Photo By Sgt. Maxwell Bass | This building is one of the many prayer areas U.S. Army soldiers assigned to 1st...... read more read more
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As Afghan evacuees were transported to Fort Bliss’ Doña Ana Complex in New Mexico, soldiers and nongovernmental agency partners quickly realized Afghan guests needed somewhere to properly practice their religious beliefs.
Golnoosh Hakimdavar, who has a doctorate in law and economics, works as a cultural liaison for the Interagency Coordination Center in support of Operation Allies Welcome. She noticed many of the evacuees praying in different areas of the complex under the hot sun, and wanted a place where Afghan guests could come together and practice any religion in a comfortable and clean space without being disturbed.
“We realized the need for a space that would allow individuals to practice their faith,” Hakimdavar said. “Whatever that faith may be.”
Hakimdavar swiftly got to work establishing designated prayer areas for the Afghans. She says she felt personally dedicated to establishing multiple worship centers after connecting with Afghan guests. Hakimdavar speaks one of the Afghans’ native languages, Dari. After listening to their experiences and stories, she felt called to improve their quality of life. With the help of others, Hakimdavar created the first prayer area with both a male and female section.
“I think that the prayer area has changed the quality of life for many of our guests,” Hakimdavar said. “Now they have a space that they can go to. They are directed to a location that is clean. They are really connecting.”
Maj. Jason Bruce, a chaplain assigned to 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, also helped establish the prayer areas. Bruce says there was a lot of running back and forth, trying to find out what items to include and what would be culturally appropriate. Most of the items, such as the prayer rugs, were donated through the Red Cross. Bruce says since opening the prayer areas the Afghans have voluntarily taken responsibility for the areas by cleaning and arranging them.
“We set it up initially and then they have arranged it, which is great,” said Bruce. “They have taken ownership of the space and they’ve done wonderful.”
There are currently three designated prayer areas for Afghan evacuees with plans for more opening soon.
| Date Taken: | 09.12.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 09.13.2021 19:49 |
| Story ID: | 405043 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 267 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Cultural liaison creates prayer areas for Afghans, by SGT Maxwell Bass, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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