11/30/2025
GARO Statement on the Shooting in Washington, D.C., A Call for Justice and Respect
On behalf of Grace Advocacy and Relief Organization (GARO), we express our deep sorrow and concern over the recent shooting of an Afghan individual in Washington, D.C. Our thoughts are with the victims, & their families
This tragic event must be recognized as the act of an individual not as a judgment upon an entire Afghan Nationals in the USA.. To cast blame or suspicion on all Afghans because of one person’s alleged act would be unjust, and contrary to the values this country stands for.
Under the laws of the United States, every person physically present in the country citizen or non-citizen is entitled to equal protection and due process. The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution safeguards “persons” from being denied life, liberty, or property without due process, and protects against discrimination under the law.
Moreover, many Afghans in the U.S. arrived seeking refuge from conflict and persecution. As part of the international legal framework protecting refugees and asylum seekers, the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees to which the United States is a party guarantee that refugees are to be treated with dignity, protected from discrimination, and granted fundamental rights including access to justice, non-discrimination, and the right to live and work without fear.
Moreover, many Afghans in the U.S. arrived seeking refuge from conflict and persecution. As part of the international legal framework protecting refugees and asylum seekers, the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees — to which the United States is a party guarantee that refugees are to be treated with dignity, protected from discrimination, and granted fundamental rights including access to justice, non-discrimination, and the right to live and work without fear.
Grace Advocacy Relief Organization GARO
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