Solidarity knows no social roles. Suffering knows no colors. These statements are not clichés, but realities confirmed by an incident that every Italian should be proud of: Thousands of volunteers, including refugees, have gathered at the sites devastated by the earthquake to offer a helping hand.
The refugees that came to offer help have demonstrated what it means to combine idealism and pragmatism in tragic moments like these.
These refugees came to rescue, to assist, to help and to save human lives, regardless of the ethnicity of the victims lying beneath the rubble; white, black, Christian or whatever else. They were the first responders. Together with the men and women from government agencies, they constructed tent camps to house the people who had lost their homes. These volunteers give meaning to the phrase "belpaese," or "beautiful country."
Meanwhile, statements coming from people who know nothing about solidarity completely stray from the idea of the "belpaese." These are the people suggesting that the victims of the earthquake should be housed in the five-star (!) hotels that are currently occupied by refugees.
The refugees should go to the tent cities instead, they argue. The refugees should give up the rooms that the state has given them, they senselessly insist.
They are angels, not vultures; they helped because they know what it means to suffer, to lose everything.
They have no respect for the victims of the earthquake. Their shameful ranting also shows that they have no pity for the thousands of people who have risked their very lives to flee the hell of war, exploitation, and natural disaster. The ideals of the "belpaese" are nowhere to be found in these tirades.
The volunteers have clearly demonstrated that buckling down to help people who are suffering brings everyone together. Dozens of refugees came from all over Italy to offer aid to the earthquake victims: A beautiful truth that outshines the uproar and the controversy concerning the migrants.
Volunteers from different organizations throughout the entire country came by the dozen to offer aid and assistance to the local authorities in Amandola, one of the regions hit the hardest by the earthquake.
The actions of these volunteers form the best rebuttal to the remarks of Father Cesare Donati, a priest serving in Boissano. He posted the following on Facebook: "Given the tragedy of the earthquake, it is now time to put the victims into housing and send the migrants to the tents....we shall see."
These are strong, rash words, especially from a man of the church. His statements may sow the seeds of resentment, division and mistrust, and they are likely to institute a hierarchy of victimhood that must not be accepted.
The refugees who came from all over Italy to offer their services to the earthquake victims have tragedy in their pasts, and certainly do not have "five-star " futures.
Enrico Mentana was unfortunately correct when he stated that "not even a full day had passed after the earthquake before a plague started spreading on the internet: 'Send the migrants to the tent cities so they can free up rooms in the five-star hotels for the earthquake victims.' It is obvious that the authors of the statements care neither for the refugees nor for the victims; they only want to spread their hate."
Unfortunately, this is exactly what has happened. But we must not give in to these people. It is our ethical and humanitarian duty to help the refugees. Far too often, it is controversy that grabs our attention -- he who makes the biggest uproar wins.
The refugees who came from all over Italy to offer their services to the earthquake victims have tragedy in their pasts, and certainly do not have "five-star " futures. They came to dig through the rubble and help those who have lost everything, and they're not after personal or political gain. They are angels, not vultures; they helped because they know what it means to suffer, to lose everything, to leave behind homes destroyed by war or by natural disasters. And they certainly know it better than those who are voicing their outrage. It was simply compassion that brought them to Amandola and Amatrice. They gave new meaning to the word "belpaese" and made a beautiful show of solidarity.
This post first appeared on HuffPost Italy. It has been translated into English and edited for clarity.