Iranian asylum seeker, karate champion, promises to bring Albania medals

“My name is Ali Riza and I was born in northern Iran. When I was five I was a very hyperactive kid and my father took me for karate lessons. I continued it because it is a sport that starts with respect and continues with respect. I slowly climbed higher levels until I received several medals in Iran, from Asia and Europe. In my country I also became coach of the National team. With eight sportsmen we won nine medals”, eh says.

Riza says that both of his parents died in very mysterious circumstances. The fact that his father was schooled in Israel put his family under constant pressure, despite the fact that he even trained the special forces of Iran. His future was destroyed for joining the opposition party of Mehdi Karubi against Ahmadinejad.

“My life in Iran has been very difficult. I was born in a time of an eight year war with Iraq and I have seen blood during my entire life. We are tired of this because Allah created us for seven days, without borders, without flags. He made people free. Only God has the right to take your life”, he explains.

Sport is the only thing he can offer to repay any country that would give him asylum, where, as he says, his life will end quickly.

“Eight years ago I moved from my country to Turkey, where I kept working with my sport and became champion of Asia. I was promised asylum if I won another title but it didn’t happen, so I was deported. After five years in Turkey I moved to Greece, where life is not very nice for Muslim people. I couldn’t find a single mosque. I had to pray often because I needed God. I have no one else besides him. But I had nowhere to go. In Greece I knew some Albanians. I had many students from Albanian who I was training in a fitness center. I also worked as bouncer and professional diver. But Greece is no good place for refugees”, he reminds.

After arriving in Albania two months ago, Ali Riza tells about his first impression in the Kakavija border.

“There is no religious racism and I am Muslim. People in Albania don’t care if you are Muslim, Christian or atheist. I have seen police officers hitting refugees in many countries. This is very serious because I am no terrorist. My name is emigrant. I come in your country because there is war in mine and my life is in danger. When Albanian officers in the border asked about my story, he heard me and he started crying. He bought me food and we ate on the same table. I had never seen something like that. He told me to share my pain with him. He told he was no longer an officer but my friend. When I started crying the officer started embracing me. I want to thank Albanian police officers who work with emigrants. They have helped us a lot. We haven’t seen it in any other country”, he adds.

His life is strongly tied to whoever will grant him asylum. He hopes the Albanian government will give him the right to live here, or, as he calls it, the right to still live.

“I am trying to learn Albanian and my life is still very hard. I have to communicate with people. I would like to continue this sport in Albania. This country doesn’t have a world champion in my category. I will owe a lot to those who help me and if the Albanian government helps me I promise in the name of God that I will give you an important medal. As compensation I will hold a match here in Tirana with a great champion from Romania and I promise to knock him out very soon. The most important thing is the message I want to give for this match. Stop the war. Stop killing children”, he declared.

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