Mediterranean Sea – Malik* has been beaten, sold and humiliated along the way, but after being rescued in the middle of the Mediterranean, he hopes for a life beyond the violence.
The 23-year-old Syrian from the city of Deraa made his trip to Europe via Libya, where he became one among thousands of people detained and trafficked.
Each had their reasons for risking the dangerous journey. For Malik, a recently graduated surgical nurse, it was the choice between fulfilling his oath as a medical professional to save lives and aid humans in need, and the expectation from the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad that he serve in the army, with the country still at war.
“If I had stayed, I would have been at war with another human being. And not just anyone – a person from my own country. If I refused, I would have been considered a criminal,” Malik told Al Jazeera two days …
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