria’s civil war and terrorised by Islamic State (ISIS).

Mazin Alkhusi, his wife Rouba Farrouh and their sons George and Elias arrived in Australia two years ago after a long flight from Iraq. They had earlier fled from Syria, leaving behind everything they owned and the people they knew.

Previously living in a Christian city in Syria, Mazin had a thriving food distribution business, olive grove and dairy which made him a prime target when ISIS arrived.

He was held captive for 10 days until his family handed over their money, jewellery and their home as ransom for his release.

The Alkhusis fled to Lebanon for two years, then returned to Syria where ISIS recaptured Mazin and held him with other prisoners in a cave and set a date for his execution.

When that day arrived, an Orthodox priest handed over a ransom and the family fled a second time to Iraq, where they remained in a refugee camp until being allowed to come to Australia.

Maggie Patterson, the Goulburn group co-ordinator for the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot project, known as CRISP, was among those welcoming the Alkhusis to Australia. In August 2022, with balloons, flowers and soft toys the volunteers met the family of four at Sydney Airport.

“They were driven to Goulburn down the Hume Highway in the dark, with no knowledge of where they were going,” Maggie said. “We had taken their two ouds (string instruments) in another vehicle, their precious musical instruments which they handed over to strangers.”

Two years later at the Urban Monastery at Joseph’s Gate in Goulburn, 40 people came to hear their story for the first time. George played one of the ouds and Elias sang. The group also learned how they could help 10 more traumatised families resettle in Goulburn.

Goulburn churches have helped Mazin, Rouba and the boys. Goulburn Men’s Shed rebuilt bikes for them, Goulburn Rotary provided driving lessons and the CRISP volunteers helped them through a maze of paperwork to open bank accounts, access services and doctors.

“Saint Peter and Paul’s Primary School and Trinity College have been amazing,” Maggie said. An Arabic teacher arrived about the same time and helped George with English, a reminder blessings come along the way when befriending strangers in need, she said.

“It has been one of the most amazing experiences of my whole life to be their friend,” she said. “As a community we have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable people and help them resettle well.”

CRISP is now planning to bring 10 more persecuted Syrian families to Goulburn before Christmas, under the Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia program, which works with the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Another speaker in Goulburn with a refugee background, Blaise Itabelo, said his family and the Alkhusis were the “lucky ones” to have escaped across borders. Not everyone made it across the borders.

“I still remember vividly, I was eight years old crossing Lake Tanganyika from Congo,” he said. “I’m from Congo; the war started in 1996 and is still ongoing now. I still remember seeing household items floating in the lake,” he said.

Blaise is now the national manager of Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia which works with community groups to resettle refugees. Since 2022 they have resettled 450 people.

Across the world about 43 million people are refugees, and two million people every year need urgent resettlement.

Blaise said when people see the suffering of others from Congo, Sudan, Gaza and Ukraine, their first question is: “What can I do about it?”

He said as community volunteers they could help governments help more refugees by providing the crucial wraparound support for the first 12 months of a refugee family’s arrival into the country.

Maggie added: “You are not going to do it on your own, and it’s not complicated. It’s about being nice.”

She asked businessman Peter Mylonas, who has established much social infrastructure in Goulburn, if he could find an Arabic business mentor for Mazin. Peter introduced philanthropist and Sydney businessman Norm Yammine to Mazin and the CRISP group.

Norm, who has a haulage business in Marulan distributes free meals each week and toys for children at Christmas.

Norm says people like Peter Mylonas are special and he sees a bright future in Goulburn for the 10 refugee families, if enough volunteers can be found to support them. “These people will become beautiful Australians,” he said.

If you would like to volunteer for CRISP, email: [email protected]