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  • The Christian Science Monitor

    With toasters and empathy, former refugees welcome Afghans to US

    Aug 31, 2021 5 minutes
    From left, Arshad Mehmood, the D.C. and Virginia coordinator for ICNA Relief; Akmal Hussain, local food pantry coordinator for ICNA; and Driss Rarhai, a dedicated volunteer, prepare boxes of backpacks to be delivered to newly arrived Afghan refugees at Dulles International Airport, Aug. 26, 2021.

    For many Americans, it’s difficult to imagine what the tens of thousands of newly arrived Afghan refugees are going through. 

    But Arshad Mehmood doesn’t have to imagine. He knows. Only seven years ago, Mr. Mehmood was in their shoes, fleeing Pakistan. He describes being kidnapped and tortured by the Taliban for being a local politician. 

    Now, as the regional coordinator for a national nonprofit, Mr. Mehmood as well as his team in northern Virginia, many of whom are refugees themselves, is helping these new arrivals with everything from finding apartments to translating school enrollment forms from English to Pashto. They have assisted more than 80 Afghan families over the past three months and expect to help almost 200 by the end of the year.

    And while this practical aid is important, says Mr. Mehmood, it’s not what newly evacuated

    “We are all working around the clock”A tweet brings tide of help

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