In the summer of 2010, an American high school student visited Iran. A few days into his trip, he was detained for two days because authorities thought he could be a spy. He was not.
What Hawreh Haddadi was is a Kurdish-Iranian, the son of a Peshmerga, to a trip to visit his family’s native country.
Haddadi recounts with youthful innocence his experiences in Iran in his book, “Finding Kurdistan: A Kurdish Iranian American’s Journey Home,” published last October.
The 24-year-old resident of Maine writes in detail about his life as a Kurd growing up in the United States and an American teenager visiting Iran.
His split between two nations is demonstrated in a conversation he had with an uncle in Iran:
Uncle: “I don’t know how life is in America, but it takes only one rumor to get you arrested here. Frankly it doesn’t even matter if it’s true or not.”
“Really? I will get a lawyer them. I won’t let anyone, not even the wealthiest or most powerful person, infringe on my rights.”
He started choking and laughed the rest of the grey smoke out.
“The Bill of Rights does not exist here, my friend. A police officer or soldier has the ultimate say about your destiny.”
Haddadi recently sat down for a conversation with Rudaw’s Namo Abdulla in Washington.