Matt Driscoll: Despite fear mongering, local agencies prepared to welcome Syrian refugees

We live in a time of profound and crippling fear.

It’s all around us. It permeates our lives, our discourse and the decisions we make.

We’re afraid, and unconscionable acts like last week’s attacks in Paris provide us reason to be.

But we’re also better than this.

Chances are, if you’ve already staked out a hardline position against allowing Syrian refugees to seek asylum in the United States, or have already come to the conclusion that Islam, and all Muslims, present a threat to your way of life, this column isn’t going to sway you. And that’s too bad.

Perhaps you’re like Snoqualmie’s Republican state representative Jay Rodne, who took to Facebook Friday, in the wake of the terrorist attack in Paris, to call President Barack Obama’s plan to allow Syrian refugees to relocate in the United States, “absolute madness.”

“Islam is incompatible with western civilization! How (many) people need to die? In the interim, Americans, arm yourselves!!!!!” Rodne warned.

Or, perhaps you’re like at least two dozen governors from across the country — not including Washington’s Jay Inslee — posturing politically to prevent the immigration of refugees from Syria and stoking fear that the terrorists will take advantage of our compassion to infiltrate the country. This, in spite of the arduous 13-step screening that all refugees must already undertake to make it to our country, a process that often takes years.

And perhaps, somehow, you even maintain these unflinching positions having seen photos such as the one of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi lying lifeless on a beach off the coast of Turkey, one of at least 12 Syrians who drowned one day back in September while fleeing the very evil we’re so adamant about keeping outside our borders. So far, the civil war in Syria has displaced more than 4 million people just like him.

Profound and crippling fear, indeed.

But, there’s another side to the story. And, for a moment at least, that’s the one I’d like to focus on.

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On Friday, World Relief Seattle — a local agency that helps some 750 displaced people find a new life in the United States each year — will offer a training and informational event at University Place Presbyterian Church, designed to provide guidance for families and individuals interested in helping to welcome refugees into our community.

Yes, even Syrian refugees.

As KUOW’s Liz Jones reported earlier this month, World Relief recently welcomed one of the first Syrian families to arrive in the Puget Sound since Obama announced the United States would accept at least 10,000 refugees from the war-torn country next year.

The Alhamadan family, now of Federal Way, are part of about 25 Syrian refugees who’ve found their way to Washington since October 2014. Barring a collapse of political will on the federal level in the aftermath of the attacks in Paris, more are expected soon.

Scott Ellis, the volunteer coordinator at World Relief, says the organization holds such training sessions about once a month at various locations around the region. Recently, he says, the trainings have “been our most well-attended, and most engaged since I’ve been working here.”

Specific to the crisis in Syria, he says he’s seen an “overwhelming response” from families and organizations looking to help. Ellis expects 50-100 people to attend Friday’s event.

“There’s a lot of interest in welcoming Syrians and other refugees because of what people are seeing on the news and in their homes every day,” he told me. “People realize the violence they’re seeing — that’s why these folks are fleeing.”

With the wounds of Paris less than a week old and the conversation on Syrian refugees shifting, in many cases taking an ugly turn, will people suddenly become less willing to help?

Dave Duea, the president and CEO of Lutheran Community Services Northwest, which also works to help resettle refugees from around the world, doesn’t think so. In fact, Duea thinks the divisive political rhetoric will lead to a “counter-response of compassion and welcoming” from our community.

In December, Duea will travel to Detroit for a conference on how organizations like his can best welcome Syrian refugees. He acknowledges that when he spoke with members of his board on Saturday, the attacks in Paris initially made “a couple of members uncomfortable.” But, Duea says, the hesitation quickly subsided.

“That is a natural response: fear and, ‘Let’s be careful,’ ” he told me.

“But once you get more educated on the vetting process (for refugees), and remember that 3-year-old on the beach …”

Duea trailed off, but the message was loud and clear. And, amidst the swirling fear, it’s the one we should be focusing on.

“We’ll see what happens with all the political stuff that’s going on right now,” Duea told me.

“We’re planning on them still coming.”

This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 1:34 AM with the headline "Matt Driscoll: Despite fear mongering, local agencies prepared to welcome Syrian refugees."