By Lorraine Glowczak
Except for the fact he was born in Iraq to
Iranian parents from the Kurdistan region, Hawreh Haddadi, a 2013 Windham High
School graduate, was a typical American teenager. Friends, lunch, study hall,
chemistry and algebra classes, listening to music and homework were all
experiences Haddadi took for granted. That is until the summer of 2010 when he
was just finishing his first year of high school.
That summer, Haddadi, his mother, two sisters, and brother traveled to his parents’ homeland,
visiting families in Iranian-Kurdistan for two months. It was an eye-opening
experience.
Realizing how lucky he was, it changed
the level of gratitude he felt to be an American. “Simple things such as
getting an education, having a bus to take you to school and eating lunch in a
warm and safe environment – all things I took for granted in my easy teenage
American life are not every day experiences for many people in Iran,”
Haddadi explained. “Getting an education and living in peace was something not
everyone was guaranteed. I couldn’t help but think how lucky I was and how
chance played a role in my life. I am very lucky to be here in America.”
He also discovered a calling upon his travel to
his parents’ homeland he could not ignore – to be an advocate for the Kurdish
people and all other minority groups who face persecution and discrimination.
One step he has taken to inform others about the horrors experienced by the
Kurdish people is through his recently published book, “Finding Kurdistan: A
Kurdish Iranian American’s Journey Home”.
“It’s true that I had a general understanding of
my parent’s life experiences in Kurdistan, but it wasn’t until I had first-hand
knowledge of the culture and witnessed the horrors many face in Kurdistan on a
daily basis that it became clear to me the amount of suffering and lack of
freedom they encounter,” Haddadi said of his journey to his ancestral homeland.
“When I returned, I questioned why the suffering experienced by my ancestors
was not known in America. I asked myself, ‘We are taught about the genocide of
Jews and the challenges faced by the Israelis but there is very little
information about my Kurdish people and the genocide they face. Why is that?’ I
answered by own question and I’m here to change all of that – by writing this
book.”
Haddadi was born in 1995 in Iraq to an Iranian
academic father who was a political and human rights activist and a mother who
was a farmer. “Due to the continuous conflict in that region my parents decided
to leave and find a new homeland. America was where they wanted to go. Coming
to America was a dream come true. It was a difficult and scary journey getting
here. My parents were constantly on the move. Even though we got accepted to
come to America, the neighboring governments could have easily deported us back
to Iran” Haddadi explained. “My father became involved in the 1979 Iranian
Revolution and even afterwards was still politically active. No progress was
being made and my parents decided they had to leave Iran for the security and
well-being of the family. He knew his children would not succeed, or even
possibly stay alive where he grew up. He applied for political asylum in
America. They did what every other loving and protective parent would do. They
did their very best to keep their children alive and provide a successful
future for them.”
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| Hawreh Haddadi with his parents and older sister a few months prior to their departure to America |
First the family went from Iran to Iraq before
moving on to Turkey while waiting for all the paperwork to be finalized and to
be officially accepted into America. It was in the late 1990’s, when they
finally arrived to America and eventually became citizens, landing in Windham
as their final destination.
“I can’t reiterate enough. If my parents hadn’t
come to America, I would have had a completely different life….or no life at
all. I am so lucky,” Haddadi stated.
Since luck and chance was on his side, he will do
what he can to advocate for his Kurdish family and for the millions of Kurds
who are unable to speak for themselves due to control by neighboring
governments.
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| Hawreh Haddadi |
But there is one downside to doing that. Since he
wrote and published his book, the prospect of him returning to see his family
in Kurdistan is highly unlikely. “If this book becomes known among the powers
that be in Iran, I will not be able to enter that country,” Haddadi said. “I
will be considered a threat. That’s the reason why my father couldn’t travel
with us in 2010. He wasn’t allowed back in his own country due to his advocacy
against the government. He was promoting democracy and freedom. But I’d rather
sacrifice the opportunity to see my aunts, uncles and cousins again. I’d rather
bring about awareness and educate the American people about the unfortunate
situation of the Kurdish people. I believe this is my calling and I will work
the rest of my life to help all people who have been marginalized and not given
a fair opportunity at life.”
You can find Haddadi’s book on Amazon.com and
find more information on his Facebook page. He is also working on speaking
engagements as well as providing his book at local independent bookstores.
