A passion for supporting the disadvantaged

Former refugee and Old Boy Raziq Qasimi ’14 continues his inspiring journey since graduating from Brisbane Grammar School, recently admitted as a lawyer to the Supreme Court of Queensland.

Raziq attended BGS in Years 11 and 12 thanks to a needs-based bursary before attending QUT and graduating with a Bachelor of Justice/Bachelor of Laws in 2019.

“Being admitted as a lawyer to the Supreme Court of Queensland was a very memorable and joyful day as my hard work and dedication paid off,” he said. “It was an absolute dream of mine to be admitted to the legal profession, and this being a reality now brings me joy and tears at the same time.”

“I consider myself a human rights activist and want to become a human rights lawyer. For me, human rights are all about small acts of kindness towards the most marginalised members of our society.”

His experience fleeing Afghanistan inspired him to help others. While at BGS, Raziq volunteered at the BGS Homework Club, helping refugee children like his younger self. BGS students continue to volunteer at the Homework Club, supporting refugee students with their learning.

For the last five years, he has been on the board of the Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma (QPASTT), and he says it’s a huge honour and privilege to contribute to the broader multicultural society of Brisbane.

“In 2019, I attended the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees annual consultation with non-government organisations representing QPASTT,” he said. “During this visit, I shared the concerns and issues of refugees in Queensland to the UNHCR consultation.”

Raziq also runs the public affairs portfolio at National Refugee-led Advisory and Advocacy Group (NRAAG). The group aims to inform policies, service delivery, campaigns, research, and initiatives affecting the lives of refugees.

“My passion and desire will always be to assist the most disadvantaged members of our domestic and global society in any capacity that I can,” he said.

The Qasimi family is a member of the Hazara, an ethnic group native to central Afghanistan. It was his older brother who paved the way to a future in Australia, travelling here by boat in 1999.

Raziq says he’s very proud to be the first Afghani-Australian refugee to have attended Brisbane Grammar School.

“BGS is an institution well known for nurturing boys of high academic and professional excellence,” he said. “I met some wonderful and inspiring teachers at BGS. The education that you receive at BGS is certainly second to none.”

“I will always be grateful for the generosity of donors who provided me with this amazing opportunity. I made extraordinary and lifelong connections at BGS.”