Raft Amad

What is Raft Amad?

One of my most mutually blessed relationships seems to be with an Afghan family of three: two educated parents, Rustam and Fatemeh, and their four year old son, Arsalan. We frequently have meals with each other, Fatemeh and I have hiked together; they are like brother and sister to me. One evening of being a dinner guest in their apartment, I asked about a phrase I had heard in Dari, the native Afghan tongue.
“What does the term ‘Raft Amad’ mean to you?” I asked my friends.  Ever since I heard this term in a book, I wondered if that was a good definition for what I was aiming to build within the community. They reinforced the previous meaning I had heard- neighborly relationships, the freedom to come and go from each other’s homes, a transparent and honest place of friendship.

Next thing I knew, they said, “We want to develop Raft Amad with you, Emily.” And that’s exactly what we have done. That was our first time sharing a meal and some discussion on the carpeted floor of one of our homes, and it has not been the last.

Peace-making and bridge-building through intentional, deeper relationships is our mantra. Raft Amad exists as Community-Centered Initiatives paving the way for mutually caring and honest relationships across the borders of different faiths. Sharing life, sharing homes, meals, fellowship and community. Many are motivated by the love that the Honorable Jesus Messiah modeled. Through community, the aim of Raft Amad is to learn from, live alongside and authentically love our neighbors– particularly those neighbors whose faiths and cultures may vary from one’s own.

Stories are the best explanations. Read about what Raft Amad looks like in the community by clicking here.