Name: Mohammad Javad Hassani

Profile: Hazara refugee from Afghanistan, living in Indonesia.

Advantages: UN-certified, experienced as a driver.

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

Canadian contact: Stephen Watt

Mohammad Javad was accused of helping the government, and he was captured and tortured by the Taliban. Knowing that he would be killed by them in a few hours, he succeeded to escape from there to Indonesia by boat in 2014.

While living in limbo since 2014, Mohammad Javad has been missing his two children and wife. His only hope to see them again is to find a group of friends who can bring him to Canada where he can work, support his family and live a peaceful life.

His Early Life

Mohammad Javad was born in January 1978, in a village of the Jaghori district in Ghazni province in Afghanistan. His father was a farmer. At the age of 16, he started helping his father on their farms. In June 2003, he got married, and he became the father of two children.

Captured and Tortured

In February 2014, he bought a car and started working as a taxi driver on the way from Jaghori to Kandahar City.

The Hazara people of the region have long been targets of persecution and massacres because of their culture, religion, and love for education. On April 10, 2014, he was heading with 5 stranger passengers from Kandahar City to Jaghori. When he reached Tangi Otla, the most dangerous place for Hazara people on the path of Kandahar, his car was stopped by the Taliban.

“A member of the Taliban said that they had received a report about government employees being transported to Angori, Jaghori. I explained to him that I was just a driver and I did not know any of my passengers, but he did not agree and he warned me that if the report turned to be true, they would bury me with the government employees. Hearing this, I was shocked and very terrified.”

After searching, two passengers of Mohammad Javad turned to be government employees. The Taliban blindfolded him and the two passengers, tied their hands and drove them to an abandoned house.

“The Taliban had put us in different rooms but I could hear those two passengers’ screams while they were being tortured.”

In that evening, they were brought to the yard of the house where a member of the Taliban asked Javad the reason for his cooperating with the government. He denied and swore that he was not working with the government but the member of the Taliban did not believe and he started beating Mohammad Javad with a wood stick.

“Later on, they brought me back to the room and threatened me that they would tear me in pieces after offering their prayers.”

Escaped

Knowing that he would be killed, Mohammad Javad noted that only one member of the Taliban was there, and the rest had gone for praying. He told the member of the Taliban that he had to go to the toilet, so he was untied and brought to the toilet which was at the corner of the yard.

The toilet had small storage below that had a small door outside of the house for taking the trash out. Mohammad Jawad jumped down and escaped through that small door and started running from the inside vineyard.

“While running, I heard two gunshots, but I did not stop and kept running.”

Mohammad Javad entered a valley and saw the mountain that was familiar to him. It was the mountain located near his village Hoot Qol, Angori. Then he went to his home hiddenly.

In Danger

The next day, Mohammad Javad’s uncle went to Bazaar where the drivers were asking about Mohammad Javad. His uncle said that he did not know anything and had not seen him since he left for Kandahar City. The drivers told his uncle to tell Mohammad Javad to be careful because the Taliban had been looking for him everywhere and they had his Identity Card as well.

Mohammad Javad’s wife and his uncle told him to leave Afghanistan since he was not safe there. Mohammad Javad went to Kabul hiddenly and arranged for a people smuggler with the help of the hotel owner where he was staying.

The Way to Indonesia

On April 25, 2014, he flew to New Delhi where he stayed for 31 days. Then he flew to Malaysia and stayed there for 5 days. On July 4, 2014, he arrived in Indonesia by a dangerous boat, and after traveling by car for 3 days, he arrived in Jakarta on July 7, 2014. On that same day, he registered himself at the UNHCR office.

His Life in Limbo

Due to not having the right to work and support himself, he went to Manado Immigration Centre to ask for assistance on August 2, 2014.

On December 8, 2014, he was transferred to a detention centre in Tanjung Pinang. On December 15, 2017, he was officially recognized as a refugee by the UNHCR. After spending three years inside the detention centre, he got his freedom, and he was transferred to a community house in Tanjung Pinang on February 1, 2018.

Since then, he has been living there.

Last Word

Since the Taliban has taken over Afghanistan, Mohammad Javad has been very worried for his family who is left there. His only hope is to be helped by kind-hearted friends who can bring him to Canada.

As a UNHCR refugee, Mohammad Javad is eligible for Canada’s private sponsorship program. He needs a group of five Canadian friends to support him.

To help support Mohammad Javad as a sponsor, please contact Stephen Watt on Facebook.

You can also reach out to Mohammad Javad directly on Facebook or through his WhatsApp Contact Number: +62 831 83777897.

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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