‘Every Family Remembers the People Who Helped Them’ by Julia Hall

Taban

Kurdistan, arr. 1988

Taban arrived in the UK aged six in 1988, with her mother and brother. Her father had been flown to England the year before by Amnesty International, after being poisoned by Saddam Hussein’s regime. Taban herself had been arrested with members of her Kurdish family at the age of four. They were imprisoned and narrowly escaped a mass live burial, before being smuggled into Iran on horseback. She says she had no concept of the UK before she arrived. As her family were fleeing Kurdistan, her parents would tell them stories as a distraction – they were initially aiming for France, so they kept telling the children they would be able to get flavoured yoghurts there, which was a concept she really couldn’t understand. 

Everything felt different in the UK. There were men with no moustaches, some with long hair, and people from different cultures, with different skin colours. In Kurdistan, the homes would have flat roofs so people could sleep on them, but in London the brick houses were triangular, and squished up next to each other. Once they had settled, her Dad took her to experience London. He took them on the Underground, and she sat on the edge of her seat amazed by the train moving in the tunnel, the noise, the wind and people smoking. She remembers walking through green parks, with leaves on the ground, and the rain. 

Taban could feel that her mum was very alone. They had a massive family in Kurdistan, but in London her Dad was heavily involved in politics and writing, and so her mum was constantly hosting people from the small Kurdish community. They tried to keep their Kurdish culture and identity alive so it was very sociable, but her mum was doing everything on her own. She herself felt torn between two identities – British and Kurdish, and felt quite restricted in her teens. She has seen the UK change a lot over the years, in terms of an increase in the far right and racism towards people from different cultures. But she also sees a different side – she is exposed to a lot of people who do want change, who are supportive and want to help and make a difference. When her family first arrived, they were taken in and supported by a Christian family who became like a grandma and grandpa. She thinks that every refugee family remembers and appreciates the people who help them along the way. 

In 2016, Taban set up The Lotus Flower. The charity offers support to displaced female victims of conflict in the Middle East, helping them to build sustainable futures, with centres in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Iraq and the UK.  In December 2025, Taban was a regional winner of the prestigious UN Refugee Agency ‘Nansen Award’, honouring her work. More information can be found at www.thelotusflower.org or @thelotusf.

Oil and hand embroidery on linen canvas.

126H x 84W cm

2025.