Khalid Dada speaks on the South Oval to raise awareness of current events in Afghanistan, calling on the U.S. government to allocate resources to Afghan refugees. Credit: Jessica Orozco | Asst. Campus Editor

Ohio State student Khalid Dada said he has heard pleas for help from his relatives who reside in Afghanistan, and it has been heartbreaking. 

Dada, a third-year in public policy, and his cousin Hajira Dada, a second-year in international business, said their family in Afghanistan are devastated and trying to escape the country, to no avail. 

“I grew so much love for [Afghanistan]; it was just so beautiful,” Khalid Dada said. “Being in a Third World country, you really humble yourself and see what you have compared to what they have.” 

The Taliban seized Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, Aug. 15 after 20 years of war between the group, the U.S. and Afghan forces, according to the Associated Press.

President Joe Biden announced April 13 he would withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, pulling all air support, intelligence and contractors who serviced the country’s planes and helicopters.

Since the Taliban took over, thousands of Afghan citizens have attempted to flee the country and some have been trampled in crowds near the Kabul airport, according to the New York Times. 

Khalid Dada has visited family in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, multiple times. He said he felt safe there, even with constant military presence, and that the village was wonderful, green and filled with farm animals. 

“You would see the military,” Khalid Dada said. “It was the reality they were living in. They couldn’t get out or do anything about it, they just had to adapt to living there.” 

Hajira Dada said before the Taliban took over, women were able to go shopping, go to parks or get ice cream –– activities they are no longer able to partake in freely.  Khalid Dada said he learned about the squashed progress toward gender equality after speaking to female relatives about the situation. 

“They were telling me to imagine myself in their shoes. There was 20 years of progress made for girls and women after there was finally democratic ruling in Afghanistan,” Khalid Dada said. “They were finally able to go to school and work, find a passion and a career, and now they feel like it’s all been taken away. There’s so much uncertainty.” 

Khalid Dada is the co-founder of a nonprofit organization called the Hidayah Institute, an organization supporting Afghans. He also held a rally on the South Oval Aug. 21 demanding that Biden ensure the safety of those trying to leave the country.

“It’s been difficult, but I have made Afghanistan my number one priority,” Khalid Dada said. “I’m just hoping something good comes of it, because right now I just feel hopeless.” 

Hajira Dada said both her and Khalid Dada’s families are experiencing some feelings of guilt with family members still residing in Afghanistan –– especially as they reach out for assistance. 

“I am heartbroken. I’ve been receiving calls and texts and they’re getting more and more horrible. ‘We don’t know what’s happening. We can’t work. Can you send us money?’ It’s gotten to them pleading to us to get them out,” Khalid Dada said. “I’ve had to literally block numbers because I can’t take it anymore.”

The Dada cousins have family members who applied for Special Immigrant Visas in the hopes of coming to the U.S. Both said they do not believe the Biden administration is ensuring adequate safety within and around airports in Afghanistan to get people to the U.S.

Khalid Dada said he has spoken with officials and media outlets, telling his story in an attempt to help his family. 

“You feel hopeless at this point,” Khalid Dada said. “It’s nearly impossible to get help for people unless they’re willing to risk their lives to come to America.”