First female Afghan air force pilot seeks asylum in the U.S. — here’s why

Capt. Niloofar Rahmani, the first female fixed-wing pilot in Afghanistan, is requesting asylum in the U.S., the Afghan defense ministry announced Monday. The pilot made the request after allegedly receiving death threats from hard-line radicals.

For the past 15 months, Rahmani, 25, has been training at airbases in Arkansas, Texas and Florida. She was slated to return to her home country last week, but voiced fears about doing so shortly before her departure.

Rahmani told the New York Times that "things are not changing" in Afghanistan, adding, "Things are getting worse and worse."

"I would love to fly for my country — that is what I always wanted to do. But I'm scared for my life," she told the Wall Street Journal last week.

Those comments, of course, drew the ire of leadership in the Middle Eastern nation.

"What she said in the U.S. was irresponsible and unexpected. She was meant to be a role model for other young Afghans, She has betrayed her country. It is a shame," Gen. Mohammad Radmanish, an Afghan defense ministry spokesman, told the Times, dismissing Rahmani's safety concerns.

He continued:

I am sure she lied by saying she was threatened just to win the asylum case. It is baseless that she claimed her life was at risk while serving in the Afghan Air Force.

Since Captain Rahmani's claim is new, we expect her to change her mind and return to her own country and continue serving as a pilot. We request from our American friends and government to reject her asylum case and send her back, because knowing the truth, Captain Rahmani's life isn't at risk at all.

The U.S. State Department recognized the female captain in 2015, when she was given the Women of Courage award, championing her as an example of success for women's rights in Afghanistan — a country historically hostile toward women.

Heather Higginbottom, U.S. deputy secretary of state for management and resources, praised Rahmani when she received the award:

Niloofar is now the first woman in her nation’s history to earn her flying wings on a fixed-wing plane. Afghans and people all around the world swelled with pride at her accomplishments, but many, including the Taliban and some members of her own extended family, were incensed. Niloofar received death threats and was forced to relocate several times. But she will not be intimidated and she will not be silenced.

Rahmani's request for asylum in the U.S. has not been received well in Afghanistan.

"Captain Rahmani's claim that she was harassed in the workplace is not true, because in the air force all the pilots and staff are well-educated and highly trained people," Col.  Ayan Khan, an Afghan Air Force pilot, said. "How can they harass their female colleague who serves along them?"

If the asylum us granted, Rahmani said she wants to continue flying, either as a commercial pilot or for the U.S. Air Force.