Mohamad Hascor

full interview

Of course, Mohammed, we’ve been friends for a long time. I am Ehab who has lived in this country for almost three and a half years. I was late in obtaining asylum in the country. I received it almost three months ago. We all know the nature of things, I mean the nature of life here. First of all, I would like to ask you a question before I explain everything to you. What do you think about how Europeans view refugee and immigrant communities?
First of all, I have a lot of relations here with many Europeans. Unfortunately, the prevailing view of refugees or immigrants is negative. They should know that people have different classes and ethics and people shouldn’t be judged the same way. I mean, if they experience a bad situation with a refugee, they judge all refugees to be the same, like the vast majority of Europeans. They should have contact with people and know them well first.

First of all, I would like to explain to you the reason and purpose of the interview. The Thousand Dreams Project is a project that aims to reflect the suffering and experiences of refugees in the country in which they live, the events that have happened to them and the situations they have experienced. As well as changing the thinking that is cultivated in Western communities and European society about us as refugees and expatriates in here or other countries. Therefore, we would like to say that the young refugee community or the expatriate community in general has possibilities and many things to show and invest in. As a person you would like to show your real name and photo?
Okay, I have no problem.

Ok. In a paper, I need you to fill out some information and sign it.
What is it exactly? Is it for the protection of rights?

You acknowledge that you allow us to use your name and photo in public places and social networking sites, allowing your story to reach as many people as possible. When did you arrive in Greece?
Around 2016.

Which place is Greece?.
Coast Island.

How old are you currently?.
21 years.

Reasons to leave Syria?.
I left due to great stress and inability to complete school. Honestly, I had a dream that’s impossible to achieve in Syria. For example, sports are of no interest in Syria and it is my dream to be an athlete. I was a well-known athlete at the level of the Syrian Sports Federation in the sport of bodybuilding, but unfortunately there is no material or moral support or external and professional tournaments.

Are you a Syrian national?
A Syrian-Palestinian from Jaffa. I do not have Syrian citizenship.

your profession is a sports coach?.
Yes, I am a coach.

Let’s start with simple questions about your home. Where do you live?
My house is a closed room where I live alone. I am a person who loves solitude and I do not prefer to live with anyone. I feel more free and comfortable when I live alone and practice my own rituals. I currently live in Athens but I’d like to live somewhere else in the future.

Tell us how you spend your time?
I start my day with exercises. Then I let myself think and plan for my future and how to establish myself and make a plan for my future and the things I hope for.

What does sport mean to you?
Sport is everything to me. Sport is the dream, the future, success and the goal of the future.

Do you want to continue your journey in life as an athlete? What kind of sport do you practice?
Yes, right. I practice bodybuilding and fitness.

How do you feel about the thing you’re doing?
Sometimes I am proud to have been committed to sports for almost 7 years. Since the age of 8, I used to do sports at home. Breakdance included parkour sports and then started bodybuilding for physical strength. I found my passion in sports. mostly because i was surrounded by sports and athletes in my childhood.

Well, what are the things that bring you joy?
To have a private club where I can train and help people build their bodies and maintain their health in the first place. because when you’re passionate about something and become good at it you should start helping other people. It’s not only about being fit but also being healthy and having an organized schedule. I love helping others achieve this too.

Well, how did your life change when I arrived in Europe?
I mean, I changed my life myself. I suffered a lot on my way to Europe. We experienced difficult conditions and stayed in the forests for days. My life changed because I didn’t let go of my dream and practiced sports in the most difficult circumstances. I used to run in the woods. On one occasion, we were leaving Greece to Turkey and the authorities put us on the beach for four days in the Marmaris area. I took advantage of the situation and practiced some different sports such as running and swimming. What I mean is that I did not leave sports, even in the most difficult circumstances, whatever it was.

So what are the positive aspects of Europe in your opinion?
For me, I have not found any advantages of living in Greece. But on a personal level, I used to find great sympathy from the Europeans. I’m aware that my dream would not come true in Greece. Personally, I won’t give up until my last breath and I’m looking for my dream elsewhere. I haven’t visited the rest of Europe so I’m talking about Greece. I did not find any positive aspects here that’s worth mentioning.

What are the negative things in Europe?
The biggest negative aspect in Europe was the attempt by some people to take advantage of me. I thought they were friends, but it turned out that their intentions were malicious and based on interest only. take credit for all the hard work that you do.This is one of the biggest negative aspects here.

