SEATTLE (AP) — Advocates for Afghan refugees are voicing serious concerns following a shooting incident involving an Afghan national that left two National Guard members critically injured. Reports indicate that Rahmanullah Lakanwal, age 29, shot the military personnel after driving from Bellingham, Washington, to Washington, D.C. In the wake of this tragedy, many Afghans living in the United States, especially those who assisted U.S. forces during the two-decade war, are frightened to leave their homes due to fears of backlash.
They’re terrified. It’s insane, said Shawn VanDiver, president of the San Diego-based group #AfghanEvac, which aids in resettling Afghan nationals. He emphasized that Lakanwal’s actions do not reflect the beliefs or behaviors of the broader Afghan community. Lakanwal, who served in a CIA-supported Afghan Army unit, had recently had his asylum application approved following extensive vetting.
After the incident, there are fears within the refugee community of being unjustly treated as personally culpable or faced with xenophobic attacks. As stated by Ambassador Ashraf Haidari, founder and president of Displaced International, accountability for the crime must be sought without allowing one person's actions to place entire communities at risk.
Matthew Soerens from World Relief echoed these sentiments, urging the public and policymakers to differentiate between the actions of one individual and the Afghan community as a whole. The incident not only has immediate implications for Lakanwal's legal situation but also for the mental safety and public perception of Afghan refugees throughout the U.S.
They’re terrified. It’s insane, said Shawn VanDiver, president of the San Diego-based group #AfghanEvac, which aids in resettling Afghan nationals. He emphasized that Lakanwal’s actions do not reflect the beliefs or behaviors of the broader Afghan community. Lakanwal, who served in a CIA-supported Afghan Army unit, had recently had his asylum application approved following extensive vetting.
After the incident, there are fears within the refugee community of being unjustly treated as personally culpable or faced with xenophobic attacks. As stated by Ambassador Ashraf Haidari, founder and president of Displaced International, accountability for the crime must be sought without allowing one person's actions to place entire communities at risk.
Matthew Soerens from World Relief echoed these sentiments, urging the public and policymakers to differentiate between the actions of one individual and the Afghan community as a whole. The incident not only has immediate implications for Lakanwal's legal situation but also for the mental safety and public perception of Afghan refugees throughout the U.S.
