CRIS 30th Anniversary Story | Murtadha
For Murtadha, a refugee originally from Iraq, Columbus isn’t just where he was resettled or where he lives now — it’s home.
“People often ask me when we first meet, ‘Where are you from?’ I grin and say, ‘Columbus.’ I know what they are really asking (what country I come from), but I truly feel that Columbus is my home. I don’t need to use GPS to get around. I walk into local coffee shops and restaurants and see people I know. I had always dreamed of having a homeland, but I never truly felt at home until I came to Columbus. This is my home.”
Amidst the Iraqi civil war that broke out in 2005, Murtadha’s family faced immense danger. Baghdad had been divided between opposing groups—one sect occupied one side of the city while another sect occupied the other. Murtadha’s mother and father were not from the same group, so their family couldn’t safely live on either side. They knew they had to flee. The plan was to go to Jordan for a couple of weeks and return once things improved. Thinking it would be a short trip, Murtadha didn’t even take his cell phone. But a few weeks turned into a few years as they became refugees unable to return home.
In 2012, Murtadha’s parents and siblings were resettled in Columbus, but he wasn’t able to go with them because he was still a student in Ukraine at that time. He spent the next several years trying to rejoin them—a journey that led him through Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, and more. After what he calls a series of “bad luck with paperwork”—causing extensive delays —he received a miraculous email in late 2017: he’d finally been approved for resettlement in the U.S.
Though he already had a strong educational background, professional experience, and English skills before arriving, Murtadha insisted on participating in English classes at CRIS. He was determined to improve and begin working in his field. He credits then-CRIS staffer Chris Hogg with making a profound impact on him during his first months in the U.S. “Chris taught me a lot in those days. He helped me apply for jobs, helped me prepare for interviews, and encouraged me. We still have coffee together sometimes.”
After some time in the CRIS English classes, Murtadha took a language skills assessment at Columbus State Community College and was placed in the highest level of their language program. Within a few short months of his arrival, he landed a job at a local firm as an engineering drafter. Since then, he has continued his professional pursuits and now works as a senior designer at another area firm.
Murtadha’s successful integration into the Central Ohio community has come not just through familiarity with its people and places, but through service and giving back. For the past two years, he has been involved with the local nonprofit Center for Architecture and Design, which works to make the fields of architecture and design more accessible to the community. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the board. “CRIS not only helped me in my early days in the U.S.,” he says, “it also showed me the good that a nonprofit can do.”
Murtadha married last year and recently completed the final step of becoming a licensed architect. He now calls Columbus home in every sense of the word: professionally, personally, and with pride.