Fariba Yawari: Meet the Young Hazara Women who are changing the future
Meet the Young Hazara Women who are changing the future
“Australian’s needs to change how they view refugees - refugees are frowned upon and are thought to be “stealing our jobs”, and they face racism everywhere including public schools, high schools, work environments - or just walking down the road to fetch groceries. ”
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Fariba Yawari, a 19 year old Hazara Afghan woman living here in Australia since 2014. I am currently studying Nursing and working as an Assistant in Nursing at an Aged care home. Over the last lockdown, I learned how to DJ and worked as a DJ for StreetUni at several events and over this year's lockdown, I have been learning how to crochet - it’s safe to say I like to get my foot in every area possible.
What does it mean to you to be a young Hazara Woman?
I am a very proud Hazara Afghan, and proud of my people, as they have gone through hardships since around the 16th century. We have faced genocide and ethnic cleansing throughout centuries. In knowing this, I am very saddened but proud that our people are still standing strong and get stronger with each generation in fighting discrimination, genocide and fighting for our freedom. It means that we are resilient, driven, strong and need to be proud of who we are.
What is something you'd like others to know about the Hazara ethnicity that people may not know?
Hazras exist. People around the world do not know what or who the Hazaras are and what is happening to us. The news always states Afghans being in danger, when in reality, there are several ethnicities in Afghanistan, but Hazaras are the most targeted and persecuted ethnic minority group. The reason is still unclear as to why they want to cleanse our ethnicity, but it is rumoured that we have the bloodline of Genghis khan the Mongol Empire, and because of this that we look too different and are not “True Muslims” because we are Shia and non-Afghan Hazaras are Sunni.
What change do you want to see here in Australia when it comes to refugee rights?
There is a lot of things the Australian government could act upon to help refugees that are taking refuge, such as:
1) Reducing the period of time it takes for visas to be granted - it takes an average of 43 months for partner visas to be processed - yet only 7 months for people from Western Europe or USA, and this is discrimination as refugees from 3rd world countries need visas to be processed faster than developed countries, such as the USA.
2) Australia could also increase its refugee intake, especially during this time, as situations in Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan and other countries worsen.
3) Australian's needs to change how they view refugees, refugees are always frowned upon and are thought to be “stealing our jobs”, and they face racism everywhere including public school, high schools, work environments or just walking down the road to fetch some groceries. My own mother dares not to wear her traditional everyday clothing outside of home because she has experienced racism from passing cars on the road. Refugees are fearful to freely express their culture and food without being hated upon, and it is very saddening because Australia is believed to be the most diverse country, but it is not what it sounds like most of the time. I believe this can be fixed through educating young Australians in schools about refugees and what it stands for and encourage citizens to stand together as equals.
What is something that keeps you hopeful in these challenging times?
The Women who are protesting around Afghanistan especially in the capital, Kabul. These women are not the same as last time they took over, this time we are not backing down, we are not settling for anything less than being treated fairly and equally. These Women have no fear and are so strong - it gives me such power and hope to keep raising our voices. The young Afghans who are still seeking education despite the dangers reminds me why education is worth fighting for and something so basic that they do not have the right to pursue.
Anything else you'd like to share? (resources, your own work, websites, articles - anything at all)
For updates on current situations and history, follow @kohnahdeh, @omar.haidari and @khyberkhaan on Instagram and read books from different perspectives.
“The Women who are protesting around Afghanistan especially in the capital, Kabul. These women are not the same as last time they took over, this time we are not backing down, we are not settling for anything less than being treated fairly and equally. These Women have no fear and are so strong - it gives me such power and hope to keep raising our voices.”