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Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer
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Gregory Rec/Staff PhotographerKhald Mazal was kidnapped by militia fighters in Baghdad, held for ransom and forced to dig his own grave, only to be rescued at the last minute by American soldiers.
Gunmen shot Audai Abbas Naser's 12-year-old daughter in front of him and his family at their home in Karbala to compel him to surrender the keys to his bus.
Mazal and Naser and their families are among three dozen Iraqi war refugees who have arrived in Portland since Oct. 20. They are in the first wave of an estimated 200 to 300 Iraqi war refugees expected to move here over the next few months from other U.S. cities, according to Portland officials.
Their arrival has focused attention on the experience of refugees, many of whom faced violence and persecution in their home countries. For refugees like Mazal and Naser, their move to Portland is not just an attempt to find a better future – it's a chance to create a new, secure life and raise their families in safety.
"The country that I lived in didn't protect me, didn't protect even my family," Naser said through an interpreter during an interview at Portland's family shelter.
Naser brought his wife and seven remaining children to Portland on Nov. 19 because they were afraid of the crime in Atlanta, where the family was originally settled over the summer.
"My main aim was to find safety and security for me and my children," he said.
Naser, 37, was born in Basra, in southern Iraq, but his family fled during the Iraq-Iran war when exploding shells were landing in their neighborhood. He settled in Karbala and eventually bought a bus that he used to drive people to Najaf or Baghdad, deriving a comfortable living from the fares he collected.
Eventually, he was able to own three vehicles.
But he does not recall a time when his country was not at war.
After the U.S. invasion, his three vehicles made him a target for militants looking for money and cars to support their cause.
They showed up at his house one night in 2005. While some stood guard outside, four masked men herded the entire family into a back room and demanded that he hand over the keys to his vehicles. He refused to surrender his livelihood in spite of their threats.
Then they shot his 12-year-old daughter, Sarah.
Naser handed over the keys, then covered his daughter's body with a cloth so the children would not see the blood.
"They saw that man shoot their sister," he says, nodding toward three of his children. "Their mother up to now can't forget that image of how they shot her daughter. She always has a nightmare about it, sometimes crying a lot."
Naser said he recognized some of the men, and they ordered him to move away or they would return to kill the whole family.
Naser soon went to Baghdad, and after a month, was able to obtain the paperwork needed to enter Syria. The family lived there for three years, and Naser was able to earn a meager income sewing pajamas and women's dresses.
FAMILY GRANTED REFUGEE STATUS
U.S. State Department and Department of Homeland Security officials said they cannot confirm the accounts of Naser, Mazal and other refugees for confidentiality reasons, but said that such reports of violence against people of different religious backgrounds are not unusual.
Before granting refugee status and allowing settlement in this country, the United Nations and U.S. agencies confirm that refugees have a legitimate fear of persecution if they return to their home country.
Naser's family was given permission to leave Syria for Atlanta on Aug. 14.
"To be fair, I don't find peace there. There is a lot of robberies and killings in the area I was settled," he said of Atlanta.
Naser heard from friends who spoke highly of Portland.
"It's a beautiful city. We felt it's secure and safe," Naser said. He said he appreciates Portland's generosity, and plans to integrate...
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