Nadia Murad: Noble Peace Prize Winner 2018
By: Ivey Noojin/Arab America Contributing Writer
Iraqi Nadia Murad was one of the two people awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize this year. Denis Mukwege, a Congolese doctor that helped rape victims from war, was the other. This year was the first time the international community has publicly acknowledged that women are used as weapons in war.
Murad has only been an activist for three years but has already become internationally renowned. Her story has been a call for action for several governments and has produced international change.
Recently, a documentary called “On Her Shoulders,” directed by Alexandria Bombach, featured Murad, showing her life as an activist before the Nobel Peace Prize. The film followed her struggle with getting the attention of the United Nations, culminating in her goodwill ambassadorship for the dignity of survivors of human trafficking in 2016. Due to her speeches around the world, which the film documented, Nadia Murad won several other awards that year relating to her status as an activist for human rights and peace around the globe.
Background
Beginning of Life
Nadia Murad was born in Kojo, Iraq in 1993 within the Sinjar region. She dreamed of owning a hair salon one day, according to an interview in “On Her Shoulders.” However, at the age of 21, she fell under ISIS captivity when they invaded her hometown and killed her mother and six brothers. She was able to escape when her captor left the house unlocked, fleeing to a refugee camp in northern Iraq.
After she escaped, Murad was able to attend a mental health program in Germany for girls who had been in captivity. However, after one meeting with a counselor, she decided to dedicate herself to the bigger cause of helping her people: the Yazidis.
Her Community: The Yazidis
Nadia Murad’s advocacy for her people should be nothing new; Yazidis have been the victims of more than 70 genocides in history. The Sinjar region in Iraq is especially important for this ethnic-religious minority group because it is home to the oldest and biggest Yazidi community, which is why ISIS attacked it.
Several Muslims, especially those in ISIS, consider the Yazidi people devil worshippers. They think that one figure the Yazidis celebrate, Tawusi Melek, has a story reminiscent of Satan in the Qur’an. The Yazidis have also faced much persecution due to their roots in ancient Persian and Eastern Mediterranean religions.
Nadia Murad’s story is no different from the millions of people within this minority group that have been killed or captured. She just is one of the few that Is talking about it.
Nadia Murad’s Activism
Global Advocacy
Nadia Murad began her global advocacy tour in Belgium in 2015. She then spoke to various news networks and public officials around the world. It didn’t take long for her to gain international attention. Later that year, she told her story in front of the UN. It was the first time in history that the UN had heard a testimony from a survivor of human trafficking.
Murad sued ISIS leaders for their role in ethno-religious genocide in 2016 with the help of Amal Clooney. She is the first person to bring a legal case against this terrorist organization.
Her Own Outreach
After accepting the UN ambassadorship, Nadia Murad created a campaign to spread her message called Nadia’s Initiative in 2016. This organization advocates for victims of human trafficking, helps rebuild Yazidi communities in Iraq, and pushes global authority for change. It established the Sinjar Action Fund to help rebuild the region she still calls home. Murad even donated all of her Nobel Peace Prize money, around $1 million, to the cause.
Last year, Murad published a book called “The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity and My Fight Against the Islamic State” to spread her message even more.
Nadia Murad, at only 25 years old, has produced real change in this world. She has shown the strength of sharing stories of trauma and banding together in order to be heard. Even though she has been through such hardship, Murad has dedicated herself to using her experience to make a difference in this world and for her people.
We, as Arab Americans, can learn a lot from Nadia Murad’s story. If we dedicate ourselves to a cause, we can enact real change in the United States and the Arab world. One person can make a difference, but combing our voices would make an even bigger impact.
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