Posted on 09/15/2001 10:29:06 AM PDT by ODDITHER
My Brothers
Growing up in rural Colorado, my life had been sheltered and secure. When my Father came home (shortly before my eighteenth birthday) and announced that we were moving to Afghanistan I broke out into tears. Finally it was decided I would stay in Colorado to attend college and visit each summer. I arrived in Kabul after being stranded in Paris because of the war in Lebenon. I can only tell you, no one could have prepared a pampered eighteen-year-old for the differences in culture. After getting over the shock of no radio, television, electricity only during certain hours, 3-4 days to make a long distant telephone call (depending if the international lines were up), I soon came to love both the Afghan people and the country.
My parents lived in a secure compound and had several Afghans that worked for them. My mother's aspirin bottle and ability to speak foreign languages soon earned her the name of "docotor". Many nights, there would be a knock on the door and one of the houseboys would have a relative that was quite ill. Somehow my parents would find someone or something to treat the relatives illnesses. One night the knock on the door was our houseboy and in his arms was a baby. Clearly, near death the poor baby was limp in his arms. Nadia became a part of the household for the next year. Mother nursed the baby back to health staying up with her night after night. I still see her tears as she gave the baby back to the mother. She still has pictures of her displayed at home.
When the Russian war began, my parents were evacuated to Iran. They took their houseboys with them because they would have been killed had they stayed. It was the houseboys that kept my parents safe in Iran.
The houseboys were Hazaras. :
"Hazaras are among few races on the face of the earth about whose origin so little is known. Some research done on Hazara background suggests that they are the descendants of Changez Khan ( Genghis Khan), the great Mongol warrior of 13th Century." The Hazaras were among those who fought against the Communist government and they succeeded in liberating much of their homeland early on in the Russian/civil war. The Taliban forces have murdered many Hazaras.
I could tell the difference between the Hazaras and other Afghans when I was there because Hazaras would load bundles of goods to be sold so heavy and big that you could barely see them under their load. They were honest, hard working, humble and kind.
When my parents were forced to leave Iran, they made arrangements to get their houseboys out of Iran by adopting them. Both Rheza and Abdul arrived in the United States with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the same wide eyed stare they had seen on my face some 10 years before. They have become very successful businessmen using the same tireless work ethic that they displayed in Afghanistan. Over the years they have been able to get their families out of Afghanistan.
They are now American citizens who are the American dream. Humble, proud, America-loving, first generation citizens who have lived war, known life without freedom, and love America. Please remember my brothers in your prayers. Pray that the American people focus their righteous indignation towards the real enemy and not my brothers.
Its going to be needed.
You, your brothers and sisters, all innocent and suffering members of the family of Man, are in my prayers.
Bump.
Not surprising. My mother is a Naturalized Citizen. I can tell you from my personal experience that there is no Patriot like someone who chose to be American.
She's getting kind of elderly, but if she was a little younger I would have to hold her back. She would charge right into hellmouth to get the scum who attacked us.
I am nauseated over the hatred shown on this board. I will admit 24 hours of blind rage of mine own.
If we are praying right, IMO, we are looking deep inside ourselves, "see if there be any wicked way in me."
That is hard to do, but absolutely necessary if we dare to ask for God's blessings.
Your brothers will be included in my prayers for all the innocents.
A few folks around here could use reminding that most Muslims in this country are as fine and patriotic Americans as any of us. The way some people around here are talking lately, I shouldn't even let my son play with the Muslim kids on my block.
Thanks again.
L
After he left the new Iranian government realized they had noone that could operate the prison. They asked several of them to come back in and guarenteed their safety while they showed them how to use the prison system. As part of the agreement, he asked that the houseboys be allowed to return with him.
While he was there a box arrived for someone in the new government. When opened, there were the heads of 7 Mullahs. A gift to the government to show support, 7 opposition Mullahs were beheaded.
When my mother was evacuated, it took several days and they were hidden under blankets on the floor of a bus and driven for hours before they arrived at the airport. Their first stop was Istanbul, where they stopped for food and water. Mother was served lamb stew, so fresh that it had pieces of furr and skin included.
My parents had many adventures and I was involved in some. My father was involved in a car wreck, in Afghanistan, the man responsible for the wreck was shot and killed by police 20 minutes after it happened.
If an Afghan survived, after being put in prison, it was because his family brought him food. No food was provided by the prison.
I can not believe so few have responded to this beautiful post ...
I have some experience in witnessing the breathtaking Patriotism new citizens to this Country exude .... and their hearts are aching this day.
Many are all too familiar with the face of evil ... and the utter destruction which can be visited upon the innocent ... they just never expected to see it here ...
Our great and just Country will be fighting many battles ... on many fronts in the coming days.... weeks ~~~ months ... and years ... but we must be ever mindful of who the true enemy is ...
We made some mistakes in WWII ... let us not repeat them now ... here ... in this time ...
FOCUS ... focus, patience ... resolve ... vigilance ... reason ... then ... JUSTICE ... clean and true.
I agree. Patience will be hard but we must know who to strike. Then we will have focus, like a laser. Reason we will use as a tool to complete the destruction of those who attacked us. Resolve is our birthright. Vigilance we have already, a little late unfortunately.
At least we know that there is not going to be any decisions being made that at the same time the President is being serviced by an intern.
Tiptoeing now ... as I do not want my comments to be the catalyst which turns this thread into useless descension ... but we had a president ... and a candidate who sought the Presidency ... who wanted our Country ... we have , in Bush, a man who wants to lead our Country ... a very big difference, that.
My daughters (both born in China) are now American citizens like your brothers. I worry that if we're ever at war with China, they'll be discriminated against despite their American citizenship. I'm worrying about something that might happen though, whereas your concerns are very real.
I'll keep your family in my prayers.
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