The family of physiology junior Tasneem Sannah came from Syria to the United States in 1980. Although Sannah has only visited Syria once in middle school she has many relatives in the country and activism purposed to help Syrians has become a large part of her life at MSU.
Her father, whose name could not be printed to ensure the safety of the family’s relatives who remain in Syria, said Sannah’s activism started after a family tragedy.
In February 2014, Sannah’s grandmother, who lived in Syria, went to check her parsley plant in the yard behind her home. She was killed by a bomb. It denoted near her leg and arm and caused her to bleed to death.
No one, including police officers or the Syrian government, took the blame for the death of Sannah’s grandmother, he said.
“It’s very emotional, because even though it has been two years, every time I tell the story, I have to cry,” Sannah’s father said.
Sannah’s father described the tragedy as a changing point in his daughter’s life.
“You cannot really explain what happened to her,” Sannah’s father said. “We managed to support her through that hardship. She took the opportunity of her grandmother’s death as a way to support the revolution in any way she could.”
Sannah is now an officer of MSU’s chapter of the Students Organize for Syria, or SOS.
The organization is dedicated to sustaining a student network to actively support the cause for a free Syria.
Sannah also has a large part in “Books Not Bombs,” a program with a chapter at MSU which campaigns for Syrian refugees to receive educations in the U.S.
During Sannah’s senior year of high school she held bake sales to raise money to support children in Syria.
The well-being of several family members in Syria is something constantly on Sannah's and her family’s minds.
“It is just heart-wrenching right now,” Sannah said. “Because I have family there, it is so tough when you hear the news and see what is happening in the cities that are near where your relatives live. I’m constantly wondering, ‘Are they okay?’”
The Sannah family finds the Internet is a relatively easy way to connect with their family overseas. But there are always risks involved because many of the relatives live in regime-controlled parts of the country, where everything they say or write on the Internet is closely monitored.
With this limited communication, Sannah has small tokens to remind her of her family members.
“I always wear a bracelet that has a symbol of the Syrian flag on it,” Sannah said. “Every time I look at it, I am always reminded of my grandma, my aunts and my cousins.”
Although Sannah is a physiology major, she said her heritage continues to influence her studies.
“My Syrian heritage has pushed me towards studying Arabic and pursuing a minor in Arabic studies,” Sannah said. “I want to improve my Arabic skills in case I ever get the opportunity to go back to Syria and help out in any way I can.”
Sannah is also taking a middle eastern geography class this semester so she can be more informed about the dynamics of the areas surrounding Syria.
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“Tasneem chose to stay involved, keep thinking about the tragedy in Syria and see what she could do about it,” Sannah’s father said. “I’m very proud of all that she has done.”
