Nazar Mohammad Mushfeq

full interview

Well. Can you introduce yourself? 
Thank you. Thank you for coming and listening to my words and problems. I am Nazar Mohammad Mushreq. I am currently a refugee in America and I am from Afghanistan.

Speak a little louder so that the voice is recorded and heard correctly. Well. Can you tell me how your life as a refugee in America is going? Did you get used to the environment easily? 
Thank you. As you can understand from the name of refugee, refugee means homeless. First, we would like to thank the American people for their sympathy and cooperation with us so that we can settle in a place. However, there have been problems, such as the lack of suitable work according to our experiences. Because we did not know the language well. The job we wanted was not for us. We had language training, we understand the language a little, we will get a job, and our life will be better. After this, we expect our life to get better and our situation to improve. Inshallah.

When you arrived in America, did you have financial problems and what was it like to start life here?  Was it easy or were there problems? 
Our life has been very difficult since we came to America because we left behind our home and the life we had and came here. The lives of refugees are very difficult and difficult to bear. Again, we thank the American people and the local people who cooperated with us until we became independent. At least we can pay for ourselves.

You mentioned that people here treat you well. Did you miss the environment where you grew up and lived? At least, are you in touch with friends who are in Afghanistan? 
Naturally. A person loves his homeland. However, because of insecurity, we became refugees. We found it very well and it is like our own homeland. Here we can work and become independent, we are very happy because of that. We are very happy that we can work. Now we agreed to be in America in this land. Afghanistan remained as it was. No one can say what will happen. We are currently in this country, we asked for citizenship here, and we want to live according to the living standards of the people of this country.

Do you live here alone or with your family? 
I live with my family. I am with my wife and children.

Do you still have financial and other problems, such as the process of obtaining citizenship? What type of visa did you enter America with and does the government act quickly or do they move slowly to go through the steps of this process? How is that? 
We entered America with a temporary visa. We were given a one-year visa, which expired. Our court has also been finalized and our last court date is in May and we hope to get citizenship here and they will give us a green card. However, we also had problems because we do not have a house of our own. Of course, it is difficult. The facilities provided by the government are not enough for a family. For example, we do not have a car, it is difficult here without a car, and you cannot go anywhere. To buy, you must have a car, which we do not have. Our house is rented and sometimes we cannot pay the rent. Although the government helps a part of it, it does not help properly. I hope the government will pay all the rent for our house. Because there are also electricity, water and Wi-Fi bills, and it will be good if the government helps us. Currently, we have these problems because we do not have the proper job to pay the house rent and other expenses by ourselves.

How old are you and do you enjoy working in this environment and do you have a job that you want to do? 
No. I will be 66 years old this year and in July. I am at retirement age and I should not be working at this age. I do not have much ability to work. My children may be able to work, but I will not be able to work after this.

Now that you are unable to work. Do you want the government to help you with your expenses? According to the law of this country, it is difficult for the newly arrived refugees to provide for their expenses. Can your children provide for your expenses? 
No. My children cannot provide for my expenses and I have to, and I have been working part time and weekly for almost a year now. I am unable to work. Because my financial situation is not good, I have to work to support a part of our living expenses. I have been working in different places for almost a year and I work if I can.

What is your dream for Afghanistan and what is your dream for yourself? 
My dream for Afghanistan is that a lawful government will rule there. Social justice should be observed. For example, women cannot work and girls are forbidden to go to school. I hope that schools will open to girls so that they can study and women will be allowed to work. A moderate government will come to power to consider all aspects so that every class is included in that government. It will be better if this kind of government comes to power. The Taliban government, which is aggressive, is not moving forward. The government is very aggressive and Islamic that people do not want. We are not their supporters and we do not want that government to rule there. It should be a government that all sides and all different ethnic groups of the country can see themselves in.

What is your dream for yourself? 
My dream is that… ahh… our green cards will come soon so that we can travel to neighboring countries because I am old, I have to retire, and I need to travel and have a break. I hope that the government of America will give us our green cards sooner so that we can travel and have a break.

The situation in Afghanistan was challenging and had many problems, especially when Afghanistan collapsed under the Taliban’s rule. All Afghans have bitter experiences from that time. What made you get out of those difficult situations? Do those situations sometimes bother you? 
Yes. I was more worried about my children; especially my daughters who were doctors and their lives were in serious danger there. My life and the lives of my children were in danger and we had to leave until a just government is established and everyone has a share in it. Finally, fate brought us here and we are happy that we were able to reach here. Of course, we are happy with the American government and the behavior of its people. Thank you for helping us.

What made you not to give up and to be able to live in a safe place? 
Naturally, the main cause was insecurity and extremism. In our country, human rights were not respected, for example, women’s rights were not respected and schools were closed. They are far from education, which is why they do not want civilization there. Because of this, it made us tired and we wanted to leave the place and area.

When you left your country, did you hope that you might return one day? Alternatively, did you hope to build a new life for yourself in a safe place? Were you hopeful at all? 
I hoped that wherever we are, we would create a new life for ourselves. Now, when we come here, it has been built to some extent. We accepted it here.

How do you feel in America now? 
We feel good about the country and people of America. We want to serve here as we served in Afghanistan.

Well. We asked you all the questions we had.  Do you have any words that you want to share? 
No. I hope there will be peace in our country because our people are restless. Poverty has reached its peak in our country. People sleep hungry at night. The condition of the people is very poor. That is why we suffer because people’s situation is very bad and we feel tired because we see and hear about people’s situation through the media. People live in a very bad situation. Most of them do not have a breadwinner at home, the women are the caretakers of 10 to 12 children, and there is no work for them. From the point of view of human rights, it is painful and very difficult to bear. That is why we suffer.

Finally, do you dream of peace like other Afghans? 
Yes, yes. I hope that there will be a stable peace in Afghanistan so that all parties and ethnic groups will have a share in it and the people will have peace.