Strangers
Welcome

HARRY KIRSBAUM

Sta Writer

xcept for the part about the
black hoods, Avdullah
Fazliu's story could have
come out of the mouth of a
Holocaust survivor.
But now, staying with volunteer
hosts in the Detroit area and moving
into an apartment by week's end,
Kosovar refugee Fazliu and his family
have found safety.
Sitting in a small conference room at
h,„
Jewish Family Service in Southfield
this week, staff members and
interpreters went over govern-
ment forms and gave the
family Social Security
cards. Fazliu's 4-year-old
son Valdrin fidgeted in
his mother's lap; his
son Leuart, 11, and
daughter Leutrime,
8, sat quietly in
their chairs.
Weeks after
being hit in the face
by a rifle butt by a
Serbian paramilitary
member, his left eye
is still swollen shut. It
is the only physical scar
in his family.

Fazliu spoke of his recent past, his
future, and gave his impressions of
America and the kindness of strangers.
On March 23 of this year, the
Fazlius spent their last day in their
home in Pristina. Avdullah had
returned from his newspaper and mag-
azine shop at 4 p.m. and was in the
midst of dinner with his wife, three
small children and parents when four
men wearing uniforms and black
hoods, holding guns, burst through
the door and gave them 10 minutes to
leave.
His parents decided to remain near-
by to look after the house. It was the
last time Fazliu saw them. As he left
the city, he saw tanks and armored
personnel carriers entering.
After a two-week trek to safety, the
family stayed for months in a refugee
camp in Macedonia before coming to
America.
After three weeks in Detroit, Fazliu
has seen not only a wealth of material
possessions but, more importantly, a
respect for laws and people that is a
stark contrast to the Balkans.
"Things work," he said. "There's a
certain civility here."
The situation is not good back
home. He has applied to the Red
Cross to find out what happened to
his parents and sister. His wife's family

A refugee family
from Kosovo
gets help from
Jewish agencies here.

Top: U.S. Sen. Carl Levin and U.S. Rep.
Sander Levin chat with Kosovo refugees,
including Leuart and Leutrime Fazliu.

Above: Avdullah Fazliu talks of his
escape. Also pictured is his daughter
Leutrime, 8, and son Leuart,11.

6111
1999
10 Detroit Jewish News

