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A trailblazing female Afghan Air Force pilot has been granted asylum in the United States after a tense 16-month wait for the Trump administration to make a decision on her case.
Captain Niloofar Rahmani, 26, joined the Afghan Air Force in 2012.
Inspired and encouraged by her father, she became the first female fixed-wing pilot in a country that is considered to be one of the most dangerous in the world for women.
While attending a training course in the US in 2016, she applied for asylum, citing death threats against her and her family.
The Afghan Government responded by calling her a liar.
"We're very thrilled this has happened," Kimberley Motley, Captain Rahmani's lawyer, told the ABC.
Captain Rahmani had urged the Obama Administration to grant her asylum before Donald Trump took office, fearing his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the US would affect her case.
When asked on CNN about Captain Rahmani and her efforts fighting extremism as part of the Afghan Air Force, then-presidential candidate Mr Trump said he did not know who she was and went on to speak about the dangers of Islamic extremism.
"It's been very nerve-racking to be honest," Ms Motley said.
"Because of the changes in immigration in the US and, frankly, a lot less people are being granted asylum in the US than back under the Obama Administration — so it has been very stressful for her."
Captain Rahmani found out the good news on the same day three suicide bomb attacks killed at least 25 people in Afghanistan, including 11 children and nine journalists.
"She is always concerned about her family. She just wants to make sure her family remains to be safe because they are in Afghanistan but overall she is happy she has been granted asylum," Ms Motley said.
After being unable to find work while awaiting her asylum application, Captain Rahmani is now looking forward to getting a job flying in the US, according to Ms Motley.
"She is focused on her dream — she is a young lady, very intelligent, very motivated and very ambitious and so she is going to try to continue her dream of being a pilot," Ms Motley said.
"I think she is definitely a wonderful role model to Afghan women … a wonderful role model to women around the world and frankly to pilots around the world.
"She wants to continue to encourage other Afghan women to go into the field of aviation, she wants to support her Government where she can and she wants to continue to fly.
"Knowing her as I do, she will make her dreams come true."
Topics: women, air-force, immigration, afghanistan, united-states
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