As an international student from Syria, reading this article about the refugee crisis made me feel angry, hurt and very sad. Because it did not mention Syrian refugees once, it seems to me like it is belittling the experiences of the many Syrians who are seeking a safe place where they won’t be arrested, tortured or killed. The war has certainly been a crisis for all of us involved.

I’m speaking as a Syrian Citizen who had to flee my country like so many others. Our houses have been destroyed, our family members have been killed, and our friends have been arrested. When you say, “Stop calling it a ‘refugee crisis,’” it makes me feel like our suffering doesn’t exist. It makes me feel like our stories don’t matter. It makes me feel like now that the world is finally starting to pay attention to what Syrian refugees are going through, someone had to come and steal our spotlight.

Ghraowi is an English literature junior from Damascus.