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The Birdman of Za'atari

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The Birdman of Za'atari

For Ayman, losing his songbirds in Syria was worse than losing his house. Now a refugee in Jordan, he is back in the breeding business.
5 August 2014

The war in Syria took many things from Ayman, but it was the loss of his beloved songbirds that saddened him the most.


Now, away from the bombs and bullets, he is back in the breeding business, selling birds at Jordan's Za'atari refugee camp.

Sometimes, with the help of his children, Ayman lets the birds out of their cages to spread their wings. It is a freedom that he, his family and nearly 3 million other Syrian refugees can only dream of for now.