“While I believe in the humanity of taking in those in need, I also believe that guests need to accept and tolerate the culture of their respective host nations.”
A 31-year-old Syrian man says he was brutally attacked by a group of Syrian migrants in Sweden as he walked through town. Gabriel Chabo—who is currently seeking asylum in Sweden—said he was approached by a group of men he didn’t know. The men began shouting homophobic slurs at Chabo. The situation escalated when the men began beating Chabo with weapons and slamming his head into a car door.
The men initially approached Chabo demanding that he give them money for being gay and they would allow him to remain in the town. Chabo was beaten after he claimed that he wasn’t gay. He was hospitalized, beaten and bloody. No suspects have been identified in the case so far, which has Chabo concerned for his safety and unable to function without feeling some kind of anxiety.
Gabriel Chabo owns a salon in Sweden and has been an open supporter of gay rights. As a Syrian man, this combination already puts a target on his back. Syria is not a country that supports the LGBT community in any way, shape, or form. Homophobia is largely accepted among many Muslim third-world countries. Gay people are often hunted like fugitives and brought up on charges relating to their “criminal” behavior. It can be very dangerous for those belonging to these cultures to openly support homosexuality, much less participate in the community. This isn’t even remotely surprising considering the horrific conditions women live under within many of these cultures. Value seems to be placed on only straight men. It’s hard to believe this attack occurred in Sweden and not some dark alley in a war-torn country.
This incident shows how backwards some cultures still are in terms of acceptance and tolerance toward other human beings. Of course, given the way women are treated within many Muslim countries, it stands to reason that gays don’t have a fighting chance for safety. Gays are often executed by incredibly barbaric means, such as being thrown off rooftops. I’m sure there are also times those who are falsely accused receive the same type of punishment.
We get so comfortable enjoying our freedom in the United States—the greatest country in the world—that we forget the level of brutality and blatant human rights violations that take place across the globe. Europe has seen a surge of crime related to immigrants and refugees who have fled their countries seeking refuge from conflict and terror.
While I believe in the humanity of taking in those in need, I also believe that guests need to accept and tolerate the culture of their respective host nations. These are things citizens of the United States need to take into consideration regarding immigration and even cultural differences. It’s good to educate and introduce Western values, but whether or not these morals will be adopted by immigrants is a completely different story.
