GU-Q’s Care of the Whole Person Amidst War

On the 28th of February, the United States and Israel attacked Iran, prompting Tehran to launch missiles and drones at Israel and military bases in the Middle East where US forces operate. As of writing this, Iran has launched strikes on Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. 

In Iran, approximately 1,500 have been killed by US and Israel attacks, and as of now, the two states are still bombing Tehran, Isfahan, and Hamadan. The most devastating tragedy out of this happened on February 28, wherein more than 170 people were killed in a Shajareh Tayyebeh, a girls’ school near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps base.

The ongoing conflict has spilt over the Gulf region due to Iran’s counterattacks, and since then, our lives as Hoyas have been different.

We have sat, glued to television screens and social media, the sound of news outlets filling our days while the world order and our own lives transform before our very eyes. During one of the virtual town halls that were held by the Office of the Dean, students emphasized how they are learning firsthand what they discuss in classrooms. Dean Safwan Masri also mentioned that it is during times like these that a community gets tested, and we think that Georgetown University has been resilient amidst the chaos and abrupt changes.

With just one missile from the US and Israel, our daily lives have changed entirely.

Day-to-day operations have been disrupted, rooting us in our homes. The deafening sounds of alerts are now normal parts of our waking days and weary nights. We have grown used to the booms above our heads, missile interceptions that shake both our anxiety and our homes.

What was considered “normal” is quickly shifting.

Despite this, we have been lucky enough to have a cushion of safety and support with the numerous resources being offered by the administration, both in Doha and by the DC campus. A privilege that many who go through conflict do not have.

In the face of this great tragedy unfolding, the GU-Q community remains steadfast in demonstrating compassion. Despite all these changes, the GU-Q community has found immense comfort in the care our leadership shows.

When students raised concerns about learning, 

When dorm residents faced internet connectivity issues, 

When staff, faculty, and students alike expressed their uncertainties about the near future in the landscape of this war,

GU-Q stepped up and held its hand out to every person.

They provided quick measures and guidelines to ensure that schedules would not be disrupted. They held online community forums so that the community could gather and find comfort in each other. Even GU-Q professors who are experts in politics and international affairs tried their best to deconstruct and analyze the situation, providing their two cents, which helped us make sense of the war.

When options to leave the country seemed difficult, they offered full support so that students could safely leave the country.

Georgetown is by no means a perfect institution. But when it matters most, the effort to consider the whole person can be seen and felt by the community. The past weeks have shown us that. As Hoyas, it is important that we recognize the privilege of safety and reassurance that are being provided to us. It is crucial, now more than ever, to keep in mind the responsibility that we have to speak up for those who are affected the most by this ongoing war.

We know not what the coming days will bring, but we are certain we can find comfort with each other. We lean on each other, and we take things day by day, controlling the things we can. In times like these, our greatest source of strength is our shared community.