Fatima Payman has written an essay for A Time for Bravery: What Happens When Australia Chooses Courage? published by Australia Institute Press;

The first bravery I knew was my father’s.

In 1999, he spent 11 days and nights on a small, crowded boat traversing the Indian Ocean, fleeing war-torn Afghanistan. He left behind his pregnant wife and his two little daughters, hoping to find them a safe haven, or die trying.

Life in Australia brought safety but not ease. He worked as a kitchen hand enduring underpayment; as a cabbie weathering abuse; as a security guard working overtime just to give us the best shot in life. He never complained. But I now know he was afraid; afraid of the unknown, of a language he didn’t speak, of a culture he didn’t understand, of a way of life that was completely foreign.

And yet, he would always smile in gratitude. He would tell us to live with integrity, to give back to this nation that gave us refuge, and to never give up no matter the hardship.

I was raised to believe that silence in the face of injustice is itself an injustice. Every day of the last seven years since he passed away from leukaemia, I’ve heard my father’s voice in my head. To me, he is the definition of bravery. I am certain he was scared from the moment he set foot on the boat to the moment he was told he had only a few hours left to live. Afraid of leaving us behind, afraid of the uncertainty we would face without him, and yet he smiled in contentment, knowing he had fulfilled his purpose: to provide for us and raise us with strong values.

You can read the whole essay at The Point, here and you can pre-order here