Exodus of Fadi Seepo
Fleeing certain death, Fadi Seepo and his family would leave Baghdad behind in search of a better life.
Although he has lived in Las Vegas for over a decade, Fadi Seepo’s upbringing in Iraq still largely defines him. Growing up in the predominantly Christian area of Dora, the 23-year-old’s extraordinary circumstances in life have only hardened his resolve.
“I left home with nothing but the clothes on my back,” Seepo said. “Leaving home was so sudden and everything was so dark. It all happened so fast.”
Soccer inspired him since he was 7-years-old, growing up idolizing FC Barcelona legends such as Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho. He had three brothers and one sister he would player with, one of whom died in Iraq in 2006.
Dora is a neighborhood in the Al-Rashid district of Baghdad. Sectarian violence broke out in 2007 in Dora when Sunni Muslim extremists came into power. More than 84 percent of the Christian population of Iraq has fled the country.
Seepo‘s ethnicity and religion caused problems when it came to acceptance from his Shiite and Sunni Muslim peers but he still found love and acceptance from others. A female neighbor, Layla, in Seepo’s life embraced him and his family, describing her as the closest thing he had to a grandmother. A Muslim family Seepo befriended have given his sister asylum after fleeing capture from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and promised to do the same for Seepo should he return home.
His father worked as a mechanic, owned several cars and lived in a modestly built home in a family of eight.
Seepo would never go outside during the night because of the bombings by Americans and the neighborhood hostilities. Every lock on his doors had another lock to match it. An AK-47 stayed near his front door for protection from intruders.
One day, his father was given an ultimatum: pay al-Qaida $5,000 USD, convert to Islam or be killed in 24 hours. This threat and the growing presense of al-Qaida’s insurgency in the region, Seepo and his family would flee Iraq by the end of the night without a second thought.
His family immediately fled to his father’s birthplace in Alqosh (al-kosh), Iraq to escape violence temporarily. (The city would later fall to the Islamic State in 2016.)
Seepo’s family home wound up by insurgents and used as an outpost and ambush point. American troops were killed months later within his former residential area. Afterwards, his home was destroyed by an American airstrike.
The grief of losing everything would take its toll on his mother, who died of a heart attack a year after losing their home.
His family would first live in Karaman, Turkey for 11 months where he studied Turkish. While traveling around London, he managed to find a way to Camp Nou in Barcelona to watch his idol play against Manchester United in the Champions League. It was the first time he remembers smiling in many years.
After being granted asylum to stay in the US by the United Nations under refugee status, he moved to San Diego and then moved to Las Vegas. He was 11 years old when he reached American shores.
He learned to speak English quickly and has excellent grasp of his languages, but still always felt like an outsider.
“Language, rules, new life, [the] lifestyle, culture, and dealing with varieties of people were the most challenging things to deal with coming to America,” Seepo said. “I sometimes do not have confidence in my language skills and it causes me to make more mistakes.”
Racism has also affected his life in more ways than one. “Sand nigger” was a phrase he was introduced to living in the United States and was once racially profiled for wearing a vest, thinking it was a bomb. Seepo understands the fear of Muslim extremism however, and does understand the hostile reaction they receive, though he bears no ill will towards Muslims himself and wishes the world would change.
One of Seepo’s classmates is a veteran who served in the Middle East.
Retired Marine Cpl. Jahaira Fairas said the experience of her deployment as an overall good one. She was deployed in 2008 after an initial troop surge under former President Bush.
“I understand that the Taliban and al-Qaida forces were the ones controlling everything and making lives miserable for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan,” Fairas said.
Her exposure to the Middle East made her reevaluate her sense of duty and acceptance of others. She began taking Arabic lessons, studied the Quran, and sees the struggle Seepo endured to make it here based on her own experiences.
“It’s funny how our lives kind of connected in their own way,” Fairas said. “We come from completely different walks of life but we both share the experience of war, as a fighter and a civilian.
Seepo’s life and the politics surrounding it have shaped the global stage for decades. Seepo still maintains his sense of humor despite otherwise traumatic incidents throughout his life.
“I learned to let go of the past the very hard way, as well as the things I value are so little,” Seepo said. “I also don’t worry about being rich and [having a] nice car and having [a] girlfriend and all that. I have big plans, but I let God do his will in my life.”
Although the situation in Iraq has not improved in recent years, Seepo still has hope of seeing his homeland once again in much better shape than he left it.
Seepo favorite Bible verse is Exodus 14:13 which says, “Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.” Living through his tragic losses has made Seepo a humbler and more patient. His faith gives him resolve and patience, and Seepo is eager to take advantage of any opportunity presented to him.