Liberty print hijabBEFORE he arrived in America in 2013, aged 22, Nur Abdi spent five “very hard” years in India, sustained by the generosity of Somali compatriots. He applied for asylum through the United Nations’ refugee agency, and after a series of “very tough” interviews, he was resettled in Clarkston, just outside Atlanta. Now he works for a Lutheran relief agency, helping other newcomers. Some in his family, who like him fled violence in Mogadishu, are stuck in Ethiopia. Donald Trump’s ban on new Somali visitors threatens his hopes of a reunion.
On March 7th—the day after the president signed the new version of his travel restrictions—Mr Abdi attended a celebration of “new Americans” at Georgia’s state capitol. Troupes from the Andes and Laos danced in resplendent costumes. A technicolour choir of refugee girls sang “This Land is Your Land”. For a finale, a clutch of refugees took the oath of allegiance and became American citizens. The anthem was performed by a former Syrian refugee, and another, Dr Heval Kelli, now a cardiology researcher at Emory University, gave an exhortatory address....Continue reading
Source: United States http://ift.tt/2mnDQsp
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