Sisters to carry flag into Women’s World Cup

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This article was published 08/05/2015 (3813 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In Iraq, sisters Nazdar and Zainab Hilo weren’t allowed to play soccer. In June, they will be flag bearers at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Winnipeg.

Nazdar, 18, and Zainab, 16, are both in Grade 11 at St. John’s High School. The siblings, Iraqi refugees, came to Winnipeg with their family in December, 2010 after a short stay in Syria.

The sisters learned they had been chosen to carry the Fédération Internationale de Football Association flag on April 16 at NEEDS Inc., an immigrant services and support centre which they’ve attended and volunteered at since coming to Winnipeg.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup runs from June 6 to July 5 in six Canadian cities, including Winnipeg.

Zainab said the sisters were chosen for the ceremonial role after a FIFA representative heard their story during an International Women’s Day event at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

“We weren’t allowed to play soccer,” said Zainab of growing up in Iraq. “The women, their job was just to stay home and take care of the kids, take care of the house. That was it. We used to play with girls, they love to play with us but when the men saw us, they would shame on us. It was hard to play.”

Now, the sisters both play the beautiful game at St. John’s.  Zainab plays defence and Nazdar is a midfielder and team captain. Zainab said her favourite footballer is Canadian attacking midfielder Christine Sinclair, while Nazdar admires U.S. striker Alex Morgan.

Nazdar will have a chance to see Morgan in action, as the girls received tickets to multiple World Cup games, including the U.S. versus Sweden match on June 12.

Nazdar and Zainab will also be appearing in an upcoming FIFA television commercial. They said they’re very thankful for the opportunity, especially considering that only five years ago they were living in war-torn Iraq.

Nazdar and Zainab, who have seven more siblings, are Yazidis from Sinjar in Iraq. The Yazidis are a religious community which has been continually persecuted in Iraq. Since August of 2014, thousands of Yazidis have been killed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

“These terrorist people are raping women and killing men and children. It’s really bad there now,” Zainab said.

“A couple weeks ago, they killed 600 (Yazidis),” Nazdar said. “We’ve never seen that stuff in our life but my mom and dad talk about how it happened to them before. This is not the first time, this is 74th time.”

“Seventy-four genocides,” said Zainab.

Nazdar and Zainab said they are very worried for their relatives still living in Iraq and are very grateful to be living in Canada and the opportunities that presents.

The sisters will attend Grade 12 at Churchill High School, as their family recently moved to the area. In addition to volunteering at NEEDS, the girls work in the Community School Investigators Summer Learning Program at Boys and Girls Club of Winnipeg. Nazdar said they worked at the David Livingstone School club last year, but isn’t sure where they will be placed this summer.

After graduation, both girls plan to attend university. Nazdar, who also plays basketball and takes part in track and field, said she wants to be a phys-ed teacher and Zainab said she’s looking into nursing.

“To me it feels good to help people,” Zainab said.