Afghan evacuees mark first US Ramadan with gratitude, agony

By GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO and MARIAM FAM
The Associated Press

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (AP) — Afghan families evacuated to the United States when the Taliban regained power are celebrating the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. They are doing so with gratitude for their safety, but also the agony of knowing their relatives back home are still in harm’s way. Ramadan is a time of fasting, worship and togetherness with family and friends. But for those rebuilding their lives in the U.S., the holiday is bewildering and bittersweet knowing their loved ones are still under the repressive Taliban regime. Most fled because working with Americans during the war made them Taliban targets. But in the chaotic withdrawal, they left behind close-knit families and their cheerful, prayerful feasts.