How do you find the nature of life in Greece? In terms of dealing, extracting papers and treating society and government?
Unfortunately, the Greek government does not cooperate with us. I have suffered greatly with the issuance of papers and official transactions. Honestly, if I had found good attention and follow-up from them, especially as a sports champion, I would have won some titles named after their country Greece. Therefore, it is better to look for an opportunity in Europe away from Greece.

So are you thinking about leaving to achieve your dream?
Yes, for a better life, the chances are slim here. Europe offers better opportunities and I should not ignore them.

How can you describe how you feel about life in Greece in general?
In general, you feel that you are alone and can’t do anything without a friend’s help. Then at the same time, you don’t want to feel like being a burden on others. You have no solution left but to leave the country and go to a place where you can show your true potential and convey a great picture of yourself in front of your friends. To show your true person, do you understand me?

in the present you are far from your country. How did it affect you?
Being away from your family is a very painful feeling unfortunately. I am away from my country because it’s in a state of great war. It hurts that I left my country and left everything behind me, but there is hope and I encourage myself to continue. One day I will return to my country proud and meet my family again and live a stable life.

I sure hope this happens. Did you feel that you belong to another place?
I don’t feel that I belong to Greece, but as a European community I felt that I could become one of them. I mean, as a Greek society, I felt that it may be possible to belong to this country, but there are government procedures and complications that you cannot accept, as a society I can’t accept it. I can join the ranks of Greek citizens, but poor procedures make me lose belonging. I have been subjected to many situations such as unjustified arrest. For example, last night I was arrested in the evening while I was walking with my friend for no reason only because of racism. I could see this in their eyes and behavior. They searched me and my friend even though we had no strange signs and were mistreated by Greek security personnel. They took off my friend’s jacket, it was so cold so he asked them to put his jacket back on but they refused. just checked our papers and just delayed us for no reason.

Well, I thought you could keep up with the events you’ve experienced. After all the difficulties and challenges you have faced, do you feel that you are able to keep up?
I always try to remove negative thoughts from my head and think that I should think of the positive side more. I encourage myself. I tell myself “you’re strong and you can rely on yourself in these moments”. I always try to remain calm and control the situation.

How were you able to cope with the difficult circumstances you experienced?
Acceptance, because in any case you should accept everything that could happen. We have to accept change and leave the past and our previous life behind, life goes on and difficult situations will pass whether you’re sad, happy or angry and it’s up to you, to think positively and move on or be pessimistic and depressed. The most important thing is to appreciate the experience as it is, learn the lesson and move on.

Well, do you think that you have developed yourself and your abilities to deal with the surrounding circumstances?
I have developed a lot of my personality so that I can adapt to the circumstances.

Do you think that you always have the skill and strength to cope of course?
yes. I always have the skill and the strength to be aware of anything that’s happened in my life and how to overcome it.

Well, how has Corona affected you and your mood?
It has affected me a lot, because I am a social person and I like going out and interacting with others, and I like to get to know people. Yes, the Corona period was difficult. On the other hand, my living conditions were difficult and there was no job. I used to be a personal trainer and my work stopped due to the pandemic. I hope COVID ends soon.

Why did you leave Syria?
Honestly, I couldn’t find my dream and ambition in Syria. My dream exists in Europe.

Is this the only reason or are there other reasons?
Other reasons are the pressure of governments, the pressure of war. I started to feel sorry that many years of my life have gone by without achieving my goals. I used to set goals and plans to achieve my dream, but war conditions prevented me. there’s no future there, i want to be a successful person and do whatever it takes.

So how was your trip to Europe?
My journey was very difficult.

What are the difficulties you are talking about?
What is difficult is that I have encountered people that I never expected to ever deal with. The suffering started when I left Syria for Turkey and then the adventures followed. The journey taught me how to deal with different types of people. But the most difficult situation happened to me when we were crossing the territorial waters from Turkey to Greece, when the boat broke down for an hour and a half at sea. There were many young children and women. The situation was very difficult. We kept trying to fix it until I was able to do so.

How many people were on the boat?
There were almost forty-five people.

No one was hurt?
Yes, me and the other two men were the bravest on the boat. We were able to calm everyone down and handle the situation very well.

How was life in the camp?
Honestly. I saw the camp once, for one day. When I first arrived in Greece, the situation of people was terrible there. People were sleeping on the ground and there was no respect or concern for the situation of refugees. They have no place to sleep or even covers to protect them from the cold forests, not even enough food or any money. As for me, I didn’t stay in the camp very much. I collected some money and went out and got to know a Greek girl and made me stay at her house for six months and I used to work at the time.

