Suliman hopes path to U.S. not blocked for others

By Brian Towey, DyeStat Contributor

President Donald Trump's executive order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Yemen has caused concern across the country for many foreign-born track and field athletes and their families.

Following his win Friday in the boys 1,000 meters at the Armory Track Invitational in 2 minutes, 27.90 seconds, Waleed Suliman spoke about these developments. Suliman, a senior at Douglas Freeman High School at Richmond, Va., was directly affected by an order that was halted over the weekend by a court order.

Suliman arrived in the United States from Jordan in 2014. His parents are natives of Darfur, a part of Sudan that has been engulfed in conflict since 2003.

During this time, two groups in this region, the Sudan Liberation Army and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) began attacking government sites, believing that the government had been oppressing black residents in favor of Arabs. The tension arose between largely nomadic Arab groups and other farming groups within Darfur.

"The Darfur War, it happened kind of low key within the government," Suliman said. "That was back in the 90s."

As a result, Suliman's parents left Darfur and settled in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. Later his father relocated to Iraq, then settled in Jordan. He brought his mother there in 1997. Waleed, their oldest child, was born in Jordan in 1998.

"I still don't understand why (there was) a civil war in Sudan," Suliman said. "We can't really say anything about it. It happened and we have to focus on the future."

Suliman's family arrived in the United States as refugees in 2014. It was the culmination of years of paperwork and persistence.

"I was so lucky that I got a chance to come here," Suliman said. "We had to wait around eight years and a half to finish all our papers in coming here.

"We didn't hear back until 2014 and they told us right away. We had just a week to do everything and get out of there."

Suliman began running in Jordan. He continued after arriving at Douglas Freeman. With an uncle who represented Sudan in the 800 and 1,500 meters at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics (Mohammed Yagoub), he clearly had the genes.

Like his uncle, he has proven deft from the middle-distance races up to cross country. In December, Suliman finished 24th at the Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships. FOOT LOCKER INTERVIEW

His family is spread throughout the globe. Suliman has siblings and half-siblings in Egypt, Sudan, Jordan and the United States. Clearly, the senior has seized his opportunity to live in the U.S., and he will run at Ole Miss next year. However, Trump's immigration ban has left athletes like Suliman under a cloud of uncertainty.

"Hopefully, the upcoming years (will go) pretty well and hopefully the ban on all these countries will be (in place) for a really short time," Suliman said.

Suliman has a green card and is doubtful that if he left the country that he'd be able to return.

"We feel disappointed about what happened," Suliman said. "We never felt a great country like that would do such a thing (to) other countries."

For others who are in a similar position as he and his family, Suliman feels regret.

"We did the best we can to come here," Suliman said. "It was a pretty amazing opportunity for us. I feel pretty sad for the people who are just planning on coming in here right away. They face a (ban) and they're not going to be able to come here at all."

Before the court intervened, the ban was due to last 90 days. 

The executive order has cast doubts on the opportunities for other refugee families -- and potentially standout athletes -- of getting a chance to come to America. For this one, however, an open door has led to great things.

"If I get the chance to go back (to Sudan), I'll go back," Suliman said. "If I got the chance to run in the Olympics, I don't think I'd run for Sudan. I'd run for the U.S., just to at least say 'thank you.'

"They brought me in here even (though) things are happening right now. I'm still thankful they brought me here and I have a better future," he said.