Are Afghan Interpreters Being Targeted in America?

A Cross Post from American Grit

(GCV Note: We have permission from Jill Butler to cross-post her article in American Grit)

Lt. Col. Adrian Donahoe, Security Force Assistance team No. 1 commander, and his interpreter speak to the Alingar police chief during a visit to the district center July 25. Afghan and coalition forces traveled to Alingar District, Laghman province, to speak to the chief of police, and to offer the ANP hands on training running mounted combat patrols. Security Force Assistance teams travel to local ANP police stations to ensure they are up to standard and operating correctly (Staff Sergeant Ryan Crane)

Within a span of days, two former Afghan interpreters were stabbed by fellow Afghans on American soil. One did not survive. These attacks coinciding with religious holidays, the killings and “disappearances” at the hands of the Taliban of those who aided Americans, a revival of radicalization in Afghanistan, and key details pertaining to the cases raise the question: were these attacks acts of targeted political violence?

‍ On the evening of March 26th, one of the final days of Ramadan, 34-year-old Abdul Rahman Niazi was in his Houston, Texas office working on immigration paperwork with 37-year-old Masiullah Sahil. In his native Afghanistan, Rahman served as an interpreter for the United States Army during the Global War on Terror. It was at this time that he lost both of his legs to a suicide bomber. Upon the United States withdrawal, he was relocated by the government to Houston, where he opened up a business aiding fellow Afghan immigrants with their taxes and immigration papers.

‍When the father of five children under the age of 10 did not return home from work, his wife began to worry. When she called his office, Sahil answered the phone and stated that he sent her husband to the afterlife. One of his sons was on the line and heard this. When the police arrived, they found Niazi dead with at least 20 stab wounds, primarily in his abdomen. Sahil admitted to the crime and was subsequently arrested.

‍Abdul Niazi was known to be a patriot, family man, and upstanding community member. He had an active social media presence on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, which he utilized to connect with the Afghan diaspora. His family’s GoFundMe reads: “With shattered hearts, we share the tragic loss of Abdul Rahman Niazi, who was brutally murdered on March 26, 2025, while he was fasting. He was taken from us in his own office—the very place where he dedicated his life to serving others. Niazi was more than a man; he was a pillar of our community. With kindness, integrity, and unwavering loyalty, he devoted his life to helping Afghan refugees in Houston, ensuring they found safety, support, and hope.” Sahil has been arrested and is being held on a $750,000 bail. There is little publicly available information on the perpetrator. Allegedly, he worked as an Uber driver, bringing in $3,000 per month. According to a now-unaccessible affidavit, he is categorized as having “special needs” and “mental health issues”. Investigators claim that Sahil stabbed Niazi out of frustration over his status as a refugee.

‍I had the privilege to speak with the second victim, Ahmadullah (full name withheld out of concern for his family’s safety), of Lancaster, Pennsylvania after surviving his attack. During the war, Ahmadullah worked as an interpreter for both the Marines and an ODA team. He also led a peace movement where he was publicly critical of Pakistani funding of terrorist groups. This resulted in an attempted assassination with an IED. After NATO forces withdrew from Afghanistan, Ahmadullah and his family went into hiding for two months. On October 7th, 2021, special forces evacuated them to Qatar. By November 2nd, A and his family arrived in New Jersey. By November 28th, they arrived in Lancaster, PA where they laid down roots. It was his hope that Lancaster would be a place where he could raise his daughters without fearing violence like he did in Afghanistan. Ahmadullah began working with produce, then as a dietary supervisor, and eventually worked his way up to refugee resettlement.

‍On March 28th, Ahmadullah was outside of his local mosque when a man began to shout and curse at him. Not wanting to read into it, he went to Aldi for groceries before returning home to his family. The next day, he was at a friend’s house in Providence, PA when the man showed up at his friend’s property and attempted to begin an altercation. Not wanting the situation to escalate, he went in his car and drove home to Lancaster. At this point, the man began to send him obscene messages about his mother, wife, and sister via WhatsApp. He also told him that he would fight him if he was not a coward. A believed that the individual was trying to provoke him, and subsequently contacted the Lancaster, Providence, and state police.

‍On March 30th, the holiday of Eid, Ahmadullah was at the local mosque. The perpetrator, now known to be Arif Abdul Rashid attacked him from behind, and attempted to stab him in the heart, while declaring, “American spy, I’m going to kill you now.” He then went for his stomach, but Ahmadullah pushed his hands down, resulting in him being stabbed in the legs four times. A fellow interpreter attempted to disarm Rashid, resulting in him being stabbed in the shoulder. After a group of fellow interpreters intervened, the assailant ran across the street, shouting, “next time, I am going to kill you.” Due to the amount of blood that he lost, Ahmadullah was rushed to the hospital. While at the hospital, the only thought on his mind was the safety of his wife and daughters, until he finally received the news that the perpetrator had been apprehended. Ahmadullah is recovering and the trial against Rashid will commence on the 22nd.

Though born in Afghanistan, Rashid grew up in Quetta and Karachi, Pakistan before immigrating to America 13 years ago. His brother recently arrived in America. Ahmadullah believes that Rashid’s brother called for the attack. He told me: “this was a planned ambush.” After immigrating to America, Ahmadullah continued to publicly speak out about Pakistan funding terror groups. In mid-March, a Pakistani envoy was denied entry to America over immigration concerns. On March 25th, Ahmadullah shared a post to his Facebook, voicing his support for this decision. Due to his substantial Facebook following and the short span between this post and the confrontation, he believes it sparked the attack. A man who worked alongside Ahmadullah and participated in his evacuation introduced him to me as “an American hero in every sense of the word.” Ahmadullah continues to share his story of dedication to our country, survival despite an enemy only able to be described as true evil, and hope for his daughters to experience the freedom and opportunities that America has to offer. He will testify at the trial.

It is unclear whether these two cases are related. However, this would not be the first time that community leaders of a diaspora community have been targeted by the oppressive regime that they escaped.