Author Description

Away from this World (The Afghan hound) When government corruption becomes a way of life, it is the minorities that suffer the most. Aftab Hakimi was born into a Hazara family in 1973 in Kabul, Afghanistan. At the age of fifteen, he emigrated to India. After living in India for a year and five months, he was smuggled to London, England. He received his British travel document after living in London for ten months. He decided to live in the United States with his cousin; however, the US embassy in London refused to give him a visiting visa on his British travel document. Aftab obtained a Mexican visa, and from Mexico climbed over the border and landed on US soil. After two and half years, the US immigration did not accept his refugee application and put him on deportation. Aftab decided to start a new life in Canada, so he crossed into Quebec from New York and declared himself an Afghan refugee in Canada. Throughout his journey Aftab used fake names and dates of birth in order to protect his actual identity. Aftab faced many social challenges, such as cultural shock, jealousy, a materialistic lifestyle, and women.