Insight

a gaze into everyday life

Photo Essay No. 05

BY Hisham w. zaki

“

When my mother and I got our residence permit we were crying out of happiness. We have no safety in Iraq. I don’t want to be sent back and die, just because I belong to a religious minority.

Insight

a gaze into everyday life

Photo Essay No. 05

BY hisham w. zaki

“

When my mother and I got our residence permit we were crying out of happiness. We have no safety in Iraq. I don’t want to be sent back and die, just because I belong to a religious minority.

My name is Hisham Zaki. I was born in 1985 in Baghdad, Iraq, and I have a bachelor’s degree in media from the Faculty of Journalism at Baghdad University. I used to work as a journalist on both newspapers and television in Iraq.
My family and I belong to an ancient religion called Mandaeaism, and when the situation in Iraq deteriorated in 2013, it became increasingly difficult to live in peace as a non-Muslim. I decided to leave the country after two car bombs exploded outside our house, with my family as the target. I was so scared of being killed that I saw myself forced to leave Iraq. My mother also left after she received a letter from Islamic State saying that if she did not leave the house, she would be murdered. All of this was due to our religious belonging.

A staircase and a white door in a big building

The asylum center "Slottet" on Bornholm. I was moved around between different asylum centers in Denmark until I was sent to Bornholm at the beginning of September 2014. When I arrived at the asylum center, I was offered coffee and I instantly felt that this was a beautiful place.

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In Iraq, you can’t trust neither the police nor the army. That is the problem. When I came to Europe, I was alone and so scared. There is a huge difference between the European police and the police in Iraq. Some of the Iraqi policemen are part of militias and they are not the protectors of the people. When I entered Denmark and had to talk to the police, my heart was pumping so hard, but they were very kind and told me about the asylum procedure.

A red door in a grey hallway with the number 119 written in black letters next to it.

My room at the asylum center "Slottet". This was the first place I lived on Bornholm. I got a residence permit in 2015. I was so nervous about not getting a the permit that I was crying and shaking during the interview with Flygtningenævnet.

“

When my mother and I got our residence permit we were crying out of happiness. In my opinion, I deserve a permission to stay in Denmark. I need help, we have no safety in Iraq. I don’t want to be sent back and die in Iraq, just because I belong to a religious minority.

This is my home now. It is really nice and peaceful and I feel very safe here.

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I am an active, dedicated and ambitious person and therefore I spend most of my time studying Danish and working on meaningful projects. However, in my spare time, I love to run and hike in the nature, both are wonderful ways of finding peace of mind.

Hisham standing outside a building with a golden facade surrounded by trees and stones.

I hope that I can complete my education FIF on Campus Bornholm.

Hisham walking on a jetty on a beach near a harbor in the sunset.

I love the nature on Bornholm. This place is my favorite spot.

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The things I miss the most from Iraq are my friends and to go for a walk in the streets of Baghdad.

Hisham's wife standing with her hands on her pregnant belly in front of a sign saying "Olina is on her way out".

This is my lovely wife. We are expecting a baby girl and are going to name her Olina.

A red garden house behind a hedge and a white fence.

I have a “kolonihave”, where I like to spend my time.

A bench standing in a garden surrounded by berry bushes.

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As a newcomer in Denmark, it is very important to have friends. Us refugees really need volunteers to guide us and tell us more about Denmark and the Danes.

A large group of people with flowers, diplomas and Danish flags.

I finally passed level 3 at the language school.

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In the end I would like to say thanks to Denmark and the Danish people who helped save our lives. I wish that you will continue to help more people - you are great humans.

Two hands creating the shape of a heart with a harbor and a sunset in the background.

about the project

INSIGHT is a series of photo essays taken and written by refugees living in Denmark. With financial support from the Danish fund; Hjælpefonden Journalistgården, Refugee.Today has been able to give 10 refugees the opportunity to show us their lives in Denmark.

The participants in INSIGHT live in various parts of Denmark, from Hjørring to Bornholm, and are of different nationalities and backgrounds. They are all refugees with a residence permit in Denmark, but first of all they are individuals. In the course of 7 days these people have documented their everyday lives through photography and words.

By letting refugees be in charge of the camera, Refugee.Today offers an insight into a world that is not always accessible to the public. Refugees and integration are heavily disputed topics in Danish society, but rarely are the voices and viewpoints of the refugees
themselves visible in the debate.

Through these photo essays the viewer is offered a gaze into everyday life as a newcomer in Denmark. How does the Danish society look through their eyes? How is everyday life as a refugee in a new country taking place? How is the past and present balanced for people who have had to flee their homes?