Noor

Iraq → Jordan —> Syria —> California, USA

Noor was born in the holy city of Karbala, Iraq, whise every year millions of Shia Muslims come to make pilgrimage, many of them on foot. They come for the religious festival of Ashura, which commemorates the death of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Hussein, who, in 680 AD, was killed in battle.

Many pilgrims believed that if they brought their loved ones to be buried near Hussein’s shrine, their souls would reach the security of heaven. Ironically, for political reasons, it became unsafe for Noor’s parents, natives of Karbala, to stay in Iraq. In 2002, when Noor was 8, his dad came to his aunt's house to get him. He didn't know where they were going.

It turns out his dad was taking him to Jordan, then to Syria, to live with him, his mother, and sisters. His dad wanted his family altogether, and under Saddam's reign, Iraq was politically too dangerous for him.

Noor missed his aunts and cousins, greatly. They were refugees in Syria and, as such, there was no system in place for Iraqis to go to school. Instead, Noor hustled low-paying jobs, like hauling gas tanks that people used to cook and delivering fruit. Like others Iraqis in Syria, Noor’s family paid rent, built businesses, and helped the economy flourish. his family had to update his residency paperwork every six months. In exchange, municipal officers would ask his mother for sexual favors. They would say horrible things to him in front of Noor’s face.

When they arrived in California, it became clear that mom couldn’t take care of him because she was really depressed. She would break out in rages, calling the police on Noor. She was able to maintain a better relationship with Noor’s sisters, but he was placed in a juvenile home. 

He worked three jobs to support himself, as a janitor at the local Muslim community center, on a construction site, and the night shift at a local bakery. When he wasn’t working, he went high school in San Jose. A few weeks into high school, a kid made a joke about raping his sister. So the next day, Noor brought a knife and threatened to kill him. 

On hearing this story, the wrestling coach invited Noor to come to practice. He did this with all the kids who he heard got into fights. Reluctantly, Noor went.

After having wandered the streets of Damascus, and Syria, he didn't have fear, and he was ready to fight anyone.

And, everyone was scared to fight him. It was impossible, then, for Noor to let people into his life and love his. But for whatever reason, Fernando, the wrestling coach, really cared for me. He ended up asking his parents if they’d take Noor in. And they said yes. They accepted him, and made him a part of their family.

Noor’s foster family has helped make him the person who he is today. With their support, he graduated with a degree from Arizona State with a 3.9 GPA. Noor shares a lot of gratitude. He’s grateful to have made a spot on the Iraqi Wrestling National Team. And grateful that he got to lobby for refugee rights in front of Congress. But most of all, Noor’s grateful that because of the love that his foster family showed him, that he too now knows how to love.