Najib Azad

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Wadan Khan

A close-up of Najib Azad.

Najib Azad

Aug. 15 marks two years since the Taliban took over Kabul, Afghanistan, as the U.S. military withdrew its remaining troops — and put the lives of U.S. allies in immediate danger. Najib Azad, spokesperson for former president Ashraf Ghani, and his family were among those forced into hiding while seeking a way out of the country. (Many refugees currently in the U.S. are still waiting for a path to permanent residency as Congress continues to stall on the Afghan Adjustment Act). Azad will read from his new book, Beyond Evacuation: From the Himalayas to the Statue of Liberty, and discuss his work in government and his family’s evacuation from Afghanistan. RSVP at nathaly@cmcmadison.org or 608-661-3512.

media release: A spokesman for the former Afghan president is coming to Madison to give a special presentation at the Catholic Multicultural Center (CMC - 1862 Beld St) Tuesday August 15, 7:00 to 8:30pm. Najib Azad is a prominent political figure, professor, author, lawyer, and now, a Wisconsin resident. He is passionate about Afghan politics, the Afghan people, and making sure the world does not forget what happened in Afghanistan. “The handover of the country to terrorists is the biggest tragedy of the century, I believe,” Azad expressed.

At the event, attendees will have the unique opportunity to hear Azad read from and discuss his recent book, Beyond Evacuation: From the Himalayas to the Statue for Liberty, which provides an overview of his work with the Afghan government and shares his own family’s harrowing evacuation story. With this event, Azad said he hopes to encourage people to remember what happened in Afghanistan and how it affects people’s lives. He explained, “I want the world to know what we have been through – my son is the fourth generation forced to leave his country.” Azad’s grandfather and father before him were also forced to leave for socio-political reasons.

This event was intentionally planned to take place on August 15, the second anniversary of the Taliban takeover of the Afghan government. On this day in 2021, Azad’s life made a dramatic and abrupt change. It began like any other typical workday, with seven interviews on the schedule with various national and international media outlets to discuss his take on the impending U.S. troop withdrawal. It ended with Azad and his family going into hiding and desperately trying to make a connection to get to the Kabul airport. “I knew the moment that the Taliban entered Kabul (Afghanistan’s capital), they would knock on my door,” Azad explained.

Despite Azad’s high-ranking position in the former Afghan government, he and his family had to flee for their lives and try to reach the airport gates to evacuate on their own, just like others attempting to prove ties to the U.S. and secure evacuation. At midnight on August 21, Azad gathered his wife and four children and they fled with nothing but the clothes they were wearing, a few snacks, and diapers for their children. They arrived at the airport, where mass chaos ensued. According to Azad, 30,000 people were jostling about the airport – including the Taliban. At one point, the Taliban opened fire into the crowd, shooting over the shoulder of his wife who was clutching their two-year-old son. The U.S. officials that Azad and his family met at the airport were not checking people’s IDs, and therefore Azad’s ranking and position meant nothing. After several days with no food, no bathrooms, and only one bottle of water per person per day, Azad spent three hours negotiating with the U.S. Army captain and a military surgeon to get his family to the proper gate.

From there, all five of them were all able to evacuate Afghanistan to Doha, Qatar. This was the first step on a months-long journey that brought them to Stevens Point, Wisconsin, in January of 2022. Participants at this event will hear more about Azad’s evacuation story and what happened after he and his family fled their country before arriving in Wisconsin. “All the events I have done over the years, I always learn something from others," Azad shared. "I want to learn about different points of view and hear people’s comments." In addition to evoking audience discussion, Azad will also enlighten participants on the beautiful sides of Afghanistan – from being one of the oldest civilizations in the world to being more progressive on women’s rights than many Western countries, at different points in history (Afghan women won the right to vote one year before women in the U.S., for example).

This event is hosted by the CMC and all are welcome to attend. The book reading and discussion will be held in English. Registration is appreciated but not required, by writing an email to nathaly@cmcmadison.org or by calling 608-661-3512.

Afghan-style refreshments will be served, and doors will open at 6:30pm. There will be an opportunity to purchase Beyond Evacuation and an audience Q&A. CMC staff will also share advocacy action steps that community members can take to support Afghan evacuees and their families, well over 100 of whom were served by the CMC Immigration Legal Services Program.

The CMC continues to work with dozens of Afghan clients to achieve permanent immigration status and to help reunite families that have been separated for the past two years. Staff hope that this event will bring more attention and support to the needs of Afghans in the Madison area and throughout the nation.