Name: Khodadad Ghulami

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, good English and Bahasa Indonesia skills, experienced driver.

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

After the Taliban killed his brother, they started looking for Khodadad to capture and kill him too. His father sent him to Indonesia to save his life in 2015.

Since then, he has been living without his basic human rights. Khodadad has been working hard as a refugee activist. He hopes to find a group of Canadian friends who can bring him to Canada where he can work, contribute to society and reunite with his family.

Early Life

Khodadad was born in January 1996 in Daikundi province in Afghanistan. He was 7 years old when his family migrated to Ghazni city where he completed his high school education. His dream was to continue his education and become an engineer, but things did not go as he had hoped.

Escaping Arrest and Murder by the Taliban

A General named Qasimi lived next door to Khodadad's house in Ghazni province in the Qalai Shada area. One of General Qasimi's sons was Khodadad's classmate in an educational centre. After accusing Khodadad's brother of being one of General Qasimi’s men, the Taliban arrested his brother on October 11, 2015. In exchange for his release, the Taliban had asked Khodadad to kill General Qasimi who was coming from Kabul to his home in Ghazni as the holy month of Moharram was nearing. Khodadad was given three days and he was told by the Taliban to kill General Qasimi in the mosque during Moharram Mourning Ceremony

“There was no way I could do such a thing because I did not want to be a murderer.”

Three days later, the Taliban killed his brother on October 15, 2015. They wanted to capture and kill Khodadad too. To save his life, his father sold their land for about half price and sent Khodadad to Kabul.

His Journey to Indonesia

With the help of his father’s friend, a people smuggler was arranged to send Khodadad to a safe country. He was kept hidden by the people smuggler in a place called Kota Sangi. After three days, he flew from Kabul to New Delhi, India on October 19, 2015 where he stayed for about 20 days. On November 09, 2015, he flew to Malaysia and then on to Indonesia on November 11. 

Life in Limbo

On November 12, 2015, he registered himself with the UNHCR in Jakarta. With no right to work or way to support himself in the new country, he went to Pekanbaru Immigration Centre to ask for assistance. In November 2015, he was transferred to a shelter there. Life in the shelter has been very tough for Khodadad. While living there, he has been spending his time learning English and Bahasa Indonesia. Also, he has been working out, playing football and volleyball to stay away from stress and depression.

His Life in Limbo as a Refugee Activist

After years of waiting to get resettled to a third country, refugees have been suffering from depression, anxiety, and stress as their future is unknown. Afghan Hazara Refugees in different cities in Indonesia started peaceful demonstrations. Khodadad has been one of the activists among refugees in Pekanbaru City. He has been the voice of thousands of refugees in the Indonesian detention system. In August 2021, when the Taliban attacked Ghazni, there was intense war in the city. Khodadad had no contact with his family members since there wasn't any internet connection in Afghanistan due to conflicts. He had heard many horrific news from Ghazni where his family members were living. Khodadad sent many letters to UNHCR officials in Indonesia but they didn't respond and didn't do anything. After days, he heard that the Taliban had used his home as a battlefield in that area. Khodadad even sewed his lips twice during a demonstration in protest of his uncertainty for years in the Indonesian detention system.

His Story

In September 2021, Khodadad finally heard the news of his family. He then learned from his family members that one night, after the Taliban’s taking over the country, some strangers wearing masks entered his family home in Ghazni and arrested his other brother accusing him of being a former police officer and a helper of American troops. They asked for a lot of money for his release but Khodadad's family couldn't afford to pay that amount and they have not released his brother yet.

“We still don’t have any information as to whether he is alive or dead.”

Since that incident, some of his family members went to Kabul and some to his village. After months, some of them managed to escape to Iran.

Dreams

Khodadad wants to continue his education and become an engineer or a police officer which is his childhood dream. He wants to live somewhere in peace where he can pursue his dreams and reunite with his family one day.

Since Khodadad 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.

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 reach out to Khodadad Ghulami directly on Facebook – or by email: Khodadadghulami31@gmail.com – or through WhatsApp: +62 895-3101-1195.

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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