When Jeromie Whalen heard that former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil was detained by federal agents in New York, he looked at a picture Khalil had taken at Evergreen — “a little bar in the heart of Beirut that we had frequented after long days teaching refugee children,” Whalen writes in #GlobeOpinion.
In 2018, Whalen and Khalil spent several weeks together in Lebanon as volunteers helping to educate children displaced by the war in Syria. “Coming back to Beirut at night, we would sit in Evergreen, play darts, and reflect on our experiences. This is where I got to know Khalil and learned about his life, his leadership, and his dreams.”
“I can attest that Khalil embodies the core values of the American spirit far more than Trump or his lackeys in this administration,” says Whalen.
“I witnessed firsthand how his dedication and empathy toward the children we taught reflected the true strength of his character. That is the same man I’ve stayed in touch with ever since.” Read the full op-ed at the link in our bio.
Jeromie Whalen
