THE TRANSPLANT
By Cassandra Newman
August 8, 2007-"Masih, you got my money?"
A tiny African American girl with cornrows and a pink shirt stood with hands on hips in front of the patient check-in kiosk at INOVA Alexandria Hospital, her steely gaze fixed upon the young Afghan man taking down a patient's information.
"Give me a moment. I will have it for you soon," Masih Namwar replied, slightly embarrassed.
The patient, who happened to my mother, asked laughing, "What's that all about?"
"She and I had a bet for $50.00. I am paying her $5.00 a week," he said.
That was how I met Masih, a soft-spoken, extremely polite young man with a great deal of hope and an unfortunate wager to contend with. He noticed that I was reading the sixth Harry Potter book and commented that he was incredibly pleased to see that it had been translated into his language and circulated throughout Afghanistan.
"They have Harry Potter in Afghanistan?" I asked, incredulous.
"Oh yes. I am very happy about that, because right now [there are some over there] who are more into guns than reading."
Intrigued, I requested an interview with Masih and he generously agreed. We met about a week later in the cafeteria at INOVA Alexandria, where he insisted on treating me as an honored guest and purchasing me a bottled water. The following dialogue transpired:
Q: Give me a brief profile of yourself. What brought you to America?
A: 1. Education. 2. Making money. 3. [The need to escape] bad government. Basically, freedom. My parents consider themselves Persians but we are not related to the [major] government groups or anything. I grew up in Kabul, [the capital of] Afghanistan. Afghanistan and Iran used to be one country but then we divided. I don't know why. But we're all Persians. We have [many] tribes, but basically there are seven dominant groups: [among others, they are] the Tajiks, the Pashtuns, the Hayanas, the Uzbeks, the Balouch and the Pashayes. The Pashtuns have always been the majority in the government but the language used in [education] and business has always been Farsi. I have one brother who was killed [in the war] and two sisters. One of my sisters has three kids, the other has four. I live in the United States with my dad and we support my mother and sisters back home financially. I hold a green card. I must wait one and a half more years for citizenship. I have an uncle who lives in New York and he sponsored me to come here. Because of their children, my sisters could not come. I was lucky to have my dad with me. My mom's coming in December. My brothers-in-law have government jobs and it is difficult for them to come here. I help them out [too]. If my sisters were to come, it would be a while before their husbands could join them. Before I came to this country, I was told that Americans were evil. But when I came here, I found that was not true. I have not had any bad experiences. The only problem I had was at a mall in New York. I did not know that some [kids] wear their pants down [around their ankles]. In my culture, if you see that you advise the person to pull his pants up. So, I saw these children with their pants down and I suggested they pull them up. They cursed at me. I spoke to my co-worker and she [corrected my previous assumptions]. I lived in New York for three and a half to four months with my uncle. I had many friends in Virginia and they wanted me to live here. I also didn't want to live in my uncle's house for the rest of my life. So I moved here. New York was too fast for me. I like Virginia.
Q: As an Afghan immigrant, have you found that the war in Afghanistan has influenced the way Americans treat you?
A: I would say no. Not so far. That's the good thing about Americans. I mean there might be something with others, but personally I have not had those experiences. I act normally. If someone says something wrong about my culture, I let it go because there is no way to win that argument.
Q: Have the tribal and ethnic divisions that affect Afghanistan have any impact on your life and/or your decision to emigrate?
A: Yes. I always wanted my country to be organized. I always wanted to stay in my country and work for my people. But because of the fighting, I had to leave to work and get an education. If things improve, then one day I may go back.
Q: In a private conversation prior to this interview, you indicated that your brother died in the war. Could you please elaborate on that experience?
A: My brother worked at a roadside fruit stand near a Taliban base that was attacked when the United States invaded. He was killed by mistake. The problem was that the Taliban forced men to dress like them and have long beards so you couldn't tell the difference between them and normal [citizens]. Maybe that's also why he was killed. If you lose a brother at a time he is not supposed to be leaving the family, it [has] a big impact. I am still supporting his family. I always believed that my older brother would take care of me if I had trouble. With him gone, I feel the pressure now. So I miss him a lot.
Q: How is the war affecting the lives of your family back home?
A: It is not as bad as it used to be when we were fighting the Russians and each other. Most of my people now are happy, provided that the bad guys, Al Qaeda and the Taliban, leave them alone.
Q: How do you feel about the Taliban?
A: The Taliban [are amoral] because they support terrorism. However, I will mention one good thing about their government. We had good security. We did not have [murder] or theft. We could leave our doors open 24/7. But everything else I didn't agree with.
Q: Did you agree with Bush's decision to invade Afghanistan?
A: I did agree because [the Taliban was] trying to fill Afghanistan with terrorists and make it the worst country in the world. Terrorists are interested in building things in Afghanistan. I don't know why they [can't] do it in their own countries. It gives us a bad image. I didn't agree with [the Iraq invasion] because [the Bush administration] couldn't find what it said [was] there. When Saddam ruled, there were no Sunni-Shia killings. But he was not a good guy. Most importantly, [many] American soldiers are being killed for nothing.
Q: How does the lifestyle you led in Afghanistan differ from your life here?
A: They are two different worlds. I never worked full-time, drove or touched a woman who was not related to me in Afghanistan. It was hard to talk to women. I didn't have a bank account. Comparing Afghanistan to the United States, I think we are 300 years behind at least.
Q: In your opinion, what causes extremism and terrorism?
A: It all depends on how you [interpret] religion. I think extremists interpret the Quran in a bad way that is not the [truth]. I also think poverty and economic jealousy [play roles].
Q: What steps would you like to see taken towards curbing violence in the Middle East? You mentioned what a positive turning point it was to see the Harry Potter series being translated into your language and passed around Afghanistan. Do you think literature and education should play a role in peacemaking?
A: Basically, in the Middle East the bad people are ruling everywhere. I think dialogue is a good thing. In my opinion, it's best because all those terrorists [using force to get what they want] will not succeed. In high school, I was told that sitting with a Christian or a Jew was wrong. But I am sitting with you now and I see nothing wrong with it. I would think that translations of works [like the Harry Potter books] favoring peace would be good. But the media contributes by painting almost all [countries in] the Middle East as terrorist [by nature]. Afghanistan and other [Middle Eastern] countries actually have nice cultures. It is the same with the Middle East's media. Americans are described as evil. But it is not true.
Q: What is your opinion on gender relations in the Middle East? Should there be equality between the sexes?
A: Women are being treated unfairly in certain countries, especially Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. In our culture, women were supposed to work at home and produce children. I don't agree with that. I have a sister who used to go to school before the [Taliban ascended to power] and she had to stop. But she is smarter than me. Under real Islamic rule, women should be allowed to practice the same professions as men. Islam says women can be educated and do the same things as men. It also does not say they have to be covered from head to toe.
Q: How important is Islam in your life?
A: It is very important. I think I am following almost the right path, which is living in peace and loving everyone. In my opinion, Islam does not preach killing for nothing. No one can be completely perfect. I don't pray five times a day and I [make excuses] for being late. But I try to follow the main [principles].
At the end of our interview, Masih thanked me for giving him the chance to speak and share his views. To the very last moment, he was a genial and accomplished host, guiding me to the bathroom and urging me to drink my water to fortify myself against the sweltering heat outside. It was a pleasure to meet with this kind and gentle young man. I can only hope that he does indeed get a chance one day to see peace in his beloved Afghanistan.
