First Syrian refugees arriving in Louisville, KY; helped with grant from Islamic charity
Just as we have been discussing the testimony this past week by the FBI to the House Homeland Security Committee and how difficult it is to vet the thousands of Syrians in the UN’s pipeline to America, news is coming that the first Syrians are arriving.
This information about a Muslim charity giving grants for refugee resettlement is the first I have seen of this practice.
Head quartered in Alexandria, VA, Islamic Relief USA is not a rinkey-dink charity—in a recent Form 990 they reported $65 million in income in one year.
Here is a story from WAVE 3 News from Louisville after an intro about the Bosnian caseworker from Kentucky Refugee Ministries:
“We all came as refugees and now it’s about time for us to give back,” said Semsudin Haseljic.
Syrian refugees arriving in Louisville, KY on Friday. Looks like nutritional deprivation was not a concern for this family
He arrived in Louisville to get treatment when he lost both legs in the Bosnian war. “It was difficult at the beginning because I was here by myself,” Haseljic said. “I didn’t have any money, any clothes, any family members.”
Today, he’s a caseworker with Kentucky Refugee Ministries. The organization with the help of the Bosnian American Islamic Center, and thanks to a grant from Islamic Relief USA, is bringing a family fleeing civil war in Syria. “This is a young couple, a husband and wife, and two young children,” Haseljic said.
Mohammed Masmoom and his family have had a long journey, stretching many months and miles, but when asked about his emotions today, all he could talk about was his welcome.
“He feels great that he saw all these people welcome him in the airport,” said Miriam Jaleel, who translated for the family.
The family was taken to the apartment that’s been rented in their name for a welcome meal, and then a weekend to adjust and decompress.
On Monday, Kentucky Refugee Ministries will begin explaining the services [including welfare—ed] they can expect, the English classes they’ll take and the help they’ll get finding jobs. The goal is for them to be self-sufficient in five to eight months and then help other families that Refugee Ministries expects to arrive in [from?] Syria.
By the way, Louisville is a preferred resettlement site for the federal government. And, Kentucky is a Wilson-Fish state which means that Kentucky elected officials at the local and state level have no say in any of this—it is all done with federal contractors like Kentucky Refugee Ministries.
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