By Scarlett Syse
Guest columnist
I have no doubt I am the most blessed person on the planet.
Why? Because I have spent nearly every day for the past four years with Afghans. Not a day goes by that I do not thank God for allowing me to live life with my remarkable Afghan brothers and sisters. How did I get so lucky?
Against so many odds, my Afghan friends have risen above pain and heartbreak. They are building good and decent lives in a country they love. Go to their homes and you’ll see red, white and blue wreaths on their doors, welcome mats that say “God Bless America,” and American flags hanging in their living rooms.
They have become fabrics of their communities and neighborhoods. The children love school. Several have proudly been named Citizen of the Month, and they do not like weekends and holiday breaks because they cannot go to school! For many of the children, America is the only home they remember and know.
My Afghan friends have enrolled in college. They have volunteered at cultural fairs and helped feed the hungry as a way to give back and foster understanding. They are valued employees at their workplaces. They adore our state parks and root for the Colts, Pacers and Fever.
I am still in awe of their over-the-top hospitality, spectacular generosity, steady patience and frequent and eloquent expressions of gratitude. They have been my greatest teachers.
Their road to life in a new land has not been without struggles. There have been challenges and setbacks, and that is to be expected.
You likely know the back story of how they arrived in America with nothing but hope and dreams of safety and good futures for their families.
More than 20 years ago, my Afghan friends and their families sided with America over their own country in our darkest hour – after 9/11. We were on our knees, and many Afghans stepped up to root out terrorists for the United States, for themselves and for the world.
Those choices in risking everything put targets on their backs. In Afghanistan, they lived in fear and terror. Afghans who sacrificed for the U.S. mission and took up a cause greater than themselves are the ones the barbaric Taliban hate the most.
But my Afghan friends were and are true believers in the ideals of America. They understood that putting their lives on the line for justice and peace would be worth it.
Even years later, my Afghan friends talk with reverence about their bonds with U.S. military leaders and soldiers. Many U.S. veterans share the same stories of Afghan courage and bravery.
They were all brothers and sisters in arms on bloody battlefields. Afghans protected and saved the lives of U.S. soldiers.
Other Afghans served justice to the terrorists in courts of law, worked on military bases, in humanitarian roles, at the U.S. Embassy and in the new government. All of them forged close and enduring relationships with the U.S. military and diplomats in one of the most dangerous places on earth.
The U.S. goal of a stable Afghanistan was not to be, as we withdrew and ended America’s longest war in August 2021. What was left in that wake was an immediate takeover of the country by the barbaric Taliban.
Our Afghan allies and their families faced certain death if they stayed in their homeland. The very terrorists they fought were now running the country and taking revenge. Even before the withdrawal, my Afghan friends had family members and relatives killed by the Taliban because of their loyalty to the United States.
America made a promise to never leave our Afghan allies behind. To keep that promise, the U.S. military evacuated Afghans. They were taken to third countries and went through rigorous vetting before landing in America. The vetting has continued after they arrived in America.
Now comes the horrific assault on National Guard members Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe at the hands of an Afghan man. These two young people were using and risking their lives in the most selfless of ways – to help and protect others. Sarah had her entire life in front of her.
My Afghan friends are devastated by what happened. They stand in solidarity and honor the National Guard, the U.S. military and law enforcement who serve and protect America – their home. Afghans fought against and fled this type of violence and cannot fathom why someone would do this. They are at a loss.
Over the past week, my friends have become targets of terrifying hate speech and threats. Fear is back in their lives. Their futures and safety are once again uncertain.
Americans must know better than most that one deranged man’s action does not define an entire population or community.
All my Afghan friends want to do is live good lives in peace and safety. Yet, they are being demonized as vile people who need to be discarded. They are scared and overwhelmed.
One friend shared that her young daughter asked this: We have not committed any crime. Why are they expelling us?
The constant drumbeat of hate directed at immigrants, the vulnerable and the poor has hardened our hearts. We no longer see each other as human beings.
National tragedies and issues with layers of complexity are exploited in a swirl of misinformation, fear-mongering and rage bait. A hateful act provokes more hate. Anyone different becomes the enemy. Innocent people who are a threat to no one are scapegoated.
The recent “remigration” proposal blames entire communities for the actions of a few. America has made this dark turn before – during World War II with Japanese Americans and a few years ago with a Muslim ban.
The latest policy targets brown people and people of certain religions and countries. That sounds like ethnic cleansing, and it is chilling and dangerous.
Exclusion makes America less safe. Exclusion makes America less human. Exclusion makes America less America.
As one attorney wrote: “Justice requires discernment, not generalization. It requires truth, not fear. And it insists — always — that we distinguish individual wrongdoing from the shared humanity of the innocent.”
We can certainly do both – be a welcoming country and have security for Americans and our new neighbors who stood with us.
The incessant hate talk, cruel and belittling insults and demeaning of people, both immigrants and Americans, is corroding our hearts, minds and souls. This is not sustainable.
I know it almost seems quaint and outdated to say that we must lead with compassion, fairness and empathy.
But we must.
Standing up and showing love through action for the vulnerable and those living in fear, even when it is hard and even when we are criticized, are antidotes to hate. We cannot let inhumane policies take hold.
I started reaching out to my Afghan friends. I told them I was praying for the victims of the shooting and checking in with them. I asked them how they were doing.
My friends responded. But they didn’t answer my question.
They did not speak about how they were doing. Their heartfelt messages were first and foremost focused on Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe, the shooting victims.
Here is a sampling:
“The shooting in D.C. was such a cowardly and horrific act. We feel so sorry for the victims and their families. This kind of individual does not represent Afghan values at all – we fled our country to escape exactly these kinds of actions.”
“We deeply appreciate the American people for the tremendous support and kindness they have shown us when we arrived here, and we will never forget it. Again, this was such a barbaric act, and we strongly condemn this kind of violence against anyone.”
“We were very embarrassed by this heartless person. I am truly ashamed of him.”
“My heart breaks over this tragedy. Our prayers are with the National Guard members and their families. As an Afghan who came here seeking peace, it devastates us to see violence in the nation we now call home. One person’s actions do not define our community.”
“We stand united with our fellow Americans and with those who protect this country. May healing and peace prevail.
I am deeply saddened by what happened. This action was wrong and completely against our values. The crime of one person should never define an entire community. Many Afghans respect America, live in peace and care about this country.”
“I pray for the victims.”
“I feel so sad. As an Afghan, I feel embarrassment. We live in the USA in peace, and we respect everyone here. I am feeling so upset.”
“We are the most unfortunate people on earth. I wish I wasn’t from Afghanistan.”
“We will always stand with the families of the victims and keep them in our thoughts and prayers.”
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the Washington shooting. We owe it to them to offer our full support during this difficult time.”
Those are the words of the Afghans I know and love.
Scarlett Syse is a former editor of the Daily Journal and the former group editor of AIM Media Indiana newspapers. Send comments to editorial@therepublic.com.
Scarlett Syse is a former editor of the Daily Journal and the former group editor of AIM Media Indiana newspapers. Send comments to editorial@therepublic.com.
