Name: Ishaq

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, excellent English skills, farmer, completing International Executive Master in Management (IEMM) at Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH), (06 February 2020 - now), volunteer childcare provider, customer service experience online for e-commerce.

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

Ishaq is passionate about learning. He flourished at school due to his curious, questioning nature. He moved from his small village to Kabul, where he attended university studying Physics. As he learned more about the world, he grew vocal in his doubts about the Taliban and Sharia law. How could sharia rule be just when so many suffer and are oppressed? Questioning Islam labelled him as an infidel – a death sentence under Taliban rule. He had no choice – flee or die.

During Ishaq’s 2 years in refugee detention, he focused on learning English and Indonesian. Once free, he joined a Christian community that valued learning, too. He converted to Christianity in 2019. Ishaq can never return to Afghanistan – he hopes for a new future in Canada. He needs 5 Canadian friends to help this dream come true.

A Happy Childhood

Ishaq was born in 1990, in a village located in central of Afghanistan, He grew up in a Hazara minority ethnic Shia-Muslim family. He is the eldest of 6 children and his father was a shopkeeper. He finished high school in 2009 and then, moved to Kabul to study at university. He was a Physics major and graduated in 2013.

As an ethnic minority, the Hazara face widespread systematic discrimination, targeting and persecution with ruthless ethnic cleansing in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Taliban and ISIS have targeted the Hazara for more than a century and no place is safe. Houses, shops, markets, squares and even schools are not safe and have been targeted in suicide attacks for decades.

“Taliban is trying to destroy our history and culture by genocide and killing. One of the biggest incidents that happened was the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamyan by the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001. These iconic statues were built by Hazaras in the sixth century. By destroying them, the Taliban tried to erase our culture and history.”

Taliban Thought Police

In Canada, the university is a time to explore new things, challenge your beliefs and grow as a person. Ishaq did these things. As a curious and critical thinker, he naturally questioned why Afghanistan would follow Sharia law – a law that oppresses so many, including the Hazara.

“We have a lot of limitations in Afghanistan. I believe that they come from Sharia, these limitations made me think very deeply about it, moreover, I think all of these problems originate from Islam, and what the Taliban and other groups doing is based on Quran. I had a great pain in my heart when I was witnessing injustice in my country, for instance, there was no right for women, freedom of speech, human rights, and democracy…So those were the reasons I became a non-Believer.”

Under the Taliban, there is no room for non-believers. Being Hazara was crime enough, but no longer following Islam was a death sentence. Ishaq had spoken these thoughts to friends and classmates, and as a result, he received daily death threats. With the support of his family, he made the difficult decision to flee Afghanistan.

Searching for Freedom

Ishaq left his country in April 2014. After a long journey, he arrived in Indonesia. He went to Pekanbaru Immigration Centre to ask for assistance. He spent two years in a detention centre. The living conditions were terrible. Men whose only crime was fleeing for their lives were treated worse than common criminals. It would be easy to find despair in such a place, but Ishaq discovered ways to learn. He studied English and Indonesian.

After two years in detention, he was finally released and transferred to Tangerang near Jakarta on Java Island on 23 May 2016. He has been living there ever since.

A Passionate Learner and Christian

In his own words:

“When I moved to Tangerang, a lot of things changed, I converted to Christianity by being baptized on December 07, 2019. I came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. and found my Savior. Since then, I have become a member of PAC (Providence Anglican Church).”

If Ishaq returns to Afghanistan, he will be killed for the reasons above. As a recent fact, the Taliban has taken control of all parts of the country. There is no place safe for him in Afghanistan. However, He has been living in Indonesia as a refugee without any basic rights. He cannot get a formal education, travel, have a Bank account, etc and he has been living without hope in this uncertain future.

“I am not living in Indonesia; I am just surviving, even in a country like Indonesia that as a refugee I don’t have even basic rights but by God’s grace, I was introduced to a Christian University, which I am very grateful for.”

Ishaq has almost finished his International Executive Masters in Management (IEMM) at Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH), (06 February 2020 - now).

HOPES AND DREAMS

“My first and great hope is that I get my resettlement to live with my family again. I hope to have a peaceful life and be counted as a human with basic human rights. I would like to continue my study in business management and continue working hard. Business is a great opportunity as the world is going towards globalization and being in this department would give me a chance of interacting with different people around the world. However, serving people gave me Joy and I would love to continue it as well.”

The Opportunity

Ishaq’s dreams can come true in Canada. Since he is officially certified as a refugee by the UNHCR – unlike the vast majority of the world’s refugees – he qualifies for Canada’s private sponsorship program.

Another advantage about him is that he has a friend who has agreed to cover the costs of his first year in Canada. Ishaq is fully-funded and no fundraising is required.

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

You can also reach out to Ishaq directly on Facebook – or by email - or through WhatsApp: +62-897-8367-163.

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

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