One small way to help Afghanistan

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Copied from a FB post

Tonight not tomorrow tonight we desperately need the help of each and everyone.

Practical action please can everyone tweet Boris Johnson and your own mp and post on their facebook pages and instragrams with #Nowzad animal shelter Afghanistan, save its staff from certain death.

For those who don’t know Nowzad set up the first ever animal shelter in Afghanistan its has dogs, cats and even donkeys. It was set up by former royal marine Pen Farthing. It trains young women and has trained 500 young vets since it started. They will be seen as British collaborators and face certain death and for the women worse, if the 25 staff and their families are not got to the safety of the UK. Please act now as they Nowzad did for the Afghan people and our troops. Tomorrow is too late it has to tonight.

I can't believe how much bile there is on this thread. It seems to me that but for his "noise", those (68 I think?) staff would have had no route out of the country. The government told him to leave on his own, as a UK passport holder, but what kind of person would abandon the people who he's lived and worked with for the last ten years?!

Other PPs are correct that the animals are a vehicle for the people. Even if he doesn't get his dogs and cats out, those (68?) people and their families now have a much better hope than the zero chance they had before. He should be applauded, not denigrated by all the armchair judges on here.

[quote Kendodd]**@Motherdare

You sound exactly like some of the people I've heard jumping up and down shouting "they're not coming here, were full up".

Can't you people see, this isn't about the animals, it's about the 200+ people attached to the shelter. The animals are a shield to try to get them out under. People are soft as fuck about animals and want to save them, this generates all sorts of publicity putting pressure on government to act, if they can get the animals out, that means they have a chance to get the people out. PF is a hero, he has a way out but is staying, risking his own life to try to get his staff to safety, and he's a fucking genius using the animals this way, I really hope he can pull this off.[/quote]
I agree. I cant believe people are being so vile when they are still in the danger zone too.

As for pp saying he should have evacuated in April. Really? What do you think the chances Priti Patel would have given visas to a bunch of Afghans and their families because they work in an animal shelter? Genuine question.

The government told him to leave on his own, as a UK passport holder, but what kind of person would abandon the people who he's lived and worked with for the last ten years?!
Hand on heart, if I was him I probably would have been so scared of the Taliban I would have run for my life and saved myself. I don't think I'd be nearly brave enough to do what he's doing. I just pray he's successful, I do fear it's too late though.

@Kendodd

As for pp saying he should have evacuated in April. Really? What do you think the chances Priti Patel would have given visas to a bunch of Afghans and their families because they work in an animal shelter? Genuine question.

Fair point…probably none…

And I that point I certainly hope all those Afghans out who had connections with HMGov/HM Forces get on evac flights before anyone with more tenuous connections.

what kind of person would abandon the people who he's lived and worked with for the last ten years

Most of the people on the evacuation flights!! Don’t be so naive. Many people leave everything behind when they flee to another country.

What do you think the chances Priti Patel would have given visas to a bunch of Afghans and their families because they work in an animal shelter

Why are they more in need of asylum than anyone else?

@Motherdare

what kind of person would abandon the people who he's lived and worked with for the last ten years

Most of the people on the evacuation flights!! Don’t be so naive. Many people leave everything behind when they flee to another country.

Well exactly, so surely all the more reason for him to be praised rather than criticised!

@snowballer I agree. I've found some of the comments very difficult to read. None of us are stuck in Afghanistan. The stress and agonising strain the Nowzad team are under must be unbearable. As it must be for anyone desperately trying to get out of Afghanistan.
I don't understand how anyone could have anything other than compassion. PF has been selfless, not selfish. Looking out for his staff, the animals, and many other innocent Afghans, including children, instead of just himself.
I'm here, safe in the UK. I dare not criticise or judge anyone living through the horror we're all observing from a safe distance

Why are they more in need of asylum than anyone else?

Unfortunately giving asylum to to anything more than a tiny number will be massively unpopular with supporters of this government. Theres a reason why the Tories are so popular and it's not for their big hearts.

@JaniieJones

'As for the foreign office, I wouldn't trust any govt department, especially not one with the Tories in charge of it. They're a bunch of lying, manipulating, conniving bar stewards.'*

The bunch of 'lying manipulative conniving bar stewards' seem to have been working tirelessly to get it all sorted, I really hope the people all get out today the situation is getting desperate the footage from the airport is so distressing. I just hope we don't have Pen Farthing on TV all next week playing the hero. The government and military staff deserve all the praise if they pull this off, not him.

I just hope we don't have Pen Farthing on TV all next week playing the hero.

