Afghan interpreter, Bronze Star recipient and Cornell graduate Farid Ferdows ’21 will be speaking at Congregation L’Dor V’Dor on Wednesday in a lecture event that will also become available online.
Titled “A Tale of an Afghan Interpreter: A Conversation with Farid Ferdows.”, the event will be hosted by the Institute of Politics and Global Affairs at Cornell University, and will be moderated by former House representative and institute director, Steve Israel.
Fedrows began working for the United States Army as an interpreter in December of 2001 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Working closely with Chief Warrant Officer Tim Muller, Fedrows acquired a visa to study in the United States. In 2007, Fedrows enlisted in the US Army, where he was deployed six times to Afghanistan as a part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Two years later in 2009, Fedrows received a bronze star, which is awarded for heroic or meritorious achievement or service.
In the event, Ferdows will discuss the implications of the Biden Administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 31, 2021. Despite his family having now safely relocated to the U.S., Ferdows’ family had remained in Afghanistan at the time of the withdrawal. His discussion will offer perspective on how the withdrawal impacted men and women who supported the global war on terror in Afghanistan.
Ferdows enrolled in Cornell in 2017 where he pursued a degree in Government and Near Eastern Studies, graduating in 2021.
The talk will be held in the Congregation L’dor V’dor in Oyster Bay, Long Island. Those wishing to submit questions to the moderator or receive a copy of the recording can register online.