Support Afghan Refugees in the United States

Nowruz Celebration:

Nowruz, the Persian new year, is celebrated on March 20^th in many countries around the world with Persian influence, including Afghanistan. The Hazara-American community celebrates Nowruz every year, and Bamyan Foundation in collaboration with the Hazara-American association organized this year’s the Nowruz celebration on March 20th.

About 330 community members attended the event that included programs for adults and children such as poetry, music, dance, games for children and presenting gifts for the children.

Many of the attendees were recent evacuees who caught up with members of the diaspora. This event was a productive avenue to cement relations in a fun ambiance over elevating conversations and swapping of happy stories and to momentarily forget the stress and challenges of starting new. One of the main goals of organizing such events is to create an atmosphere of friendship and bonding to foster a sense of community.

All of the participants took part in the purchase and preparation of the food for the event. 

According to participants – this event was one of the memorable ones in a while as everyone enjoyed the food, music, dance and the programs for children.  

For more, please visit our website via the link provided below.

Commemorating the Legacy of the late Hazara leader, Abdul Ali Mazari:

On March 25, 2023, Bamyan Foundation collaborated with Hazara-American Association to commemorate the death anniversary of the late Hazara leader, Abdul Ali Mazari, who was killed by the Taliban in 1995. 

Mazari is credited for uniting the Hazaras during the chaotic years following the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan in 1988. Under his leadership, Hazaras - who were relegated to third-class citizens due to severe discrimination by successive Pashtun regimes since the abolishment of Hazara slavery in the 1920s - rallied to demand equal rights, participation in the governance and other decision making mechanisms of the country. He instilled hope and confidence in Hazaras to stand against the injustice and endemic racism prevalent in Afghan society. He was among the first who proposed a federal system of governance for Afghanistan that is home to a mosaic of different racial and religious groups. 

Every year in March, Hazaras across the world, celebrate his legacy by organizing cultural events. This year on Mazari’s 28^th death anniversary, Hazaras in the Washington DC region organized the event, “Mazari and Women's Rights”, that was attended by scores of men and women from the diaspora and recent evacuees.

The speakers included researchers Caludio Concas from Italy, Se Hoon Kim from South Korea and Hazara-American leader Akram Gizabi. The speakers shed light about Mazari’s quest for social justice, and his efforts towards gender equality and empowering women in Afghanistan. According to the speakers, Mazari advocated for women’s rights and inclusion in leadership positions at a time when this crucial issue was ignored by his contemporaries.

Afghanistan is going through one of its most difficult periods in history, particularly, the Hazaras who are stigmatized due to race, religion and their support for the US-led intervention. Hazara women are at a higher risk due to said reasons. The Hazara-American community makes every effort to highlight this dire issue, and Bamyan Foundation will support their efforts to this end.   

For more, please visit our website via the link provided below.

Links:

• Nowruz celebration
• Celebrating Baba Mazari's legacy

Every year, on December 21st, Persian-speaking communities come together to commemorate the longest night of the year. This special night is marked by gathering and executing special programs that make it a memorable one.

According to a long-standing tradition among Persian-speaking communities around the world, especially in Afghanistan, the winter solstice marks the longest night of the year and signifies the arrival of brighter days. During this time, families come together in the homes of senior family members, serving dried fruits, pomegranates and watermelon, two iconic foods of the occasion. The evening is spent reciting poetry, consulting the "Fal-e-Hafez" for guidance, sharing old stories and legends, and cherishing each other's company until morning. The celebration of this long night signifies the arrival of winter, a season of snow and rain, and it is believed to bring prosperity and blessings to agriculture and irrigation.

It is a commonly held belief among the Persian speaking communities that by gathering and celebrating this night, they symbolize their triumph over darkness and express optimism for a brighter future.

Given the dire situation in Afghanistan, where people endure challenging days and nights, and many have fled the country and became refugees in other countries, there are few celebrations or events that can bring happiness to their hearts.

To bring some joy and a unique atmosphere to the newly arrived Hazaras who have faced hardships and are still dealing with war traumas, the Bamyan Foundation and the Hazara American Association organized an event to celebrate this night in a special way this year. By honoring customs and traditions, the two organizations aimed to create a space of joy and happiness where the community came together for friendly conversations to forget their daily hardships, and hope for a better future in the US and a brighter tomorrow for the people of Afghanistan.

The event, attended by approximately 250 community members, was specifically designed to celebrate the customs and traditions of the Yalda night. The program was filled with a variety of activities, including poetry recitations, a historical overview of the Yalda celebration, games and activities for children, fortune-telling, dancing, and a special performance of Hazaragi dance. The purpose of this gathering was to bring joy and hope to the recent evacuees, who have endured tremendous challenges, and connect them to the diaspora community. By participating in these activities, they had the opportunity to come together, forget their worries, and look towards a brighter future in the US and hope for a better tomorrow in Afghanistan.

During the event - given the fact that the Hazaras carry the bitter traumas of marginalization, persecution and war - an effort was made to provide a positive message of hope and renewal through the words and poems shared with the participants, and to give a glimpse of better days and the end of these difficult and prolonged memories.

Most of the participants expressed at the end of the program that it is important for them to celebrate their cultural heritage and promote a sense of solidarity and empathy among each other. This program provided a great opportunity for them to have a joyful moment after months of suffering and distress, and demonstrated that events like this can revive the beautiful traditions and customs of their people and pass them on to future generations.

Thank you,

Timor + The Bamyan Foundation Team

Zahra Yagana and Khatera Alizada contributed to this report.

Links:

• Yalda Night Celebration