Afghanistan girls soccer team given asylum in Portugal

[TheProle]

Source: Associated Press

“They left their homes and left everything behind,” Farkhunda Muhtaj, the captain of the Afghanistan women’s national team who from her home in Canada had spent the last few weeks communicating with the girls and working to help arrange their rescue, told The Associated Press. “They can’t fathom that they’re out of Afghanistan.”

Since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the girls, ages 14-16, and their families, had been trying to leave, fearing what their lives might become like under the Taliban — not just because women and girls are forbidden to play sports, but because they were advocates for girls and active members of their communities.

Late Sunday, they landed in Lisbon, Portugal.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/soccer-immigration-sports-portugal-professional-soccer-b2097da4ac6ba491b31fffc2431091d3

[Lovie777]

1. YES ...

[PoliticAverse]

2. Best wishes to them! n/t

[iluvtennis]

3. Ditto. n/t

[Hortensis]

4. The Taliban seemingly let the entire team go with some of their family members.

The rescue mission, called Operation Soccer Balls, was coordinated with the Taliban through an international coalition of former U.S. military and intelligence officials, U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, U.S. allies, and humanitarian groups, said Nic McKinley, a CIA and Air Force veteran who founded Dallas-based DeliverFund, a nonprofit that’s secured housing for 50 Afghan families.

“This all had to happen very, very quickly. Our contact on the ground told us that we had a window of about three hours,” said McKinley. “Time was very much of the essence.”

Forbes: The group of 80 included the 26 players, aged between 14 and 16, and their family members. They had been trying to leave Afghanistan for weeks unsuccessfully ... .

[brer cat]

5. That is great news!

I hope they find happiness and peace in their new home.

[totodeinhere]

6. That's good news. I wish the girls well.

And this helps make a good point. We are hearing cries from right wingers that we should not be taking in Afghan refugees and they should go somewhere else. Well, in truth Afghan refugees are being settled in many countries and not just our own. Canada is taking in a large number of Afghans, for instance. All we need to to do is make sure we take in our fair share. And Haitian refugees should be treated fairly also.

[Fla Dem]

7. Glad their families were able to leave with them.

All I heard on the news was that the girls escaped, nothing about the families. So relived for this news. Thank you.

[niyad]

8. This is wonderful news. Does anybody know what has happened to the Afghan Girls AI

Robotics team? I understood that only some had gotten out.

[drray23]

9. Some landed in Qatar. The rest of the team ended up in Mexico.

https://www.reuters.com/world/afghan-all-girl-robotics-team-members-land-mexico-2021-08-25/

Some american universities have also offered them full scholarship but I can't find the reference to that at the moment.

[niyad]

10. So they are all out? That is a relief.