Names: Ahmad Masih and his wife Nur Hajijah

Profile: Masih is a Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia, and his wife Nur Hajijah is from Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, good English skills, Nur Hajijah is educated, fluent English speaker, has Bachelor’s Degree in Management, experienced bank statement analyzer, has computer skills, cook and beautician.

Risk: At risk of being tortured and killed by the Taliban if returned home.

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

Being an English bookseller, Masih was on the target list of the Taliban. When some armed members of the Taliban attacked his home to kill him, he luckily, escaped and made it to Indonesia to save his life.

While living in the state of limbo, he met the love of his life Nur Hajijah, but as a refugee, he cannot have a future in Indonesia. He wants to become a truck driver, and his wife Nur Hajijah is an experienced bank statement analyzer and a beautician. This is the time for them to resettle in a country where they can have access to their basic human rights and live with freedom. They both need a group of Canadian friends who can help them start a new life in Canada.

His Story

Ahmad Masih was born in January 1999, in Ghazni province in Afghanistan. He was a school student. After his father passed away, he was the only breadwinner of his family, so he had to find work to support them. 

The Hazara people of the region have long been targets of persecution and massacres because of their culture, religion, and love for education. Masih opened a shop near his school where he started selling English books, audio CDs and English newspapers for the school students. According to the Taliban, selling English books or Audio CDs was an act of infidelity. One day in October 2015, Masih was threatened by the Taliban to stop selling English books and audio CDs, or he would be killed by them.

“I got very scared by their Threat, but I was compelled to continue working to support my family.”

The next day at night, Masih was at home when some armed members of the Taliban entered his home to find him. He hid inside the tandoor (oven). When the Taliban could not find him, one of them hit Masih’s mother with the back of his gun and then threatened her to tell Masih to stop his work. The next day, Masih went to his work again. That night, the Taliban came to his home, and luckily, he was at his aunt’s home. After members of the Taliban could not find Masih, they started beating his mother and brother and then said that they would find Masih and kill him.

Journey to Indonesia

Knowing that he would be killed if he stayed in his country, his mother and relatives arranged for a people smuggler and sent him to Kabul. He then flew to New Delhi, India. From there, he went to Malaysia and then on to Indonesia on October 10, 2015.

Love Story

On October 29, 2015, he registered himself with the UNHCR in Jakarta and started living in Cisarua, Bogor. Due to not having the right to work or the way to support himself in Indonesia, Masih went to the side road near Kalideres Immigration Centre to ask for assistance in 2019. While living on the side road, Masih met a local Indonesian girl named Nur Hajijah who had sympathy for refugees and used to bring food for them sometimes. In July 2019, Masih and other refugees were transferred to a refugee camp in Kalideres. Masih and Nur Hajijah fell in love and wanted to get married. After a few months, Masih moved out of the camp and started living with her. They both wanted to get married, but unfortunately, as a refugee, Masih was not allowed to get legally married to a local girl.

“It is so painful knowing that as a refugee, I cannot even get married. Nur Hajijah’s family is so kind. They arranged for a clergyman who got us married religiously.”

Their Concern

As a refugee, Masih cannot get proper education, work, drive and even open a bank account. He has been living in his father-in-law’s home. Despite being a hard-working man, he cannot do any work except helping his in-laws with homework.

Masih and Nur Hajijah are very concerned about their future. Since Masih cannot have a future in Indonesia, they both want their future child to have a complete document and be able to get a proper education. He says:

“I want my future child to be born in a peaceful country where he/she can live with freedom just like normal people.”

Masih’s dream is to become a truck driver once he resettles in the third country. This beautiful couple deserves to resettle in a beautiful country like Canada where they can have access to their basic human rights and live with freedom.

It is Possible!

It is possible! Since Masih is officially certified as a refugee by the UNHCR – unlike the vast majority of the world’s refugees – he and his wife Nur Hajijah qualifies for Canada’s private sponsorship program.

If you would like to sponsor them – or if you’re just interested in helping to bring them here – please contact their friend Stephen Watt on Facebook.

You can reach out to Ahmad Masih directly on Facebook.

Reach out and discover how wonderful it is to privately sponsor a beautiful couple to start a new life – with your help – in Canada!

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