Ella Nabiyar plans to find a Christmas tree with her family today. It doesn’t sound newsworthy unless you figure that her extended family — including her mom, sister, cousins, nieces, and nephews — not long ago escaped Taliban rule in Afghanistan.
Less than two weeks ago, some members of Nabiyar’s family were still living in danger 8,000 miles away and certainly not thinking about America or our holiday traditions. Today they are safe, living close to Nabiyar in Broomfield. However many of the kids who can fit into the car will drive up to the mountains and help find a nice, snow-covered blue spruce.
“Thatap the plan,” Nabiyar says, “to go chop down a tree. I think the kids will love it. We are Muslim, but who doesn’t like Christmas?”
If there’s ever a Christmasy story to encompass the theme of “Home for the Holidays” here in Boulder, itap our community’s ongoing, often challenging and inspiring efforts to create a safe place to call home for families who have suffered the worst of humanity.
In August, tens of thousands of people fled their homes and homeland of Afghanistan, as the Taliban swiftly took control of provinces and the capital city of Kabul in a matter of days. The chaos, which followed the evacuation of U.S. forces after 20 years of occupation, included two bombing attacks that killed and maimed dozens among the crowds amassing in desperation outside the Kabul airportap gate.
Colorado and many more states have been welcoming Afghan refugees with help from resettlement agencies, such as Lutheran Family Services. An estimated 2,000 evacuees are expected to be living in our state by the end of this year, but that number is likely a low estimate, says Chris Liggett, a Boulder resident who is assisting seven families through a local organization called Task Force Boulder.
Liggett, a major in the U.S. Army, was deployed to Afghanistan in 2014 and formed a strong bond with his interpreter, Matiullah or Mat (who prefers his first name withheld for safety). Liggett was able to rescue Mat, his wife and seven young children, who now live in Lafayette, supported by a strong network of 80 Task Force Boulder volunteers.
“We’re family now,” Liggett says. Christmas celebrations will include Matap family, the Liggetts with their two young children (all kids go to the same school), and maybe the Afghan family they helped move into a rent-free Boulder home Thursday. (The home belongs to Congregation Har HaShem, the Boulder synagogue that stepped up to sponsor the family. Sponsorship means the congregation will help with the family’s needs and living expenses.
“I plan to share our holiday, and they will share Ramadan with us this spring,” Liggett says. “We can all learn from each other.”
When we asked Liggett what would be a meaningful gift for Mat’s family, he says perhaps another Afghan flag to hang in the home. Thatap a big deal, because Mat’s country as he knew it, doesn’t exist anymore and the Taliban would never allow it.
Celebrating Christmas together will not be a religious experience for his family, Mat explains. “Itap not our religion, but we will be celebrating for culture, friends and our second home.”
Being suddenly immersed in a new culture is always interesting and challenging; it can bring greater insight to your own culture. When we asked Mat about Boulder compared to his hometown in Afghanistan, he laughed and mentioned how odd it is to him that dogs live inside the house. “I tell people that Boulder takes care of dogs the same way we take care of cows and goats. But we have barns for them.”
A recent visit to a goat farm brought much joy to Mat and his family, especially being able to nuzzle with the goats.
Nabiyar’s family, too, could use some joy this holiday season, and we are calling on our community to please help.
Her family is trying to heal from the loss of Nabiyar’s brother and two cousins who were among the 60 Afghans killed by the two suicide bombs on Aug. 26 at the Kabul airport. Nine family members were badly wounded; four were lucky not to be harmed — physically, at least.
The surviving family has been slow to come together: A 10-year-old niece recently awakened from many days in a coma at a U.S. hospital after the bomb attack, and has been reunited with her mom (Nabiyar’s sister). But there are still two nephews at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, being treated for head shrapnel.
“Unfortunately the shrapnel is down deep, two and a half inches,” Nabiyar says, “but we still have hope to fly them here before Christmas.”
When we asked Nabiyar what our community could do to help right now, her heart is with her deceased brother’s daughter, 21, who was in her fourth year of medical school and is now helping to raise five siblings.
“She has a broken shoulder and shattered arm. You can see the trauma all over her face and her body,” Nabiyar says, trying to hold back tears. “She’s trying to organize her family with a phone, so she could really use a laptop computer for that and help to return to her studies.”
Despite the hardships, itap the perfect time for a family reunion in Colorado, Nabiyar says.
“Itap the most beautiful season, and thanks to God I have family here with me,” she says. “My mom loves looking at the beautiful lights, and I want my family to have a Christmas tree in the house for the kids to be excited about. To me, itap a season to care, to respect one another and to share, and it’s about freedom.”
Julie Marshall wrote this for the Daily Camera editorial board.
Ways to help:
Task Force Boulder: Cornerstone Church has set up a tax-deductible donation fund. Go to https://pushpay.com/g/cornerstoneboulder and select the fund for Afghan refugees.
Broomfield Afghan Evacuee Task Force: Broomfield Community Foundation has set up a tax-deductible local Evacuee Resettlement Fund: www.broomfieldfoundation.org/evacuee and to volunteer: https://bit.ly/BroomfieldAfghanVolunteers. This organization was founded by Broomfield City Councilor Heidi Henkel; she and her Army veteran husband, Scott, were among the first families in the area to resettle an Afghan interpreter in our region. They also need funds and volunteers, but also business partners, cosponsors, ESL specialists and cultural mentors.
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