WHY WE THINK THIS IS HEAVEN
HIS people suffered unspeakable atrocities at the hands of Islamic State, but now Badal Kasso and his family say they can finally embrace happiness.
“Toowoomba is heaven – we are very happy,” he told
The Chronicle through a translator yesterday, his hands tranquilly placed together.
Mr Kasso, his wife Salawa and two girls Narlin and Siman are among dozens of Yazidis who now call Toowoomba and the surrounding region home.
Members of the minority ethno-religious group from Iraq and Syria have settled in Australia after thousands were slaughtered by Islamic State in acts of genocide.
Toowoomba was picked because of its mix of rural and urban environments. Experts say Toowoomba could soon be the largest Yazidi intake city in Australia.
Mr Kasso was a tomato and cucumber farmer in the northern Iraqi region of Sinjar when Islamic State conquered the region three years ago.
From that moment, his large community of 300 relatives lived in fear for their lives.
“They called (us) infidels, and told us ‘you have to become Muslims or we will kill you’,” he said.
The group was among the estimated 50,000 Yazidi people who fled to the Sinjar mountains in August 2014. About 60 family members were captured and held ransom.
Mr Kasso said even after paying Islamic State nearly $A600,000, only 15 family members were released.
“We don’t know what happened to the others – maybe they were killed, but we don’t know,” he said sadly.
“They took a lot of people, so every family has lost someone.
“Every day we remember all these times and feel very sad about it.
“We have seen a lot of horrible things.”
Mr Kasso’s relative Raad Khairo said the Yazidis suffered incredible cruelty under Islamic State.
“The people who survived and fled to the mountains were safe but for the people captured by ISIS, they kept the women and children but killed the men.”
After several years trying to escape the conflict, a large number of families were relocated to Wagga Wagga and Toowoomba.
Mr Kasso is now learning English at TAFE, while Mrs Kasso stays at their North Toowoomba home to look after three-year-old Narlin and five-year-old Siman.
The family has received strong support from Christian and not-for-profit organisations to help them settle in the region.