This statement was shared by the Dharmic Office of Public Affairs via Email on August 20, 2021 

As Afghanistan is unstable and continues to deteriorate our thoughts go to vulnerable Hindu, Sikh, and Christian minorities, to the aid workers, and the countless women under duress. We join the organizations across the world in advocating for the swift resettlement of Afghanistan’s most vulnerable people.

It is with great sadness that we now witness the end of the Sikh culture in Afghanistan, which has been integrated for over 300 years. At this very moment, 150 remaining Sikh and Hindu families are gathered at the Kabul Gurdwara praying for their safety. We join in their prayer and ask the protecting hand of our Guru to keep them safe.

Our thoughts are with all of Afghanistan, with lives lost, freedoms given and then taken, and with the humanitarian fallout from the sudden military withdrawal. We admire the sacrifice and courage of all – military, NGO and Afghan – who labored and sacrificed for the protection of human dignity.

We pray for reconciliation, that Afghanistan may rise up stronger and wiser and be recognized as a nation of strength, compassion, dignity, acceptance and perseverance. We especially pray for Afghanistan’s children and women, that they may be safe and their futures may be bright.

Donations Welcome

The groups below are working to help the people of Afghanistan during this difficult time:

• Church World Service is providing support for newly arriving Afghan families. Click Here to Donate. 
• International Refugee Assistance Project is providing critical legal services to displaced Afghans. Click Here to Donate. 
• No One Left Behind is providing financial assistance to Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Recipients in the U.S. They also assisted with initial evacuations and are standing by help evacuate more families when commercial flights resume. Click Here to Donate.