Let's talk about why you're here.

Why are you here, Jamal?

Your departure came too soon, before we had our fill of your presence, before we understood the reality of your existence, and even before we were able to understand you.

كنت تتعب..وكنا نألم كنت تغيب...وكنا نسئل

You must move within the arteries of the system, without anyone noticing your existence, until you reach all the power centres.

And I was thinking of the hypothermia and maybe some shoulder pain and all the other things the vomiting that comes from being in the saltwater.

And when you're in a situation where you have to justify every moment of your existence, you're put in the situation where you react in a very different manner.

Even if you're in a classroom full of people smarter than you, you'd be happy just to be in that classroom, which is what I felt.

And it's an amazing thing to think that this close to Miami, two hours from Miami, there is an entire civilization of people praying every day for your well being.

The donkey said to Balaam, Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Was I ever in the habit of doing so to you? He said, No.

And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.

Can you talk to us a bit about being an Arab in Japan? How different are the customs and traditions people and attitudes and everyday living from life in Syria?

I am writing to tell you that you, perhaps, may not have felt the importance of your presence with us as I have.

To suffer from hunger is to feel more human, moving closer to the animal condition that precedes us, and also to reflect on the meaning of existence because if you don t feed yourself, you decompose and that makes you think about life and the meaning of being here.