Weddings bring people together, and that’s exactly what happened for Safi Rauf and Sammi Cannold. In Glenwood, Iowa, the two combined their Muslim and Jewish cultures for life.
“People had different beliefs and different backgrounds, but none of that mattered that day,” said Blaine Muhle, owner of the Fountains Ballroom, where the wedding took place.
Humanitarian efforts lead to love
The story of the two began in August 2021, when Rauf founded the Human First Coalition to help Afghans evacuate following the Taliban takeover of Kabul.
At the same time, Cannold was trying to help a friend evacuate her family, the New York Times reported. She flew from New York to Washington to volunteer for Kauf’s organization because he said it was her best chance to get help. On an early morning walk after they had relocated hundreds of Afghans, the two said that in another world, this would be a really strange first date.
They were a couple in October, they told the Times.
Communication in captivity
In December, Rauf traveled to Kabul to work with his team and was assured of protection by the Taliban, according to the New York Times.
But on the morning of December 18, Taliban members rounded up Rauf, his brothers and his team. They took away their phones, put them in a basement and separated them for several days. For the first two weeks, no one knew where Rauf’s group was.
Cannold told the New York Times that she did not know he was dead at the time. Twenty-five days into his captivity, Rauf sent Cannold a text message. They then spoke on the phone for four minutes. During his 100 days in captivity, the couple spoke for hours on a smuggled phone.
“Their love showed strength and resilience,” says the venue owner
The two wasted no time and moved in together immediately, the New York Times reported. A year after his release, Rauf proposed to Cannold with a ring containing a piece of metal from the lock on his prison cell door.
Their wedding took place in July at the Fountains Ballroom in Glenwood, about 25 miles from Omaha, where Rauf’s family now lives.
“At every wedding we witness a bond of love, but this wedding was so much more than that,” Muhle said. “In a world where we need it most, their love showed strength and resilience. That’s what makes their story so remarkable.”
The Fountains Ballroom was fortunate to be part of their wedding, which was unique in every way, from the chuppah and the stage to the dancing and the wardrobe, Muhle said. About 350 people attended, she said, and the couple were married by Haji Abdul Rauf, Rauf’s father.
Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @VictoriaReynaR.
