Resource for refugees

"As a group of Zoroastrians living in North America, with many of our community members having arrived (here) as religious refugees themselves, we have a duty to continue our engagement with our tenets of humata, hukhta and hvarshta (good thoughts, words and deeds) as we communally work to support the Afghan community, both locally and globally.” This statement was issued by The Zoroastrian Youth of North America (ZYNA), a Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America committee dedicated to advancing thought, leadership, engagement and active participation among next-generation Zarathushtis. ZYNA aims to increase the civic engagement and involvement of youth and currently they are trying "to spur discussion and action within the Zoroastrian community to support refugees, particularly Afghan refugees as they flee this crisis,” noted their second Resource Guide issued on October 1, 2021.
Providing a background on the Afghan crisis, the Resource Guide mentioned that on August 15, 2021, two weeks before the US forces were to withdraw from Afghanistan, the Afghan government collapsed. The Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, raising concerns for the protection of human rights of Afghanistan’s people, particularly its women and children. Thousands of Afghan citizens attempted to flee the country and to seek refugee status abroad. Many Afghans are entering the US on temporary grounds using humanitarian parole but this does not entitle them to receive support to find housing and obtain health care and food stamps as do those who enter through the formal refugee admissions program. The US has pledged to provide them small emergency grants but the system is overloaded and it is unlikely that these funds will cover the needs of the many Afghans arriving in the country.

In light of these developments, it is even more critical to provide as much support to refugees as possible. "As Zoroastrians, we must always remember to follow the path of Asha that signifies righteousness… Providing help to refugees coming to North America is a very righteous deed… This is especially relevant given how many Zoroastrians in North America are religious refugees from Iran, and how many Parsis have ancestors who fled Iran to find a home in India where they could flourish and practice their faith without fear. As a community with such close ties to refugee struggles, it is imperative that we support others the same way we were supported, and ease the transition for our struggling brothers and sisters everywhere,” reminds the Resource Guide.
Besides educating themselves on this sensitive subject, Zoroastrians were urged to support the efforts of organizations like Women for Afghan Women that assists families; Rescue.org that gives humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan; The International Refugee Assistance Project that offers legal services; The Welcome to America Project that helps Afghans to resettle.
Contributing to the content, research and design of this Resource Guide were Bita Kavoosi, Ashton Zadeh, Delna Jijina, Ana Verahrami, Parsa Khodabakhshi, Sonia Fereidooni, Kimiya Shahzadi and Xenia Byramji.