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The morning after @JanisShenwary saved my life, I found him eating alone in our chow hall. I sat down & thanked him for saving my life - it was the first real conversation we ever had. I asked him why saved me. His answer changed my thinking on #Afghanistan forever. (thread)
He said, “you are a guest in my country, I die before you do.”
“Well, you’re a hell of a shot, I’m really glad you’re on our side. Hey, why is that, why are you on our side?”
“Well, you’re a hell of a shot, I’m really glad you’re on our side. Hey, why is that, why are you on our side?”
“My mom would kick my ass if I joined the Taliban.”
It wasn’t the answer I ever expected to hear. “I don’t understand, I thought women didn’t have any power over here?”
“You know nothing of Afghans,” he said, staring into my eyes.
“You’re right. I don’t. Will you teach me?”
It wasn’t the answer I ever expected to hear. “I don’t understand, I thought women didn’t have any power over here?”
“You know nothing of Afghans,” he said, staring into my eyes.
“You’re right. I don’t. Will you teach me?”
“Ok, first lesson, Afghan men can do nothing without the blessing of their mothers.”
“So you’re telling me everyone on the other side of yesterday’s battle had their mom’s permission to be there, to be Taliban?”
“So you’re telling me everyone on the other side of yesterday’s battle had their mom’s permission to be there, to be Taliban?”
“If their mom is still alive, yes,” he said as he chewed a bite of some Na’an bread and dipped it into some sort of Afghan yogurt.
“What makes your mom so much more enlightened than their moms? Why does she forbid you when theirs allow them?”
“Because she can read and write for herself. She has read the Quran, she knows what the Taliban preach isn’t Islam, it’s bullshit.”
“Because she can read and write for herself. She has read the Quran, she knows what the Taliban preach isn’t Islam, it’s bullshit.”
He put his Na’an down and stared into my eyes, “Why do you think the Taliban burn down and attack schools for girls? It’s because they fear moms like mine.”
#Afghanistan is collapsing. We have a moral obligation to save as many of our allies as we can before we leave. We cannot abandon them to be slaughtered by the Taliban. Please contact your members of Congress & @POTUS. Urge them to immediately evacuate our wartime allies to #Guam
A plan exists to save our wartime allies. You can read about the overall effort (led by @kim_staffieri @itsapurdy @Vets4AmerIdeals @IRAP @TrumanProject) here: http://trumancenter.org/ideas/special-immigrant-visa-a-call-for-cooperative-action/ or read our plan here ( #Guam option is on pages 8-9): http://trumancenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Truman-Center-SIV-Report.pdf #SaveOurAllies
