Nadia Murad

“Heroes arrive when we need them the most. They define us and point us in a direction...To begin a redefinition of the American hero...is an act of will that says that whatever else we may actually be, it’s to this that we aspire” (Granger). In his article “Boy, do we ever need a hero.”, Granger explains that heroes define the prosperity of our world. Heroes embody the values that progress our society, and the people within our society, toward greatness. In our current community, true heroes are far and few between, as we have turned to falsely idolizing celebrities whose only goal is to earn money. However, it is not the materialistic success of a person that elevates them to the title of a hero, but rather their goals and moral nature. To me, the true heroes in our society are viewed both in the public eye and hidden in the shadows. Heroes and heroic acts can range from a brave firefighter risking his life in burning buildings to a dedicated entrepreneur staying true to his/her business while facing onslaughts of adversities. Within all heroes are the ideas of courage and dedication, but more importantly, heroes are identified through how they use their bravery and what they choose to be passionate about. Only a select few both possess these idealistic traits and wield them to improve and push the boundaries of society. Those who do deserve the title of a true hero.

One true hero is Nadia Murad, a woman who uses her unmatched courage and dedication to conquer the hardships she faces in order to selflessly help those suffering in our society. Murad is a human rights activist who fights to save the lives of those stuck in captivity under ISIS. Murad was born in 1993 in a primarily Yazidi village, called Kocho, located in Iraq. She grew up poor, yet content with her life, faithfully following her Yazidism religion. As the proximity of ISIS drew closer and she grew older, Murad found that her world was surrounded by violence and war and discrimination against her religion. On August 15, 2014, ISIS laid siege on her village. The Yazidi men were massacred while the women were taken to be sabayya, or sex slaves (“Nadia Murad”). From there, she moved from place to place around ISIS territory while in captivity, living under many different Islamic State members. During this period of her life, Murad suffered endlessly as she was forced into countless inhumane acts: a continuous onslaught of rape, humiliation, and at one point, involuntarily licking honey off a mans’ toes (Murad 185). Murad, on her second attempt at escape, found a family willing enough to bring her to safety in Kurdistan. Now, Murad courageously sacrifices her time to speak out on the nightmarish experiences she has faced in an effort to bring awareness and help those still in captivity. It takes great courage to overcome the adversities that life has thrown at us; for Murad to not only experience a continuous onslaught of brutal rape and abuse, but also be able to use her past as an encouragement towards peace, shows undeniable bravery. Murad also stays dedicated to her ideas of bringing justice for those suffering under ISIS. Murad’s courage in surviving and persevering through all of her hardships and her dedication to her fight for justice sets her apart and propels her to the title of a true hero.

Nadia Murad speaking out against ISIS at the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nadia_Murad_in_Washington_-_2018_(42733243785)_(cropped).jpgMurad uses her courage to bear the pain forced onto both her physical and mental state in order to selflessly better society. After ISIS took Murad from her small village, she was forced into the human trafficking system. During this time, she experienced inhumane circumstances: “Then we would be sold or given as a gift again, and again raped and beaten, then sold or given to another militant, and raped and beaten by him, and sold or given, and raped and beaten, and it went this way for as long as we were desirable enough and not yet dead...We wished they would kill us instead” (Murad 161). Murad suffered through mental and physical trauma that most cannot begin to comprehend, experiencing a vicious cycle of being “raped and beaten”. She was unwillingly put into a life of injustice and raped by the same men that killed her family members; she often viewed death as more favorable than the continuous abuse she suffered under ISIS. All hardships need courage to overcome and survive through, and Murad has undeniable courage in her ability to survive through the moral degradation she experienced. Many others would have resorted to suicide, and several did, but Murad bravely shouldered the pain. Although many would have left with a broken spirit, Murad chose to overcome her hardships in order to spread awareness. She speaks out against ISIS to bring attention to the mass genocide and human trafficking situation experienced by her people: “The terrorists didn’t think that Yazidi girls would be able to leave them, or that we would have the courage to tell the world every detail of what they did to us. We defy them by not letting their crimes go unanswered. Every time I tell my story, I feel that I am taking some power away from my terrorists” (Murad 303). Speaking out against an abuser is agonizing, but Murad still chooses to spread awareness, “not letting their crimes go unanswered”. Murad knows speaking out and overcoming her struggles would be long, unforgiving, and painful; yet, she tells her story to “take power away from her terrorists”. Instead of allowing the physical and mental scars left from her past to break her, she takes the pieces ISIS has broken from her dignity in order to create a bigger picture, a picture that urges the world to witness the unshielded view of the crimes taking place in Iraq.  She bravely overcomes her past to help the Yazidi still experiencing the effects of genocide and poverty, and most of all, the girls still suffering under the hands of ISIS. Heroes need courage and the ability to selflessly use courage for the benefit of society. Murad sets aside her nightmarish circumstances to help those still suffering, and her ability to do so sets her apart and makes her a courageous hero.

