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Interfaith welcome, mutual hospitality mark Meskhetian Turk resettlement
Ansar Rasulov and his wife, Manzura, with their sons, Dzhalil (left) and Khalil.
Photo: Aaron Tate
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By Carol Fouke-Mpoyo
It's a long way from Krasnodar, Russia, to the United States. So when the Rasulovs reached their new home in Houston, Texas, they were, understandably, tired. But a warm welcome revived this newly arrived Meskhetian Turk family.
"Several members of the Houston Turkish Association came with us to meet the Rasulov family, helped with translation, and accompanied us from the airport to the apartment," said Aaron Tate, Director of Refugee Ministries, Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston.
"We had food there for the family, as we always do. The Turkish Association also provided food a feast of food in the Turkish style. After dinner, my colleague and I did the housing orientation and left, expecting the Rasulovs would soon head off to bed."
"But the next day, the Rasulovs told us that the Turkish Association had invited them to the Turkish Center that evening, where they stayed until midnight, eating and dancing."
Houston is one of about two-dozen U.S. sites where the Church World Service Immigration and Refugee Program, its member denominations, and local affiliates are resettling Meskhetian Turks. These natives of Georgia's Meskhetia region have suffered forced displacement repeatedly over the past 60 years, first to Uzbekistan, then to Siberia. Now they find themselves persecuted in Krasnodar Krai, the southern Russian territory to which many had migrated.
The Meskhetian Turks constitute one of the largest groups of refugees to be resettled in the United States in 2005-6. Total numbers eventually could reach 18,000.
 Dr. Shahab Siddiqui, Noor Siddiqui, and Kaukah Fasidi, all from the Islamic Society of Western Maryland, meet with Akok Deng and Gary Graves in Hagerstown, Maryland. Photo: Carol Fouke-Mpoyo
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Interfaith Collaboration
Most Meskhetian Turks are Muslims, and interfaith collaboration marks this resettlement effort. In Knoxville, Tennessee, Church of the Savior United Church of Christ and the Anoor Mosque Muslim Community of Knoxville are co-sponsoring a family of nine.
Doing it together "gives us both courage," reported Rev. John Gill. "The mosque's Turkish-speaking members are providing translation." Housing, school enrollment, Social Security cards, and English tutoring all were arranged quickly. Next: the challenge of finding jobs. Family members' trades include floristry and veterinary medicine, and one was in medical school.
In Hagerstown, Maryland, the Islamic Society of Western Maryland is a partner with several Christian churches in welcoming Meskhetians.
Hagerstown Christians and Muslims already had joined with several other faith groups on forums, interfaith picnics, and construction of a Habitat for Humanity house, and were looking for their next joint social service project.
"I think we have it!" declared Rev. Don Stevenson of Christ's Reformed United Church of Christ, after Richard Cline, Director of the Virginia Council of Churches Refugee Resettlement Program, and UCC Refugee Ministries staff approached him about assisting the Meskhetians.
He phoned Dr. Shahab Siddiqui of the Islamic Society, which quickly agreed to join the resettlement effort. Together with representatives from Otterbein and John Wesley United Methodist churches, Trinity Lutheran and Hebron Mennonite churches, First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren, they organized the Hagerstown Interfaith Refugee Resettlement Committee.
Within three weeks of their first meeting, two Meskhetian families with more than 20 people had arrived. By late July, more than 50 people had arrived, with 50 more to come. "The sheer size of the group has been challenging," said Gary Graves from Christ's Reformed Church. "If we don't look at it as an opportunity, we will go crazy!"
Group members' past experience with refugee resettlement is helping. The Christ's Reformed and Beaver Creek congregations have co-sponsored 10 Byelorussian families over the past five years, and the Islamic Society of Western Maryland has helped resettle refugees from Kosovo, Bosnia, and Chechnya six families in all.
Committee members have made a rough division of responsibilities for housing, jobs, and transport, with all pitching in as needed. The Sealy Mattress Company has employed several Meskhetians.
Volunteers from The Islamic Society have focused on housing and on socialization, picking up Meskhetians for Muslim community gatherings, including weekly Friday potlucks. "Teens from our community babysit," said Dr. Siddiqui's wife, Noor. "Our 14-year-old daughter is helping the children with the alphabet and numbers."
Refugees and cosponsors alike singled out volunteer George Miller for special praise. He enrolls refugees in English classes through the Washington County Literacy Council, which he chairs, and has helped families look for jobs, apply for driver's licenses, and enroll their children in school. "George doesn't sleep," commented Gulnara Sulymanova, among recent Meskhetian arrivals. "He goes to his job, then comes straight here."
 Elise Johnson, a recent EHS graduate, and Dzhalil converse using an English-Russian dictionary. Photo: Aaron Tate
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Church, Community Support
In Harrisonburg, Virginia, reported Viktor Sokolyuk, Coordinator of the Virginia Council of Churches Refugee Resettlement Program there, Bridgewater Church of the Brethren is co-sponsoring two families. It provides transitional housing in a building it owns and uses only for resettling refugees.
Dean Neher chairs Bridgewater's refugee resettlement committee, which has helped about 50 families over the course of 30 years.
"Every family that comes has a story," he said. "The Meskhetians have told us about their problems with legal status, and how hard it was to get work." Here, they are getting on their feet with jobs in construction and meat packing.
PARA Refugee Services in Grand Rapids, Michigan, assigned its first two Meskhetian Turk families to experienced cosponsors, Westminster Presbyterian Church and Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). "They have good, steady relationships with the families without overwhelming them," said Jotham Ippel, Director.
Both Russian and Turkish speakers have been enlisted as translators. "The Russian speakers put us and the Meskhetians in contact with a Russian store we didn't know about and have pointed us to factories that employ Russian speakers," he said.
Turkish Associations
Ippel continued, "We have a really good connection with the Turkish community here. Many immigrated here 20 years ago. They've helped the new arrivals find jobs, introduced them to the local mosque, and warned them about ways you can get into trouble financially in the United States."
With congregational cosponsors, "a very eager Turkish community," and PARA staff all involved, "our challenge has been communication making sure each knows what the other is doing so that things dont get undone, or redone," Ippel said. "We spend lots of time coordinating."
In Indianapolis, Indiana, Exodus Refugee/Immigration, Inc., made a "cold call" to the Turkish Association in search of translators, said Mark Cassini, Indianapolis Office Director. "They've become more involved, counseling families in budgeting and job expectations, sharing personal stories, inviting them to picnics."
First Congregational Church in Indianapolis and St. Peter United Church of Christ in Carmel each is co-sponsoring a Meskhetian family.
"And we have volunteers from other churches," said Exodus Executive Director Steve Crane. "One church opened an English language lab, and another sends volunteers to teach English."
Meskhetians in Indianapolis have found jobs in restaurants, the textile industry, housekeeping, and construction.
Other community support has come from "a couple landlords who already had many Russian tenants and were open to Meskhetian Turks coming in," Crane said. "One apartment complex manager went door-to-door to tell the Meskhetians about an upcoming pool party. About two-thirds of the participants were Meskhetians."
Read more: Meskhetian Turks open their hearts and their homes
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