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The past six weeks have been very challenging for me and my family as we have watched the Taliban roll back the gains for women, girls, and all the markers of a civil society granted to the Afghan people through the Afghan constitution. Yesterday I was inspired to record this video to share my perspective on What Just Happened in Afghanistan and how important it is that we don’t forget about the Afghan people. If you like what I have to say, please share the video widely so others can participate in mitigating the potential economic and humanitarian crisis that is about to unfold in Afghanistan.
Thank you to all of you who have been part of the Afghan Culture Unveiled community and donated to the fundraiser to help reunite Zan, the director of the schools I co-founded in Afghanistan, with her family. We have raised $52,000 of our $56,000 goal.
If you are just learning about this effort and would like to learn about Zan’s bravery, please check out my previous post, The Women who escaped from the Taliban.
Many of you have asked me for an update on Zan and her family. Unfortunately, I don’t have great news to share. With embassies of desirable nations to immigrate to closed in Kabul, Zan’s family is still trying to find a way out of Afghanistan. Aside from being scared, demoralized, and frustrated, they are okay. Zan’s original optimism, that she will reunite with her family, has waned. She really misses her family, especially her 14-year-old son, and worries about her daughters.
We are also making efforts here, to help her family. Through the non-profit I co-founded, Afghan Friends Network,, we applied for a Priority 2 visa to the US for Zan and her family on August 19th, but we have not heard a peep out of the US State Department. All of our inquiries to see if the application has been received have gone unanswered. We are hoping to find an immigration lawyer who can follow up through more direct channels on her application. If you know of an immigration lawyer that would be open to doing some pro-bono work on Zan’s case, we would appreciate the introduction. They would be saving lives.
It has been depressing and demoralizing to see Afghanistan back at the hands of the Taliban. I especially worry as the world has turned its gaze away from Afghanistan, that the Afghan women and girls will once again become collateral damage in the geopolitical game that is being played out as I write this.
On the home front, I encourage you all to take action and find ways to welcome Afghan refugees to your community. You can find resources, links and ways you can help Afghans on the ActionForAfghans page on my website.
Thank you for being allies and I appreciate all the concern you have shown for Zan, her family and the people of Afghanistan.
If you want to hear my perspective on Afghanistan and the advocacy I’ve been doing on behalf of Afghan people, here are links to interviews and panels I’ve participated in:
The Commonwealth Club of San Francisco - The Afghan Tragedy
NPR, To The Best of Our Knowledge - What Afghan Women Want You to Know
Seattle Repertory, Afghan Art and Activism Panel Discussion