Dear Friend,
Last year, AFSC was able to evacuate 65 former staff and family members from Afghanistan. Among them was 75-year-old Maryam Amini, who once worked as a custodian in our Kabul office.
When the Taliban took over in Afghanistan four years ago, many people who worked with U.S. institutions and organizations were in danger. Maryam was among them. We worked for years to evacuate her. In the meantime, we supported her in moving frequently to escape the searches, threats, and terror she faced.
We moved Maryam to Pakistan with her children and grandchildren, and with support from AFSC, they have been seeking asylum in the United States. But the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant policies have effectively shut the door on nearly all people seeking refuge here.
Our efforts are no substitute for the protection that the U.S. government should provide. But we refuse to abandon our commitment to Maryam and the many other courageous people who worked together with us for human rights and dignity. We are supporting them in Pakistan with housing, food, medical care, and educational opportunities. But conditions there are growing more difficult and the door to U.S. asylum has closed. We are exploring every possible avenue to ensure their long-term safety.
That’s the kind of commitment you make possible when you sustain AFSC’s work with a monthly gift. And it’s just one of the many ways your gift supports people across the U.S. and around the world facing violence, inequality, and oppression. Communities can count on us because we can count on kind people like you.
If it is within your means, I hope you will help us finish our monthly donor drive strong. Start your monthly gift today!
In peace, |
