Pictured: Omar Kazem with his son Ali. Omar became a U.S. citizen in October.

By Jill Fennema –

Omar Kazem and his family have been living in Edgerton since 2013. In July 2017, his wife, Hamda, and children became citizens of the United States.  This past year he studied to be able to pass the citizenship test, and was awarded citizenship on Oct. 5, 2020.

In August 2017, we published a story about Omar and Hamda and how they came to be refugees seeking citizenship in the United States. They left Iraq in 2003 about the time US troops were invading their country in what was called “Operation Iraqi Freedom.” They lived in Syria for a time. However, they had no home, not enough work, and there was always trouble. Friends there told Omar that Lebanon had more to offer, that there were good people there. During the night they left Syria and snuck across the border into Lebanon.

Omar found work and a home about an hour from Beirut. However, because Omar is a Shiite name he had to change his name to Amal. Because one can often tell a person’s religious affiliation from his or her name, many Iraqis, Shiites, and Sunnis alike, have changed their names when they move to an area where they are in the minority. They do so to avoid possible harassment and even death if there is sectarian violence.

While living in Lebanon, they had two children, Ali and Noura.

In 2005, Omar was arrested for not having the proper ID.  The government official who arrested him assured him he would only be in jail for a month. However, six months later he was still in the Lebanese jail, Roumieh, with hundreds of other men, some of whom were hardened criminals and others who were arrested for not having the right paperwork.

When he was finally released, he had no money, and nothing but the clothes he was wearing. He found someone to help him get back across the border. However, the people Omar thought were helping him, turned out to be criminals. He managed a narrow escape from his captors, and made his way back to Beirut.

When he finally arrived where his family was, Hamda did not even recognize Omar. He had lost a lot of weight, was battered and bruised, with a black eye. Omar and his family lived in an eight-story apartment building there and he was able to work as a janitor in the building.

They lived in the basement of the building, with no sun and the bugs were bad. When the electricity was off, which was often, Hamda would have to crank the elevator by hand, and she always feared she would get caught up in the gearing. The family knew a man there who had lost four of his fingers in that way. By this time, their son Hussein had joined the family, too.

Someone suggested, “Omar, you should go to the U.S. Embassy and see if you can go to America.”  It seemed impossible, but he decided to try. He applied for a family immigrant visa.

After months of waiting, he finally received a phone call one day saying that he and his family could go to the United States as refugees. They would be flying out in 15 days.  They were not to tell anyone because Omar could easily be arrested again.