From a young age, he served as an Afghan interpreter for the US military, a role that would shape his future. Along the way, he met his wife and together they raised their four children, a testament to the resilience and strength of their family.
However, when the Afghanistan government collapsed in 2021 and the Taliban swiftly regained control of Kabul, Ahmad Yar and his family found themselves with no choice but to flee their homeland. After months of uncertainty and fear, they managed to escape Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and eventually arrived in the United States. It was a journey fraught with danger and uncertainty, but they held onto hope for a better future.
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Tragically, on July 3, Ahmad Yar's life was cut short when he was fatally shot while driving for Lyft in Washington, DC. It was a devastating end to a uniquely American story, one that embodied sacrifice, resilience, and the pursuit of a better life.
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Ahmad Yar's loved ones remember him as a selfless individual who dedicated himself to helping others. Matthew Butler, an Army Special Forces veteran who served alongside Ahmad Yar as his interpreter, recalled their first encounter when Ahmad Yar was just a young boy. Butler shared, "He'd been hanging out at this camp since he was 10 years old... At first, they just paid him to empty the trash or rake rocks. Ultimately, he taught himself English through association."
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Ahmad Yar's desire to come to the United States was initially thwarted by the fall of the Afghanistan government and the Taliban's takeover of Kabul. However, with the support of Butler and the veteran community, they mobilized resources to ensure Ahmad Yar's safe departure from the country. Butler described the intense communication and coordination efforts, saying, "We probably exchanged a couple hundred text messages a day for months. It was my full-time job, keeping him alive."
July 16, 2023
Ahmad Yar was not alone in his struggle to escape the Taliban's rule. Like many Afghan interpreters, his work for the US military put him at significant risk of being targeted by the Taliban. The US government requires interpreters like Ahmad Yar to apply for Special Immigrant Visas, which grant them the opportunity to immigrate to the United States. However, investigations by reputable news outlets, including the LA Times and CNN, revealed that the US State Department denied the applications of numerous Afghan interpreters who had served for years and received positive performance reviews, leaving them in grave danger.
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Jeramie Malone, a volunteer who played a crucial role in coordinating Ahmad Yar's escape and started a GoFundMe for his family after his tragic death, emphasized the danger Ahmad Yar faced due to the length and nature of his service. Despite his own perilous circumstances, Ahmad Yar remained committed to helping other Afghan families escape the clutches of the Taliban. Malone shared, "He worked really hard to get out, and he worked really hard to help other Afghans trying to get out... he wanted to do everything he could to help get people to safety."
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The process of escaping Afghanistan was arduous and took months for Ahmad Yar and his family, who had to constantly move between safe houses while awaiting evacuation. Amidst the chaos, Ahmad Yar's wife was also pregnant with their fourth child, adding to the challenges they faced.
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As Ahmad Yar's friend, Butler expressed his hope that his family would honor his memory by turning their lives around and embodying the qualities that defined him: sacrifice, love, care, and happiness. Ahmad Yar's legacy serves as a reminder of the countless individuals who risked everything to seek a better life and the challenges they faced along the way.
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