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Contributing Organization
TSOS
Home Country
Afghanistan
Description
Mina:
Mina was the second polygamous wife to her husband in Afghanistan. After her husband’s death 16 years ago, her husband’s first wife and children took all the husband’s belongings as their own, including the house and land. Forced to find another place to live, Mina and her sons fled to Pakistan, where they lived until returning to Afghanistan to ask for their share of Mina’s husband’s property. In response, both Mina and her children were beaten, resulting in the death of her oldest son. Mina and her younger son, Gulyar, escaped, and as Gulyar hid, Mina buried her older son with her own hands.
Mina and Gulyar fled to Turkey where they stayed with Mina’s brother but were found by the other family in Afghanistan. After receiving calls of warning and death threats, Mina and Gulyar fled to Greece, where they found refuge in the Oinofyta Refugee Camp.
More than anything else, Mina fears for the safety of her children. In addition to Gulyar and his older brother, Mina has two daughters, one of which lives in Germany and the other in Afghanistan.
Gulyar:
Gulyar received a good education in Pakistan and worked as a translator with the Americans foraround4years. His mother, Mina, was his father’s second polygamous wife. After his father died, he and his mother and brother returned to Afghanistan to ask for their portion of his father’s possessions but were attacked by his older stepbrothers. Gulyar and Mina were badly beaten in the attack and his older brother was killed. They escaped to Turkey, but they were found by his stepbrothers and began to receive threats. Gulyar and his mother fled to Greece.
Mina and Gulyar were first taken to the Morea Refugee Camp on Lesvos Island, where they were treated as if they were criminals. Nonetheless, Gulyar worked as a site manager at the camp for two NGOs, EuroRelief and Samaritan Press. Upon receiving travel papers, Gulyar and Mina later traveled to the Oinofyta Refugee Camp in Greece, where they were living at the time of their interview.
Gulyar doesn’t see a great difference in his life now than from life in Afghanistan. At least in Afghanistan he had a job and could work, but now he has nothing and wishes he could do and contribute more.
Document Type
Interview
Interview Date
6-30-2016
Interview Location
Greece
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