What happened when ISIS came to Bartella - 

read this eyewitness account

For security reasons, we cannot reveal Raed's face, but please read his eyewitness account of what happened when ISIS came to his hometown of Bartella near Mosul in Northern Iraq. For details of how you can help refugees like Raed, please see the infographic and donation options at the bottom of this newsletter. Thank you. 

NB - This interview was recorded by our team on the ground in Jordan. It has been edited and shortened for the purpose of the newsletter. 

Raed's Story 

FRRME: Where are you from in Iraq?

Raed: Bartella, near the city of Mosul. 

FRRME: What was your occupation when you were there?

Raed: Since the age of thirteen, I worked as an electrician. From 2008, after getting my degree in chemistry from the University of Mosul, I worked for a safety services company inspecting hydrogen sulfide plants.

FRRME: What was life like in Bartella? 

Raed: It was good. I spent my time working, and with my family and friends. We were living a normal life before ISIS came. Bartella is a small place, less than 30,000 people, so I spent most of my life with the same friends, from childhood until after graduation.

FRRME: What happened when ISIS came? 

Raed: My wife and I left the day before they came into the town. My wife was about to give birth so I had to make preparations and go quickly. We went to Erbil in Kurdistan. The hard part for me was leaving my parents and brother behind. At first, they refused to come, they thought it would be okay. They left the next day. Had they gone later, they would have been unable to reach Kurdistan. My mum and brother said there were thousands of cars on the road to Erbil. Some people, like my sister's family, had to leave their cars by the roadside and walk to the checkpoint. It took them 13 hours to get there by foot. Later, there was a rumour that ISIS was coming and so people got out of their cars and ran to the checkpoint.

FRRME: How did you know ISIS was coming to Bartella? 

People said the Kurdish army were pulling out of the area. Also, Bartella is on the main road between Mosul and Erbil so people could see them coming. People knew there would be no force to protect them when ISIS came so they started to leave with the Kurdish army. Most of the people left Bartella before ISIS occupied it. People were scared. I don't know what would have happened if we had stayed. We would probably have been kidnapped or killed. 

FRRME: What happened when you got to Erbil? 

Raed: We stayed in Erbil for three months. After my wife gave birth, there was nowhere to get an I.D. card for my son. He did not have Iraqi citizenship or a passport. I was told to go to Baghdad but when I got there they said my family was not on the Government database. I had to get a new marriage certificate, then a new I.D card for me and my wife. Only then could I get a passport for my son. 

FRRME: Will you ever go back to Iraq? 

Raed: Christian families will not go back to Iraq. When they get to a safe place in the Middle East, Christian families will stay there. They are looking for safety, more than money or land. They want to be in a safe place. We don't want to fight. We don't want to carry guns, so in the face of danger we will have to leave. It is better to think about staying somewhere safe than making money somewhere dangerous. I will never hold a gun. I won't fight for land. The most important thing for me is that my family is safe. 

FRRME: Since you've been in Jordan, what has your experience been like? 

Raed: Jordan is safer than Iraq but it is not like our homeland. We are not allowed to work unless we apply for residency. However, if you get residency no foreign embassy will process your application for asylum. It is a tough situation but we have to deal with it.

 
FRRME: If you're unable to work, what is your day-to-day life like in Jordan? 

Raed: Right now, FRRME is helping us. Before that; nothing. I am trying to take care of my family. There are six of us - me, my wife, my son, my parents and my little brother, who is only thirteen years old. There are a lot of people to care for. 

FRRME: Is there still a strong sense of community with Iraqis living in Jordan?

Raed: Yes, the Christians from our region have a good relationship. We still go to church together. But people are poor. In Iraq, some people buried their money in their garden thinking they would be back in two days to get it. Some people hid their money in the ceiling of their house. ISIS has probably got this money now - they are clever enough to take everything. Because of this, many Iraqi families came to Jordan with nothing. 

FRRME: You have managed to get asylum for you and your family in Australia. What are your plans for when you get there? 

 
Raed: I want to study for an English language certificate first. Without a language certificate you can do nothing. I hope that will allow me to work as an electrician again, or to study chemistry at university. On the asylum application, it asks where you are going to live in Australia. I have a brother there but many people I have spoken to don't know where to go.

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