Harmeet Singh Sooden | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1973 (age 50–51) Mufulira, Zambia |
| Nationality | Canadian-New Zealander |
| Alma mater | McGill University |
| Occupation | Engineer |
Harmeet Singh Sooden (born 1973) is a Canadian-New Zealand anti-war activist who volunteered for the international NGO Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraq. He was held captive in Baghdad with three others for almost four months until being freed by multinational forces on 23 March 2006.[1]
Sooden was born and raised in Zambia. His parents are Sikhs from Kashmir.[2] His great-grandfather fought for the British Indian Army in World War I and died in Basra in 1916 during the Mesopotamian Campaign.[3] As an inspiration for peace work, he cites his grandfather who was a career soldier in the Indian Army.[4] He says he was also motivated by the experiences of a friend who survived the World Trade Center attack on 11 September 2001, and the ordeal of Maher Arar, a university classmate who was subjected to extraordinary rendition and torture.[5]
Sooden holds degrees in Computer Engineering from McGill University in Montréal, Canada and English literature from the University of Auckland in New Zealand.[6] He was a member of the University of Auckland's chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine.
On 23 July 2006, Sooden did an extensive interview with journalist Sahar Ghumkhor, in which he discussed his reflections on his visits in Iraq before the kidnapping, his captivity, his release and the response of the media.[3]