Syrian Suffering Body

The concept of the ‘suffering body’ is also imperative in understanding the impact of biolegitimacy on Syrian refugees. By employing the term, the ‘suffering body,’ I am referring to physical and mental indications of injury and abuse on the bodies of Syrian refugees that occurred as a result of the political conflict in Syria. As mentioned earlier, images and videos of young Syrian children being rushed to the hospital and getting treatment from the Douma chemical attacks elicited international outrage. The injuries on the Syrian refugee’s bodies are more than just alterations; rather, they are a reflection of the political crisis and social suffering occurring in Syria. As such, the media placed emphasis on these injuries and provided particularly vivid details about the

Through these harrowing and vivid details, along with the fact that young children were largely impacted in these chemical attacks, international outrage coupled with sympathy and compassion were directed towards Syria. Indeed, the suffering bodies of these young children elicited an international response and enabled them to gain ‘legitimacy’ in Western countries. However, their bodies also reflect a moral tension as it relates to the moral economy of suffering in the West.

It is important to note that the construction of Syrian refugees as “victims” and “other” is very carefully and consciously constructed. This construction is shaped by two phenomena. Firstly, the world is becoming aware of displaced peoples and refugees, especially Syrians, in the context of globalization. Secondly, there is an increased awareness of structural racial inequalities in the world, along with how these inequalities are entrenched in the governments of various Western countries. Therefore, the bodies of the Syrian refugees reflect a moral tension. While Syrians impacted by the chemical attacks are viewed as