Support for the Sharef Family
Donation protected
On Saturday, January 28th, our friends, the Sharef family, were barred from boarding their flight from Cairo to the United States. They were on their way to resettle in Nashville, TN from Erbil, Iraq where they had sold everything and given up their former lives. The Sharef family was among the first victims of Donald Trump's Muslim Ban, and denied the right previously granted to them by the U.S. government to relocate to the U.S.
The Sharef family consists of the father Fuad, his wife Arazoo, their son Bnyad, 19, and their daughters Yad, 17, and another Shad, 10. The family has many friends and advocates around the U.S. and the world. As a former translator with a USAID subcontractor, Fuad Sharef helped support the U.S. following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He put himself and his family at risk by cooperating with the U.S. government in Iraq. It is because of his service that he and his family were eligible to apply for visas, a long two year process. Fuad's son, Bnyad, also has close American ties, having previously traveled to the U.S. on a scholarship through the Department of State where he lived with a host family and learned about leadership and civic engagement.
Now back in Erbil, the family is working to find safe passage back to the U.S. They have given up everything to relocate to Nashville. This terrible situation could not have happened to a more kind and loving family. Having previously opened their home and hearts to countless Americans, we would now like to try to reciprocate their generosity. We must not turn our backs on them now.
While their situation remains uncertain, our goal is to raise funds that can serve as a resource for their future, including: new plane tickets, legal fees, relocation support, and living expenses while the executive order is being challenged.
Please help us support our friends in this time of need!
Below are links to learn more about their story, which has recieved a lot of media coverage:
Video on NBC Nightly News
Video on ABC News
Story in the Washington Post
Story in The Telegraph
Story in The Tennessean
Daily Show Clip (start 2:50)
Podcast Clip on NPR
Basic Info on this campaign:
I am a graduate student at Harvard University, obtaining a Master's degree in Middle Eastern Studies. I am a friend of the family and former educator of their son, Bnyad. I'm coordinating support from U.S. friends and former colleagues, all personally connected to the family. Once the campaign reaches its goal, I will be responsible for getting the donation to the Sharef family. As you may know, apps that utilize online banking are very limited in Iraq and most U.S. resources like PayPal are not available to them. I will wire all proceeds to the family once we reach our goal.
The Sharef family consists of the father Fuad, his wife Arazoo, their son Bnyad, 19, and their daughters Yad, 17, and another Shad, 10. The family has many friends and advocates around the U.S. and the world. As a former translator with a USAID subcontractor, Fuad Sharef helped support the U.S. following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He put himself and his family at risk by cooperating with the U.S. government in Iraq. It is because of his service that he and his family were eligible to apply for visas, a long two year process. Fuad's son, Bnyad, also has close American ties, having previously traveled to the U.S. on a scholarship through the Department of State where he lived with a host family and learned about leadership and civic engagement.
Now back in Erbil, the family is working to find safe passage back to the U.S. They have given up everything to relocate to Nashville. This terrible situation could not have happened to a more kind and loving family. Having previously opened their home and hearts to countless Americans, we would now like to try to reciprocate their generosity. We must not turn our backs on them now.
While their situation remains uncertain, our goal is to raise funds that can serve as a resource for their future, including: new plane tickets, legal fees, relocation support, and living expenses while the executive order is being challenged.
Please help us support our friends in this time of need!
Below are links to learn more about their story, which has recieved a lot of media coverage:
Video on NBC Nightly News
Video on ABC News
Story in the Washington Post
Story in The Telegraph
Story in The Tennessean
Daily Show Clip (start 2:50)
Podcast Clip on NPR
Basic Info on this campaign:
I am a graduate student at Harvard University, obtaining a Master's degree in Middle Eastern Studies. I am a friend of the family and former educator of their son, Bnyad. I'm coordinating support from U.S. friends and former colleagues, all personally connected to the family. Once the campaign reaches its goal, I will be responsible for getting the donation to the Sharef family. As you may know, apps that utilize online banking are very limited in Iraq and most U.S. resources like PayPal are not available to them. I will wire all proceeds to the family once we reach our goal.
Organizer
Becca Wadness
Organizer
Cambridge, MA
