Hakeem al-Araibi has been politically persecuted, allegedly tortured, desperately sought international asylum, represented his country’s football team and been unjustly jailed for crimes he didn’t commit.
It sounds like something out of a Hollywood film, but at just 25 years old, this has been Hakeem’s life.
In recent months the plight of the steely-eyed Bahraini man has featured in headlines around the world, sparked a viral online support campaign and captured the hearts of Australians who have followed his story.
But who is Hakeem al-Araibi? And why did crowds of supporters and media flock to Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport this week to applaud his safe arrival?
Bahraini beginnings
Hakeem was born on November 7, 1993 in the Middle Eastern island country of Bahrain – bordered by Saudi Arabia and Qatar – but it wasn’t until he was a teenager that people began to take notice of him.
From the age of 15 he shot up the ranks of Bahraini football, playing as a defender for local side Al-Shabab.
Despite being named in the Under-23 Bahraini Olympic team, by his 19th birthday he was classed as a political enemy in his own country.
During the 2011 Bahraini uprising Hakeem spoke out against a member of the ruling House of Khalifa -and the torture and persecution of footballers who demonstrated against it.
His comments, as well as the arrest and allegedly false confession of his brother Emad, led to the footballer being detained in 2012.
Bahraini authorities alleged Hakeem had been part of a violent protest group that targeted the Al Khamees police station with Molotov cocktails.
Hakeem has always strongly denied being part of that group however, providing the defence that he had been playing in a televised football match at the time of the incident.
Despite that, he was kept behind bars for 45 days and allegedly tortured.
“They spent three hours hitting me hard on my legs, while saying ‘we will break your bones, we will destroy your future, you will never play football again with these legs,’” he previously said about the experience.
After being released on bail and sentenced to 10 years’ prison in absentia, the then-19-year-old travelled to Qatar in 2013 – and from there, fled for his own safety.
He escaped first to Iran, then Malaysia and Thailand where he spent six months before finally entering Australia to begin a new life in Melbourne.
Hakeem’s Australian life
It took three years as an asylum seeker in Australia before the Federal Government granted Hakeem its protection under official refugee status in 2017.
In that time, he married his teenage love and played semi-professional football for local Melbourne clubs, including Pascoe Vale.
On November 27, 2018 Hakeem’s story turned turbulent after organising a belated honeymoon and flying into Bangkok, Thailand.
Upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Hakeem was taken into custody on the tarmac by Thai officials acting on the request of Bahrain and an Interpol red notice issued for the footballer’s arrest.
It is believed Bahrain requested the notice on November 8, however by November 30 Interpol had rescinded it because it was deemed against internal policies for issuing arrest warrants against legitimate refugees and asylum seekers.
It emerged that members of the Australian Federal Police had also failed to alert Thai officials of Hakeem’s refugee status, and an international campaign was launched to reverse his unlawful jailing.
#SaveHakeem
In Australia, former Socceroo and renowned football commentator Craig Foster spearheaded a campaign to fight for Hakeem’s release.
It extended both online and across multiple countries.
From negotiating with international lawyers, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, FIFA, Football Federation Australia and the Professional Footballers Australia group, Foster has worked for months as part of a large lobby group to highlight the injustice Hakeem was facing.
“He’s a member of our football community and he’s a refugee, in which case it didn’t matter if he was 60 years old and was tattooed head-to-foot, I would’ve fought in the same way,” he told 9News.com.au.
“It just turns out that he’s the most lovely, kind-hearted kid that you’re ever going to meet.”
In a series of letters, Foster targeted key stakeholders for withholding comment on the matter and encouraged the growth in support for Hakeem.
That included directly outing current President of the Asian Football Confederation – and former president of the Bahraini Football Association – Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, who has still made no comment regarding Hakeem’s persecution.
“I had a duty to fight for Hakeem for many reasons. One is because I’m an ex-player but I also felt strongly about it because I’ve worked… with Les (Murray),” he said.
“Les was a Hungarian refugee, so that’s one reason why I’m a refugee ambassador. Every refugee should have the right to become Les Murray. Every refugee should have the right to the protection and support that we just gave Hakeem.
“It’s a wonderful lesson for Australia, because everyone feels so strongly, and Hakeem has just stood and shook the hand of the Australian Prime Minister, and it’s a really powerful moment for us all to reflect on.”
The intense diplomatic pressure stemming from the campaign, fuelled by thousands of dollars raised in crowdfunding campaigns, ultimately put Hakeem before a Thai court as Bahrain applied for his extradition.
Shackled by his ankles and held by two armed guards, Hakeem’s image on February 4 shot to viral notoriety, with a social media uproar continuing to call for his release.
Within a week, however, the Bahraini extradition request vanished and Hakeem was set free from his cell.
Upon his arrival at Melbourne Airport on Tuesday to a vocal waiting crowd, hugs, tears, placards and media, Hakeem’s relief and happiness was visibly palpable.
“I will be more strong for this country, just for Australia. My country is Australia. I love Australia,” he said after touching down.
In the days since his arrival, Hakeem has met personally with Prime Minister Scott Morrison at Parliament House.
Foster is continuing to fight for him to be granted Australian citizenship.
Foster told 9News.com.au the mammoth achievement is something every Australian now needs to reflect on, because it is a reflection of “the size of the heart of Australia collectively”.
“(Hakeem has) landed back here and he is genuinely struck by what an incredible country Australia is. That’s what he keeps saying to me,” he said.
“I always felt strongly about standing up for our community, I always get strongly about social justice. What it did was just reaffirm to me about what Australia capable of.
“It reaffirmed what we’re capable of when we put aside politics and work together and it reaffirmed that the entire country is capable of providing incredible support and care for one young family and that’s the most important message out of this from my perspective.”
The ex-Socceroo also said that, despite the magnitude and coverage of Hakeem’s story, in the coming days and months as he works to secure his Australian citizenship – he will be treated the same as every other applicant.
“When he becomes a citizen – that’s not undeserved, that’s not because of public sympathy, that’s because he’s eligible,” he told 9News.com.au.
“He will take his test like everyone else and I think that’s also an important lesson here. Everyone is equal – and that includes Hakeem al-Araibi.”
For now, the 25-year-old remains in the arms of his wife and in the safety of Australia.
The viral campaign hashtag on social media has been changed, to #HakeemSaved.
