Alaa Basatneh and Zainab Khan

Alaa Basatneh (A) reflects on her parents being mentors for her activism. Her father moved the family to Chicago, Illinois because he was under constant threat from the Syrian regime. Her parents taught her that, even though she was living in Chicago, she should never forget the people in Syria.

A talks about phone calls with her aunt in Syria, and hating having to censor her conversation because, as her father used to say, "the walls have ears."

A did not believe the Arab Spring would happen in Syria because of the level of oppression, but she was thrilled it did.

A talks about what propelled her to becoming an activist, hearing about the torture and killing of Syrian children. She could not just go back to Syria, so she took to her laptop, using social media to connect to protestors and activists. She started out by translating Arabic chants and banners so that Westerners could understand their message.

A talks about how the #ChicagoGirl documentary got started.

A describes the Facebook death threat she received from the Syrian regime.

She describes her fear/denial reaction to the death threat, and how she did not tell her parents because she did not want to stop her activism.

A remembers finally telling her parents about the death threat, which her dad then reported to the FBI.

A talks about her disappointment in Western media reporting only on terrorist groups in Syria, rather than what is actually happening to the people in Syria. She gives some examples of the kinds of stories she would like to see reported.

A talks about receiving her parents' support after the death threat.

A talks about gathering medical supplies for children in need with the help of her father. It was her idea to go to Syria to deliver the supplies themselves. She and her father crossed minefields to deliver the supplies.

A talks about her struggles, including her sadness. She believes her struggles are part of what make her who she is.

A shares that, because she has seen the eyes of the children in need, she will never give up.