Murad speaks at the Vienna +25: Building Trust, an event where human rights activists promote the protection of human rights.https://www.flickr.com/photos/minoritenplatz8/27414461277Murad’s unfaltering dedication to her values pushes her to save her people and bring ISIS to justice. Even after escaping slavery, Murad is only able to think about those still stuck in captivity. Her life is plagued with the remnants of her past as, “She struggles to think of her own future while her people are still enslaved, while her mother and brothers have not yet been buried” (Chick par. 50). Murad has been liberated and is free to live away from ISIS rule. She is given the opportunity to heal the wounds her past has left her, but she stays loyal to her family and "struggles to think of her own future". Murad sacrifices her future and the hope of living a normal, peaceful life, to fight for her people. She works to save her other family members and those still enslaved under ISIS. Many in her position would choose to leave their past behind to heal their own mental wounds, and no one would blame them; Murad instead chooses to sacrifice her own pain for the benefit and peace of others. The pain Murad experiences from speaking out is immeasurable, yet she still continues to bear the misery in her fight against ISIS: “It never gets easier to tell your story. Each time you speak it, you relive it...I am transported back to those moments and all their terror...My story, told honestly and matter-of-factly, is the best weapon I have against terrorism, and I plan on using it until those terrorists are put on trial” (Murad 306). Speaking publicly about her experiences is not an easy feat. Every time Murad speaks out, she is transported back to the cause of all her pains and forced to relive it. Despite this, Murad stays dedicated to her cause and continues to fight until justice is brought to ISIS, and her loved ones are saved. Murad represents the idea of dedication.  She does not simply take the easy way out but stays loyal to her ideals of justice and her ambitions of saving those in need. Heroes need loyalty and dedication to their values to push the boundaries of society forward. Murad’s dedication to her ideals is what enforces her strong will. Her ambition and devotion to her cause drive her to keep going. This heroic trait helps Murad urge peace in the world and create a positive change in our society.

Determined to help those suffering, Murad courageously pushes through torture most are unable to even imagine. Her efforts to bring peace and justice for our society is what sets Murad apart and makes her a true hero. She fights valiantly to decrease the amount of violence and human degradation; even though speaking out causes her extreme pain, she continues to do so in order to save her people. Murad is dedicated to what she believes in: justice for the crimes ISIS has committed and justice for the people experiencing those inhumane crimes. Although she experienced harsh cruelties, her ability to surpass and defy the inhumane circumstances she has been forced into will remain an inspiration for those around the world:"It’s hard to imagine returning to a normal life after what Nadia has been through. Many people would have left Mosul broken, and no one could blame them for that. But Nadia was not broken. She was determined...The story of what Nadia has been through is an incredible one; to go through the horrors she has and to come out on the other side as a beacon of hope for those who are enslaved is truly inspirational"(Sharp pars. 5-6, 10).Murads’ journey serves as an inspiration for all. The courage and determination she displays show the whole world that bravery and not giving up will pave the way to a better society. To me, Murads’ story will remain forever engraved in my mind: the story of a woman who turned a tormented past into one of inspiration. Murads’ experiences influenced me to view the world in a different way, opening my eyes to the faults and ignorances in both myself and society. Her immeasurable courage and determination to fight for justice have inspired me to do the same. Now, I want to grow up to become a lawyer; someone that fights for justice and makes a positive change to our world, someone that becomes a saving grace for others just as Nadia Murad is. Heroes rise in times of need, and when her people needed her, Murad fought with all her might to save them. She continues to advocate for peace that helps the world grow into a place rid of the violence, rape, and dehumanization it is surrounded in; Murad’s dedication to justice and courageous survival will remain forever engraved as the symbol of a true hero, serving as an inspiration to all.

Nadia's Initiative is a program started by Murad that advocates for the rights of human trafficking survivors and communities in crisis.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Big_Heart_Foundation_-_Nadia%27s_Initiative_-_Nadia_Murad.jpgWorks Cited

Chick, Kristen. “How Nadia Murad Became the Reluctant Champion of Yazidi Suffering and Resilience.” The Christian Century, www.christiancentury.org/article/people/how-nadia-murad-became-reluctant-champion-yazidi-suffering-and-resilience.

Murad, Nadia. LAST GIRL: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight against the Islamic State. TIM DUGGAN Books, 2018.

"Nadia Murad." Gale Biography in Context, Gale, 2016. Biography In Context,   https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1650010310/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=49ae26f8. Accessed 19 Dec. 2018.

Sharp, Brayden. “Nadia Murad: The Hero the World Needs.” 30 Million to None, 7 Oct. 2018, www.30milliontonone.com/nadia-murad-the-hero-the-world-needs/.