Maarouf: The incredible story of a man abandoned his homeland by force

By Nurgül Sönmez

Maarouf, a boy who dedicated his life to his family, enlisted in the army at the age of 15. After rigorous military training up to the age of 18, he was taken as a hostage on his first military mission. It was a moment his struggle for life began. How long can a person endure violence? How long can he endure life in torment tears, sadness and hope. The destiny of a young man, a dream worth fighting for, on a rocky road to freedom. Will Maarouf be able to escape from this hell? It is a real life story. The incredible story of a man abandoned his homeland by force.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BoD - Books on Demand
• Release date: Apr 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9783757834869

Nurgül Sönmez

Nurgül Sönmez wurde am 21. August 1979 in der Stadt Werdohl in Nordrhein-Westfalen geboren. Bei einem schweren Autounfall verlor sie 1995 ihre Mutter. Zu dieser Zeit war sie für ihren acht jährigen Bruder mehr Mutter als Schwester. Nur vier Jahre später wurde sie zum Vormund ihres jüngeren Bruders ernannt. Von da an ersetzte sie beide Elternteile und unterstützte ihn mit voller Liebe auf all seinen Wegen. Im Jahr 2015 verlor sie durch eine Krankheit ihren Vater. Sie besuchte verschiedene Schulen in Deutschland und beendete die Grundschule und die Mittelstufe im Jahr 1995. Das Abitur schloss sie 1998 ab. Um sich weiterbilden zu können begann sie im selben Jahr der Mittelstufe (1995) eine Arbeitsstelle als Kellnerin. Nach Abschluss ihrer dreijährigen Ausbildung zur Fachrichtung Hotelfachfrau im Jahr 2006 bekam sie erfolgreich ihren Gesellenbrief zur Hotelfachfrau. 2006 begann sie eine Umschulung zur Friseurin. Mit den Jahren sammelte sie viele Zertifikate, Auszeichnungen in diesem Beruf und bekam erfolgreich ihren Diplom nach einem Fortbildungslehrgang als Top Akteurin und Salon Managment in der Friseur Branche. Mit der Bildung hörte sie nie auf und schloss im Jahr 2011 ihren Bachelor im akademischen Grad im Fach Literatur ab. Im gleichen Jahr bekam sie in derselben Universität das Diplom in der Schriftstellerei. Ihren Studium in Fachrichtung Islam Wissenschaft, schloss sie ebenfalls in derselben Universität erfolgreich ab und erhielt ihren Diplom in der Islam Wissenschaft. Im Jahr 2020 absolvierte sie dann ihren Meistertitel als Friseurin.

Book preview

I had started my military service when I was just 15 years old. Now I was serving in the border regions of Algeria. Djanet was right in the border region of Libya. It was not far from the Nigerian border, as was Mali. It was a part of Algeria that was declared as a high danger zone. I had intensive military training. When I was 18, they sent me to another region where a more dangerous period of military service awaited me. It would mean:

You must follow all instructions. You have no choice.

Our commander informed us about the training. Then he sent us to the frontier zone. We were told that traitors were invading our country, mingling in with the people and burning down houses. Our people were already poor, there was hardly anything worth stealing. We were sent off with about 70 soldiers. We set off with tanks, trucks and other military vehicles. On the one hand I was afraid, on the other hand I was gingered up with the slogans: Soldier doesn’t fear! The slogan excited me. There was nothing on our way but desert and rocks. Suddenly our convoy was attacked. They let drive bullets on us. Two of our military vehicles were bombed, martyrising eleven of our soldiers. We were caught in the cross-fire. However, we had to follow the instructions of commander, he kept saying Go on. There was a conflict inside me, because my siblings, mom and dad were always on my mind.

I wasn’t even quite sure whom I was dealing with. On one side there were those who ordered us to counter attack, on the other side there were traitors attacking my people... It was a band of rebels, a cruel group that directly harmed our country and our people. They ruthlessly burned the houses and families with children.

Since we were in imminent danger, we opened firefights. We gave up the position with the tanks and answered them in the language they understood. So we figured they would pay for the loss of the eleven soldiers who died. However, they also blew up our other military vehicles. Our soldiers were decreasing in number, we lost our good soldiers. We were among the fire circle. While they cowardly shot to us from the mountains and they were above us, we sat at the enemy’s table in the middle of the desert. We took shelter behind the small cactus, we were unable to defend ourselves and shoot. Of course we tried to move quickly, but it was difficult under this bombardments. I was in the tank. At an unpredictable moment, they surrounded us. Military vehicles flew overhead. It was not clear how many vehicles and enemies there were around us.

The trucks were full of enemies. These men were a treacherous group that could not be settled in Libya, Mali, Nigeria or Algeria. They were a ruthless and unrestrained, brutal, treacherous group that sprayed poison everywhere. Without hesitation, they murdered children in front of their mothers and even tortured pregnant women. This community of unscrupulous people were rejected from everywhere. Those were a group of greedy people desiring more land.

Now we stood in this place surrounded by traitors. Maybe there were one hundred or two hundred? As they had gathered for wedding ceremony. They all held Kalashnikovs in their hands, shouted slogans from the military vehicles and shot in the air. They forced us to get out of our vehicles. Some of us were simply shot with our hands up even though we surrendered. I didn’t know how long we fought before we lost. We were trapped. They harshly ordered us to put our hands on the vehicles, then they checked from top to toe. All our weapons, grenades, rifles, Kalashnikovs and ammunition were confiscated. They also took our cordless phones. They were unscrupulous people. Those who disobeyed them were shot, beaten or tortured to death without even bat an