MADISON, Wis.–An update has been shared on a former World Council of Credit Unions employee in Afghanistan who escaped the Taliban with his family and relocated to Madison, Wis., where he initially worked for a credit union before going into business for himself.
Bashir Khan served as the CEO of the Islamic Investment & Finance Cooperatives Group, the CU trade association in that country, which was a direct member of the World Council of Credit Unions. Through its Rural Finance and Cooperative Development (RUFCOD) program, WOCCU worked on a number of finance and cooperative development programs from 2004-12 with local communities in the country as it sought to establish a national system of credit unions, known as Islamic Investment and Finance Cooperatives (IIFCs).
A Harrowing Escape
All of that ended when the U.S. exited and the Taliban took control. In a harrowing experience, Khan was at one point held captive by the Taliban before escaping to Pakistan with his family. He was finally able to travel 7,000 miles to the United States in 2023 with the assistance of the Wisconsin CU League and others, including Brian Branch, the former president of the World Council.
Khan was joined by his wife and five children.
What the Family is Up To
In an update shared by Branch, Khan has now helped another 16 families of credit union employees escape from Afghanistan to the U.S.
Branch said Khan’s wife, Bibi, has discontinued English lessons but is “very happy to see her family safe and excited about their future.”
Khan’s oldest son, Mohammad, 22, works part time to support the family and is studying cyber security at Madison College.
Daughter Somaya, will be 17 in August and has one more year of high \ school, and enjoys biology and loves American fast food.
Daughter Samira, 15, will attend high school this fall, and enjoys math.
Daughter Sara, 13, loves music.
Daughter, Adeel, 8, “has many friends and wants to be an airplane pilot,” Branch related.
“Bashir remembers when the girls were afraid to leave their house and suffered extreme depression under the Taliban,” which is no longer the case in the U.S., said Branch, who thanked everyone involved for making “good news happen.”
