Bariz Shah

New Zealand

Bariz Shah arrived in New Zealand from Pakistan in 2001 after his family were forced to leave war-torn Afghanistan in the 1980s. Going through identity dissolution at a young age in a post 9/11 world, he was expelled from multiple high schools. Feeling lost and without purpose, he ended up in an Auckland Prison at the age of 18. Inside, he rediscovered his dignity, found purpose and learned how to silence the devil on his shoulder. He went on to complete an engineering honours degree and diploma from the University of Canterbury and became the president of the UC Muslim Students Association. After the March 2019 terrorist attacks in Christchurch, Bariz and his wife, Saba, fundraised $20,000 and travelled to Afghanistan to support fifty-one microbusinesses in Kabul and Jalalabad as a tribute to those who were martyred. He is now an engineer, film maker, husband, and father. He is a Muslim community advocate and is passionate about second chances and servant leadership.