Murad is a remarkable young Yazidi from Sinjar, Iraq. He works as a receptionist for STEP-IN. Murad lives in an IDP Kabartoo camp, located in Kurdish part of Iraq, because ISIS took over his home village. Despite this sad experience, he always jokes around, and it’s impossible to get bored with him. He has many stories to tell and this interview captures only a few of them. Some are rather funny, as for example how he ‘escaped’ with a girl he loved, so they could get married according to a Yazidi tradition. Others leave you speechless...
Where did you
study?
I was studying at the
Mosul university for one year but it was not very safe for us [Yazidis]. Then ISIS came so I transferred to
Dohuk. At first I was studying English but since I changed schools, they had free
spots only in a nursing program, so I had to switch.
How did you start working with
STEP-IN?
At first I stared as a
volunteer in September 2015. After a while, Przemek said they need me full time
and that they will pay me a normal salary. At that time, I really needed it
because we lost everything when we had to escape from Sinjar. My family
depended on me because I was the only one with a graduate degree.
It's no secret that bigger NGOs give more money to their employees. Why are you then still working with STEP-IN?
I was offered to go and work
with one organization in Sinjar but I refused. STEP-IN is not like other
organization in Kurdistan. We work with foreign doctors and other employees
from Europe. We are friends also outside of work. We go to picnics and we are
having a nice time together. STEP-IN means so much for me. This is my family.
Can you tell us a bit about
what happened on August 3, 2014 [day of the Yazidi genocide by ISIS in Sinjar] and
how you remember that day?
Sinjar (in Arabic) or Shingal (in
Kurdish) is a vast area located in Nineveh Province, Iraq, which includes a
100-kilometre-long mountain range, villages located around it, and the Sinjar
city that lies on the southern side of the mountains. Murad used to live on the
southern side. He had relatives living on the northern side, which ISIS took
over first, as well.
Daesh came from the northern
side of the Sinjar mountain range during the night of 2nd of August.
Yes. We were really worried about our relatives. We were calling them asking
what is happening. They were fighting Daesh but after couple of hours they ran
out of bullets and other weaponry. In the early morning of 3rd of
August, around 4 or 5am, Daesh started entering their village. They surrounded it,
so the only way to escape was to the mountains. It was around 50km. Many people
didn’t have a car so they were escaping by foot. A few hours later our
relatives called us and said: “Leave the city because they are going to
come to you also." At that time, they already killed around 5000 men and took
their families. So we started to escape.
 |
| Yazidi people on the run from their villages in Sinjar Photo credits: Murad Darwish |
We had a choice. We could go
to the mountains or to Kurdistan. We decided to go to Kurdistan. Some people went
to the mountains, but it was a bad idea. My uncle could not walk, so he decided
to stay at home. But then he changed his mind and with a help of his friend, who
had a car, he tried to escape. Unfortunately, they took a road, which was already
under Daesh’s control and my uncle was captured. We were so worried about him.
What happened to your uncle?
Something that nobody expected.
One Daesh fighter told him: "We will ask you some questions and if you will
answer correctly, we will give you freedom. If not, we will kill you.” They
asked him very specific questions regarding names of some Saddam’s advisors,
brothers and so on. My uncle answered everything correctly because he knew a
lot since he served for 15 years in Saddam’s army during Iran-Iraq war, and
also the Kuwait war. As a result, Daesh released him and he came to Kurdistan
and now he lives with us in Kabartoo camp.
 |
| Murad made this provisional 'oven' to help his family prepare some bread. |
No, there wasn’t any camp. We
were at first living in a school and unfinished buildings. Then we were living
in Khanke [a small village in a Kurdish part of Iraq]. I remember, there was
one rich family and the man decided to cook for everyone. There were lines of
2,000 to 3,000 people getting just a little of food to give to their families
but after 2 or 3 hours he usually ran out of food. My parents were very sad because
just three days before Daesh came, we spent a lot of our money to buy 40 sheep.
