Tammi and Zarah Abbasi’s Virginia home is a visual representation of the Afghan-American community’s response to the chaotic US withdrawal from its longest war.
The couple have transformed their house into a hub for refugee donation drop-offs. Over the past week, local donors have filled nearly every corner of the main floor with clothing, hygiene products, cookware and other contributions.
Local business owner Mr Abbasi says processing all of the donations has become a new job in itself, but a worthwhile one. This week alone, the donations they have collected have helped about 20 people.
“Out of the last few days, I’ve probably missed 60 hours of work just because I’m focusing on this, but this matters right now and this is more urgent,” he said.
“I’m so overwhelmed with the support the whole Afghan-American community has received, especially from neighbours. Just the Afghan Americans stepping up has been inspiring to say the least.”
Afghan refugees fleeing Taliban rule are landing daily at Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia. Thousands more are expected before the August 31 end to the US airlift from Kabul.
Several of the new arrivals had only hours to uproot their lives and leave loved ones, jobs and support networks in Afghanistan, and they are landing in the US with few possessions.
Most will be temporarily accommodated at a processing site at the Dulles Expo Centre, a 12,000-square-metre convention hall that typically hosts trade and corporate events.
Many of the refugees will be sent to military installations across the US, but some, like the families the Abbasis are helping, are resettling in the area.
Local organisers have largely been blocked from delivering aid to the expo centre, and say better government guidance is needed.
Afghan-American activist Mariam Mustafa says she was first told she could deliver lorryloads of donations to the expo centre, but when she arrived, local police and federal officials blocked her.
“The Biden administration is really failing us,” she said. “They knew this would happen. [US President Joe] Biden did make a note that they were going to evacuate August 31. They should have had plans and processes three months in advance, so it’s really disappointing.”
A US government employee volunteering inside the expo centre told The National that the situation there is “highly unorganised” and “needs better leadership”, but that officials are doing their best in a chaotic situation.
The volunteer added they believe the operation will run more efficiently in a week's time.
The Abbasis say that Afghan Americans are best equipped to serve as cultural mediators for the new arrivals, especially amid heightened fears after Washington’s withdrawal.
“This trust was really broken … [families I met] were like, what if the Americans in America do the same thing to us? What if they abandon us when we get to this completely new country?” Ms Abbasi said.
“But once they saw how we treated them, us Afghan Americans, and even the non-Afghan Americans volunteering, they said wow … these are the people we really can trust.”
The Abbasis say they have found Afghan refugee families resettling in the area “through the grapevine effect” within the Afghan-American community, and that social media has been their biggest ally.
The couple makes two trips for each family they deliver donated goods to. The first is to meet them and determine their needs, the second is to deliver the donations.
Mr Abbasi believes it his responsibility to help support families as they integrate into American life.
“I met a family on Sunday … I asked them, ‘Do you have anything to eat tonight?’ And he said that yes, someone had brought him food yesterday and they could heat that up,” said Mr Abbasi.
“I said no, no, no. This is America and we eat good on Sunday … So, I went out and bought him dinner for five.”
Underneath piles of donation boxes and bags, hints of the Abbasis' normal home life peek through.
An entryway table barely visible under clutter, a small space for sitting still available on the living room couch. The chaos at their home is worth it, they say, because of the sense of solidarity and relief it brings families fleeing their homeland.
“I've seen their smiles when you give them that new item. A brand new T-shirt for them goes a long way,” Ms Abbasi said. “The smiles on their faces when they get those things is unimaginable.”
Ms Mustafa, the activist, said the US government has a responsibility to show refugee families the level of care that community members like the Abbasis have, and argues the Biden administration must not simply prioritise US citizens in its move out of Afghanistan.
“Every life matters,” she said.
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
THE%20HOLDOVERS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlexander%20Payne%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Paul%20Giamatti%2C%20Da'Vine%20Joy%20Randolph%2C%20Dominic%20Sessa%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Renault Koleos
Price, base: From Dh77,900
Engine: 2.5L, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 170hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 233Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.3L / 100km
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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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THE SPECS
GMC Sierra Denali 1500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Price: Dh232,500
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
Planes grounded by coronavirus
British Airways: Cancels all direct flights to and from mainland China
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific: Cutting capacity to/from mainland China by 50 per cent from Jan. 30
Chicago-based United Airlines: Reducing flights to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong
Ai Seoul: Suspended all flights to China
Finnair: Suspending flights to Nanjing and Beijing Daxing until the end of March
Indonesia's Lion Air: Suspending all flights to China from February
South Korea's Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air and Jin Air: Suspend all flights
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
