This article was written by Javid Entezar, iACT Technology Support Coordinator

Now more than ever, it is dangerous to be a minority in Afghanistan, more so if you are Hazara. Of the 31 million or so Afghan residents, Hazaras are approximately 9% Of the population. These people value education and condemn violence, but minorities and indigenous people are often among the most marginalized communities in many societies: they rarely have access to education, political power, equal rights, freedom of speech, and frequently encounter obstacles to manifesting their identity. Minority lives in Afghanistan are fraught with discriminatory practices, extortion, forced displacement, and the ever-looming terror of extrajudicial killings. There are many minorities suffering in Afghanistan, but specifically the Hazaras are experiencing genocide. I am a Hazara refugee from Afghanistan living in the United States of America, and here is a little bit about my story.

I was born and raised in Afghanistan and attended high school in Kabul. Throughout my time in Afghanistan, I have seen Hazaras suffering under the weight of ongoing and extreme persecution. Their homes, schools, mosques, hospitals, and streets were targeted and destroyed.

I worked very hard in school, especially on my university entrance exam with the hope that I could do something meaningful with my life. After passing the university entrance exam, I got a scholarship from the government of Pakistan to study for my bachelor’s degree at one of its prestigious universities. With the discrimination going on in Afghanistan, I was one of the luckiest students to get out of it. In Pakistan, I struggled to adapt to new languages, subjects, and cultures and the fact that I was from Afghanistan. Although I never felt at home either in my country or in Pakistan, I learned lessons, and gained experiences that shaped me personally and professionally. Long before reaching this great country I lived with racism, discrimination, crime, forced marriage, forced displacement, drugs, gang violence, domestic violence, and bomb explosions on every corner. Being Hazara and having a long history of systematic persecution, facing violence at the hands of the Taliban and ISIS were bad, but it only got worse since the Taliban took power in August 2021. There was no choice left but to leave a place where a gun has more influence than a pen, money has power over humanity and the majority has the power over the minority.  Some of my family members were lucky enough to escape Afghanistan, and I have had the privilege of helping them settle into the U.S. Although we are blessed and lucky to be here, we did not leave Afghanistan by choice. Such atrocities have continued unabated, and after all this I continue to have hope, and I pursue my education and my dream with even more passion.

Now I work at Interfaith Action of Central Texas (iACT) helping refugees, and it feels good to help others once in my shoes. I also plan to continue my education and work towards a master’s degree. Here, life is incredible, and it gives me an appreciation for everything I have. Refugees made a difficult decision to leave their homeland – they left because they had to.  I am appreciative of the opportunities given to me, and I hope to give back to this country in the best way that I can.

“A bundle of belongings is not the only thing a refugee brings to his new country.”                                                                                                            –Albert Einstein

People can help refugees in many ways, from donations to volunteer opportunities. To volunteer with iACT contact mwright@interfaithtexas.org. For contact information for other agencies working with refugees in Austin, check www.austinrefugees.org