“As someone who has lived in war and conflicts, I know how precious it is to live in peace,” said Said Baha, who fled Afghanistan with his family. On June 27, he expressed his gratitude to the parishioners of Saint Thomas More Parish in Cherry Hill who collected donations for the family. Baha and his family are pictured with Father Edward Namiotka, pastor, and Sister Ann Byrnes (far left), pastoral associate for lifelong faith formation. (Mary McCusker)
For Said Baha, leaving his homeland of Afghanistan was not a gamble or a choice. It was the only course of action that would keep him and his family alive.
They came to America after being granted a Special Immigration Visa — a visa only issued to Afghani and Iraqi refugees who provided valuable aid to the U.S. government and consequently were targeted because of their affiliation.
Baha recounted his early years.
“When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, I was 8 years old. Most of my life was spent in war and conflict, especially my childhood. … I won’t ever forget my classmates, the five boys and girls who were killed when airplanes bombed their homes.”
Baha shared his story on June 27 at Saint Thomas More Parish in Cherry Hill. In the first row sat his wife and four children, and behind them, parishioners who listened intently. It was an encounter that the parish’s Faith and Justice Team, Small Christian Communities and Saint Vincent De Paul Society had been eagerly awaiting since the family arrived in the United States as refugees in February of 2021.
When the family — Baha, his wife, and four children — were resettled through Catholic Charities, the parish sprang into action during Lent and throughout the pandemic to assist the family and work with Catholic Charities to meet their needs.
The audience sat riveted as Baha told his story, standing tall and poised, occasionally glancing up from a speech he had prepared. He explained that despite the Soviet invasion, he continued his education and graduated high school. Around this time, the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, filling the vacuum of power left by the Soviet invasion and subsequent withdrawal. He fled, and spent 15 years in Turkey and Bulgaria as a refugee.
But in 2006, he continued, “the United States came to bring peace in Afghanistan. I returned back to my country and wanted to be part of that mission.” And he did — working on behalf of the United States doing various kinds of work on military bases, especially Bagram.
But the Taliban and other terrorist groups, he said, threated him several times, causing him to — once again — flee his home. He moved to a different province in Afghanistan, but the threats continued.
“The Taliban occupied our house, our farms, the land which belong to my family and me. According to them, it was a crime to work with the U.S. military.”
It was then that he applied for a Special Immigration Visa.
“It was a very long process, but in 2020, a visa was issued for my family and me. Because of the pandemic, we had to wait another year.”
In 2021, he was resettled through Catholic Charities, who found housing for the family, enrolled the children in school, and ensured they had medical exams. When the parishioners of Saint Thomas More learned about the family, they immediately started collecting donations, gathering gift cards, household items and other much-needed donations.
Looking up from his paper and pausing, he said, “I want to thank all those who arranged this gathering — to Sister Ann and other people whose names I don’t know. As someone who has lived in war and conflicts, I know how precious it is to live in peace. I promise to become good and peaceful members of the society.
“We want to be good neighbors for those living around us. My wife and I are committed to working to support our children — and they also have their own commitments,” he said, motioning toward his four children. “They will study to become good doctors, nurses, engineers, teachers of the future and to serve the people.”
After Baha shared his story, parishioners lined up to greet the family with warm embraces, welcomes and thanks.
Sister Ann Byrnes, RSM, who led much of the parish’s efforts, addressed the audience as well. “I think as citizens of the United States, we are certainly so privileged and so pleased to have you here with us. And it’s important for us to know your story and to reflect on what it is like for refugees in our world today… to take that to heart, to pray, to think about it. Despite all of your suffering and struggles, you’ve remained so positive. And you are a great example to all of us.”
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