Urgh. I hope we DO. Because if we do, that means he's been successful, and been instrumental in saving the lives of a huge amount of people. It's mind boggling how bitter this view is; it's like you want him to fail just so you can say "I told you so".

@Motherdare

What do you think the chances Priti Patel would have given visas to a bunch of Afghans and their families because they work in an animal shelter

Why are they more in need of asylum than anyone else?

Perhaps you'd share your expertise on what the order of priority is?

From some of your posts, I'd guess it is:

1. British people/people who have directly benefitted British people; and
2. That's it.

@Motherdare

What do you think the chances Priti Patel would have given visas to a bunch of Afghans and their families because they work in an animal shelter

Why are they more in need of asylum than anyone else?

I understand his loyalty to his staff but that question has been raised elsewhere.

If it’s considered that those working for “bog standard” UK civilians in Afghanistan are at equal or more risk of reprisals than those who have worked for governments, military or the larger NGOs then maybe there is logic in giving animal shelter workers them some priority over the other poor sods stuck in a drainage ditch outside the airport.

If that is not the case then ?

poor sods stuck in a drainage ditch outside the airport.

I'd take them as well.
I'd put people in the hold if possible, anything just to get as many people as possible out. Unfortunately this wouldn't be as photogenic on the news as the animal shelter people and voters wouldn't like it.

Unfortunately giving asylum to to anything more than a tiny number will be massively unpopular with supporters of this government. Theres a reason why the Tories are so popular and it's not for their big hearts.

I even saw a tweet that basically said 'Why should we make an effort for Pen Farthing? He chose to go to Afghanistan to be paid, and to open an animal shelter there instead of here, in the UK.' This was a reply to a tweet by the Home Office (I had to come off because I value my blood pressure).

'Urgh. I hope we DO. Because if we do, that means he's been successful, and been instrumental in saving the lives of a huge amount of people. It's mind boggling how bitter this view is; it's like you want him to fail just so you can say "I told you so".'

Oh no sorry you misunderstand, I want him and his staff out obviously. It is so distressing seeing the desperate footage from the airport, however adding 100 animals in crates will make the situation worse. Time and staff will be spent on this situation instead of the people fleeing. The desperate people there have left everything behind yet here's 'ex marine' wanging on about animals. Both him and his staff always had permission to leave, perhaps if they'd focused on that paperwork not pets and strays they'd have been all out days ago. Like everything over there it is chaotic but he's left it to the last minute to get 100 dogs and cats out too.

Imagine if Johnson had a Tory pal in Kabul trying get his pets and strays home, the knuckle draggers on Twitter would be fummin. He has risked their lives and probably more on the ground stamping his feet about his strays so no, I don't want him on The OneShow, Sky news etc etc congratulating himself.

'Operation Ark' even the term is just so utterly inappropriate and again, tone deaf. Coming to a cinema near you in 2022..

adding 100 animals in crates will make the situation worse.

..and given how savvy we now know the Taliban and their friends can be pictures of the same on social media will be like PR gold for some….”look, this could have been you, but it wasn’t”

Whatever happens it might be STFU time for those in team “Pen” who actually know what is happening on the ground.

'Whatever happens it might be STFU time for those in team “Pen” who actually know what is happening on the ground.'

Yes. Iain McGill I'm looking at you -

'NOWZAD MISSION APPROVED Ben Wallace in climbdown over Nowzad. Op Ark approved. We won. They picked the wrong people to pick a fight with 🦙🦙🦡🦡🐶🐶💪💪💪'

'We won. They picked the wrong people to pick a fight with'. Animal emojis. Jesus just stfu and show some sensitivity for the many who haven't 'won'.

Surely 'we've got the go ahead many thanks to all involved, fingers crossed for the next stage' would have been more appropriate.

Both him and his staff always had permission to leave

This isn't true. He has always been able to leave; his staff not so much. That's been a much more recent development. His "wanging on" about the animals helped his cause in that department. It's ok to have different opinions but don't distort the facts.

Oh dear…, that really is very unnecessary...

I wonder how many of these keyboard warriors will be off to the recruiting office when this is all over…

My last post was in response to the Ian McGill comment….not snowballer’s.

@notimagain

My last post was in response to the Ian McGill comment….not snowballer’s.

I thought that too.

@notimagain

Oh dear…, that really is very unnecessary...

I wonder how many of these keyboard warriors will be off to the recruiting office when this is all over…

What is it with some people? "Knuckle draggers" "keyboards warriors"? There's a tendency amongst the Tories and their supporters to denigrate anyone who does the right thing, or supports other people doing that.

Neither you nor Janiie's posts present you in a favourable light. What, exactly is your aim here? Apart from denigrating those trying to help others?