From soldier to barber

How this Syrian made it out of the racism trap

Nizar Joha (right) built up his own business in Lower Austria.(Bild: Peter Wiesmeyer, Harald Dworak)

Having fled from hatred and death, his escape brought him to Austria. Where he had to fight against prejudice and xenophobia. Nizar Joha tells Krone+ about his tough journey from fleeing the Syrian military to becoming a successful businessman in the Waldviertel.

"I can't even kill an ant, I can't hurt a fly. And certainly not shoot a person with a gun." When Nizar Joha talks about his time in Syria, it resonates with melancholy. His parents and relatives still live there, but he hasn't seen them for ten years. Because he and his wife fled in 2012 and decided against serving in the armed forces. The tasks that the military had in store for the then 28-year-old were not compatible with Nizar's moral beliefs.