Ilhan Gowdha is set to become an American citizen on Feb. 16 after fleeing a civil war in Somalia. But after President Donald Trump banned refugees from entering the United States, her children often come home crying not sure of what the next day will bring.

“This policy has shaken me,” Gowdha, a junior public health major at Syracuse University, said.

Gowdha is among about 100 SU students who participated in a march criticizing Trump’s executive order on refugees, marching from Crouse-Hinds Hall to the Life Sciences Complex Thursday afternoon.

In the “Rally for Refugees” march, participants addressed their safety concerns as a result of Trump’s order, solidarity in resisting the Trump administration through activism and supporting refugees in Syracuse. The event was organized by OXFAM at SU, the Muslim Students’ Association, Amnesty International, SU College Democrats and Democracy Matters, according to a Facebook event page.

SU students Nedda Sarshar, a member of the SU and State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Coalition for Justice, and Arva Hassonjee, co-founder of OXFAM at SU, spoke and led practice chants.

“We are going to show this administration that they can’t do whatever they want,” Hassonjee said.

Trump signed the executive order last Friday that prevents people from Syria, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen from entering the country for the next 90 days, and all refugee admissions for 120 days.

After the march up the University Place promenade to the Life Sciences Complex, the crowd congregated on the floor of Milton Atrium for a series of speakers, many affiliated with the organizing groups of the event. Some grew close to tears as they shared their stories about feeling like an outsider after Trump was elected as president.

Another speaker brought signs with the phone numbers of various senators and Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.), who represents the 24th Congressional District that includes Syracuse. She took a five-minute break from the program to allow students to call and voice their concerns with the president’s actions.

Dina Eldawy, co-president of the Muslim Students’ Association, was one of the last speakers of the afternoon. She asked the audience to remember to help the refugee community already in Syracuse and listed off options, including helping out at an upcoming informational session for refugees or with organizations on the North Side.

Manar Shabouk, an Arabic lecturer at SU who spoke at the rally, said in an interview that she thought the gathering was powerful and that she was glad students were trying to be active. She also said she did not agree when Trump called backlash to his executive order an “emotional response.”

“It’s not about Hillary or Trump,” she said, but rather about taking care of each other.

Published on February 2, 2017 at 8:16 pm

Contact Delaney: dovanwey@syr.edu