About me
My story begins in Sulaymaniyah
My earliest memories take place against the backdrop of the Iran-Iraq War. As I grew older, the violence surrounding us continued to escalate and we found ourselves fleeing to safety more and more frequently, until my parents finally decided it was time to leave the city for good. I was devastated, because despite the constant upheaval and violence, Sulaymaniyah was still my home. Though I didn’t understand it at the time, my parents were only doing what any parent would have done: looking for a safe place to raise their children. Now that I have two daughters of my own, I’ve come to better understand some of my parents’ decisions at the time.
We left everything behind and made the long, arduous journey into safety, eventually settling in The Netherlands. But our problems were not yet over. I began a challenging new chapter in my life: at age of 16, I suddenly found myself having to master a new language, adapt to a new environment and learn new customs. I had to carve out a place for myself in a society that was utterly unfamiliar. Despite these difficulties, I consider myself lucky to have ended up in a country that has given me a place to stay and enabled me to obtain an education, gain valuable work experience, focus on my personal and professional development and grow into the woman I wanted to be. The Netherlands and its social safety net have given me the time and the space to heal and to reconcile with my past. During my studies, I was able to revisit the history and politics of a region that has always remained a part of me.
My strengths…
My experiences have shaped me into the woman I am today. Migration robs people of so much, but it also gives them a great deal in return. For example, learning to cope in a wide variety of different environments has made me extremely resilient. I have also had the opportunity to learn a number of different languages. I have grown into someone who is open-minded and skilled at putting herself in other persons shoes, enabling me to grasp different viewpoints and put them into perspective, then communicate these views to others in a nuanced way. Moving around so much over the years has also taught me to tackle challenges head-on and to remain open to new opportunities.
However, I am well aware that not everyone has been as fortunate as I have. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), over 80 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced during the first half of 2020, due to factors like war and natural disasters. Because of this, I feel called to do what I can to make a difference in Iraq. I choose to believe that we can make this world a better place.
My core beliefs…
I believe that cultural change in Iraq is long overdue. I wholeheartedly agree with UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and Millennium Development Goal 3 and believe that women have a critical role to play in reducing poverty, building peace, and facilitating the development of Iraq and Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Jobs and education for women and girls are the keys to development in this region. I am extremely proud to be able to play a part in this process.