Before we left our house, we closed them in a fence, so they would not escape. We
had no idea that we won’t be able to go back again… My mother started to cry: “We
closed them there so they can’t get out. They have no water or food now. They
won’t be able to survive.” She wanted me to call our relative and ask him to
give to that sheep freedom so they would not die there. But it was too late
because Daesh already controlled our village. They all died there. My parents
are sad every time they remember this.
How long have you lived in Khanke?
M: We were there for around 2
weeks. Almost 40 people were living in one room. Then we went to Batel village, where
we had our relatives. The conditions were not better there. More than 70 people
were living in two floors. In addition to that, one of my relatives called me
from Syria and said: “We need you to find something for us.” I had no other
choice than to tell them to join us. After that it was almost 100 people living
in one house. We stayed there for around three or four months.
M: We didn’t have any money. We
started from 0. There were already some organizations that provided food for
us. We had two cars but apart from that, we had nothing. My father started to
work as a taxi driver and slowly we built our lives again and started to earn
some money. Then I started to work with STEP-IN.
Can you tell me something about
how is it like to live in a camp?
 |
| Children, young, and elderly people gathered in an unfinished house in Batel village after they escaped from Sinjar. |
It is very difficult. In the tents, its very hot during the summer and so cold during the winter. Every family is given around 20 liters of gas for the heaters. It’s not a lot. Also, it is very dangerous when the children are running around it because if an accident happened, many tents could burn.
How many of you are living in
one tent?
If a family has more than 8 members, they are given two tents. If no, they stay in one. 8 people for one tent. In Kabartoo, 35 thousand people are living in one camp and there are only 6,000 tents.
What people usually do in a camp? For you it’s different because you speak English, so you can join a foreign organization or an NGO. But what about those, that don’t speak English?
For them, I am like a hero.
Because I got a job after I graduated. But for other families, that I know very
well, its so hard. They have no money. Men are not working because they can’t
find an employment. They can’t go back because their houses were destroyed and
they don’t have money for reconstruction. One time, my friend came to me and said
that one woman is crying because she doesn’t have money to buy a certain
medication and she is dying. So I went to STEP-IN and asked doctora Katia, if
she could give me medications for that woman. Then, I brought it to her and the
entire family was thanking me so much for saving their mother.
 |
| Murad and his wife Samia during their wedding. |
How does this work? Did you
tell her to wait for you somewhere?
I told her to come at night at
the end of the street and wait for me there. When Samia stepped into the car I
started to go really fast so her family would not be able to follow us. My
relatives in Sharia welcomed her in their tent and ensured her that when her
family comes, they will explain everything to them. Then I called my uncle and
asked him to call Samia’s father and told him “Our Murad ‘escaped’ with your
daughter, don’t worry about her." And her father said: “Great, we are happy with
that. No problem for us. Congratulations.” [both laughing] I had to go to work
the next day, when I explained to Zuzana and Przemek what happened. Then I went
back to Sharia to be with Samia because she was a bit shy since she didn’t know
my relatives. After 4 days, we had a wedding at home [in Kabartoo camp]. I took
a day off for that. [laughing]. I invited Przemek and Zuzana also. For them it
was the first Yazidi wedding. It was a bit different than usual. Because of
Daesh [ISIS], it was a wedding without a party and there were only 500 to 700
people.
So your wedding took place in Kabartoo camp between tents?
Yes, it was actually on the
street. We prepared lunch for our guests and after that, they went to my father
and mother to congratulate them. In our tradition, we give money or jewelry to those
that are getting married but here in the tents we don’t have anything. Despite
everything, this was a very special day for me.
 |
| A picture taken inside of a tent in Kabartoo camp during Murad's and Samia's wedding. |
When I was interviewing Murad,
and writing his story, some moments were very hard for me. It’s different when
we read about stories of people that had to flee from ISIS in the media and
when we actually get to know them personally. For me, Murad is an example of a
young guy, that suffered too much, but yet remained unbroken and now is taking
the most out of every single day. I am truly proud that I could get to know him.
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