Shireen Khairo Khudaida, 29, found herself facing a seemingly simple yet profoundly unsettling question when she arrived at the American University of Kurdistan (AUK). The application form asked her about her hobbies and her aspirations for the next four years. This question brought tears to her eyes. 

Shireen, who had endured the horrors of ISIS, wondered if she even had a hobby or a future. Her thoughts remained consumed by the fate of her father and sister. Overwhelmed with emotion, she explained, “I felt like I was sleeping, and this question woke me up.” After some reflection, she recalled that, before the dark days of ISIS, she had taken joy in reading, particularly poetry. So, she wrote down “reading and poetry.”

Shireen’s life took an unexpected turn when she was accepted to study business management at AUK in the city of Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). This opportunity marked a fresh start for her. Both the faculty at the university and her fellow students welcomed her with open arms, offering the support and inspiration she needed to continue her education.

“During my captivity, I was judged, cursed, and tortured, but at AUK, everyone was nice to me, and they made me feel safe inside the university, which was a total shock,” Shireen expressed with happiness.

Shireen Khairo at the library of The American University of Kurdistan 

Shireen recounted the harrowing events of August 3, 2014, when her family attempted to escape from Sinjar, fleeing from ISIS. However, they were stopped at a junction by a vehicle. Soon, an influx of vehicles encircled them and other Yezidi families. The ISIS militants, dressed in Taliban-style uniforms with long beards, separated the men and instructed the women to remain inside the car.

“We couldn’t flee because they were armed. They took all the men away, including my father, placed them on their knees, and ordered them to raise their hands; this was the last time I saw my father,” Shireen explained.

ISIS took all the women and children to a school in Tal Afar, Nineveh Governorate, where Shireen endured three long and painful years in captivity. “It didn’t feel like three years; it felt like forever, like it would last forever,” said Shireen.

Shireen finally managed to escape during the liberation of Mosul in 2017, but upon her return, was met with the devastating news that her father was still missing and that one of her sisters remained in the grips of ISIS. It was only a year later that her sister was rescued from captivity in Syria.

Shireen Khairo at the library of The American University of Kurdistan 

Fulfilling her father’s dream

Shireen’s father was a bright student in his youth, despite being unable to complete his education due to his family’s financial constraints. He had a remarkable command of languages, speaking Kurdish, Arabic, English, and Aramaic. Throughout their lives, he instilled in his children the importance of never giving up on their education.

Upon Shireen’s return from captivity, she was determined to fulfill her father’s dream. Her high school teachers informed her about an opportunity at AUK and encouraged her to apply. Shireen had the choice between two scholarships, one in business management and the other in international relations, and she felt a stronger connection to business management.

She stated that once she was admitted to AUK, everyone at the university demonstrated their willingness to support her and encourage her to continue her education.

The main building of The American University of Kurdistan

When Kurdistan Chronicle asked Shireen for her advice to other survivors of trauma and conflict who are seeking to rebuild their lives and pursue an education, she responded with a resolute message for girls like herself across the world: “Do not give up.”

“Sometimes life is so difficult; there were times I felt I could not go on. But then I realized that life is a mixture of happiness and pain; we can’t separate pain from life,” Shireen said.

Shireen continues to search for her father’s remains. A mass grave of Yezidi men has been uncovered at the same location where ISIS separated Shireen from her father. She aspires to create a cemetery for those found there.

Shireen is set to graduate from AUK the coming summer and wishes to dedicate her graduation as a tribute to her father’s spirit.

“My father is with me every step of my life, and I know on my graduation day, he would be very proud of me,” she concluded.

Qassim Khidhir is a Kurdish journalist and media developer based in Erbil, Kurdistan Region.