How did you go to Athens?
I came to Athens illegally, through smuggling because I couldn’t bear to live in the camp.

Good from everything that happened to you in a particular event. Do you think of an unforgettable event that happened to you?
The risks I experienced while leaving the Syrian province of Idlib to Turkey. And the horrors I’ve seen in the sea through illegal immigration. The shooting at us by the Turkish forces, it was a near death experience, and the repeated imprisonment. Those events that are hard for me to forget.

Of course, the smuggling attempt was at night?
Yes, during the night we were trying to cross the border from Idlib to Turkey. The success rate in this operation was only 15 percent and death was very likely during the crossing.

Does what happened to you have an effect on your day?
No, I’m trying to get over it. If I think a lot about the bad events I’ve experienced, I’ll become a miserable and depressed person. I prefer to move on, continue with my life and focus on my future and goals.

Did you imagine that you would overcome all the difficulties you experienced?
Yes. I have always encouraged myself that all difficult times will come to an end, and that I will reach my dream and live a stable life.

What strategy did you use to survive everything?
I had great faith in God. Moreover, I have the self-confidence and strength to make me stand up to the circumstances.

Do you have memories of childhood in your country and the things you were raised in?
Yes, they all go through my imagination. memories of my country hurt me. I miss my country and my city. I lived the best days of my life there. I migrated young and I was at the peak of my success in my country, but fate wanted to change. I have won several bodybuilding championships in the Republic.

What motivated you to practice sports and use it as a career in the future?
My mother is my first supporter and motivator since I was young. She’s the guardian angel of my future.

You used to play games from a young age and the game has become a passion for you?
It is not only a passion, but a part of my life that I cannot live without. Sport is like oxygen for me. it’s an obligation just like jobs, I must spare two hours of my day under any circumstances to exercise.

Tell us about the championships you won in Syria.
I won two championships in the Republic and other three

How old were you when you won the championship and at what weight did you play?
I was 17 years old and I used to play at 65 kilos. I mean the weight of the wind. The first champion won the weight of sixty-five, the second championship with the weight of seventy and the third championship with the weight of seventy-five.

You reached a certain stage, and then you wanted something bigger.
Yes, because I found success and did not want to miss the opportunity.

Where do you get your strength and support from?
Always from myself.

What role does your family play in what you’ve achieved?
I’m grateful for my mother, my father and my big brother, because he was a weightlifting player who played a great role in how I liked the game and learned many things.

You are a family that cares about sports, isn’t it like that?
Yes, right. My big brother has won championships in weightlifting. My uncle is a champion in wrestling and has won championships in Romania.

Before the events in Syria that made you leave the country, what was your dream in your home country?
My dream was to become famous and to be a world champion to represent Syria.

Tell me your dream exactly.
My dream was to become a famous bodybuilder, become a certified coach and win the Mr. Olympia title.

I wish you well and as your friend you always motivate me. While you were leaving Syria, what were you thinking at that moment?
I wanted to change my  life and make my dreams come true.

Before you left Syria how did you get your strength?
From my mother because she is the closest person to me. she would always tell me “you’re a hero, never give up i want people to talk about how great you are” when i won the championship i started crying tears of joy because it was a huge matter for me.

Did everything you went through made you more mature?
Yes, the things I’ve been through made me so mature. I’m grateful for everything that’s happened to me and taught me a lot that I consider it a blessing.

So there’s a positive side to what happened? 
yes sure.

What are your hopes and dreams for the future now? 
Reach the Mr. Olympia championship, become a coach and continue what i’m doing as well as helping other people to realize how important fitness is to change your whole life.

We very much appreciate your answers to all these questions. Me and the Witness change team.If you want to send any message to Western society, please go ahead.
I hope that Western society will take into account the conditions of refugees and appreciate that they have experienced a lot of pressure. Most of us came here alone leaving our families behind. I hope they will accept them and understand their situation. They should not judge people before trying to get to know them. We are good and open.

Would you like to say anything to the refugee community?
I wish them all good health and well-being. I hope they will not lose their positivity and I hope they will show the West how civilized and creative people they are and merge into the society.

Thank you very much. I hope you stay as you are, motivate us and encourage us to progress. I hope you achieve all your dreams.
Thank you my friend.