[Note: This is the latest in a series of conversations I have been having with an Afghan friend since the Taliban took power in his country last year.]
***
Dear David:
Seven years ago, I had financial trouble and had to drop out of school for a year and go to Iran to find work. I went there legally, but when my visa expired, I stayed on.
Living and working in Iran was very difficult, but I had no choice. I worked in a stoneworks factory from 7 in the morning until 11 at night.
During my year in Iran, I did not go anywhere but to and from work because I was afraid that the police would arrest me and send me back to Afghanistan. My heart was pounding as I walked out of the factory every night. I was like a hunted animal that had escaped from a hunter, always afraid that the Iranian police would surprise me.
During the summer nights, I slept on the roof and pulled the ladder up behind me, because if the police came inside the house, they could not climb on the roof and arrest me.
Afghans do not have even the most basic rights in Iran. We do not have the right to education, or to vote or own a business, nor can we even buy a SIM card in our own name. There are Afghans who have lived in Iran for more than 50 years, and even fought for Iran, but the Iranian government has yet to issue a birth certificate for any of their children born there.
Nevertheless, since the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, many desperate Afghans have again been crossing the border to try and find work in Iran. In response, the Iranian government is arresting and deporting thousands of them back here daily.
Recently, I saw two videos of Afghan refugees living in Iran. The first shows five or six trucks loading Afghans like animals and taking them to the border to deport them. The second video shows an overturned truck with about 15 Afghans who were injured. In that video, the Iranian police gather around the accident scene and instead of helping the victims, they curse them and take pictures of them desperately crying for help.
Such is the fate of my countrymen when we escape the harsh conditions here to our large neighbor to the west. Why should we even try?
***
TODAY’s HEADLINES (45):
UNICEF to pay stipend to Afghan teachers as ’emergency support’ (Aljazeera)
If Joe Biden Doesn’t Change Course, Afghanistan Will Be His Worst Failure (NYT)
Americans nurtured Afghanistan’s economy. Now they’re gutting it. (WP)
Afghans Who Bet on Fast Path to the U.S. Are Facing a Closed Door (NYT)
Five Afghan women who refuse to be silenced (BBC)
This is the way the postwar world ends (Edit Bd/WP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin said separatist militias that control parts of eastern Ukraine should treat those regions, known as Donbas, as independent countries. After the televised address, Putin ordered Russian troops to the Ukrainian regions. “We are not afraid of anyone,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the nation after Russia recognized the separatist regions’ independence. [HuffPost]
Putin Orders Forces to Russia-Backed Ukraine Regions and Hints at Wider Military Aims — The moves by the Russian leader were his most blatant yet in a confrontation with the West that threatens to escalate into the biggest military action in Europe since World War II. (NYT)
White House wrestles with whether Russia has ‘invaded’ Ukraine (WP)
Ukraine may break off diplomatic relations with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz put on ice the certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline designed to bring Russian gas to Germany.
Russia faced the prospect of harsh new Western sanctions after President Vladimir Putin recognized two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine and ordered the deployment of troops there, deepening Western fears of a major war in Europe. (Reuters)
Ukraine crisis jolts Europe to push for secure energy supply (AP)
Putin’s distortion of Ukraine’s history lays ground for further operations (Financial Times)
I have signed an Executive Order to deny Russia the chance to profit from its blatant violations of international law. We are continuing to closely consult with Allies and partners, including Ukraine, on next steps. (Joe Biden/Twitter)
White House official: ‘This is the beginning of an invasion’ (Politico)
China is concerned about the "worsening" situation in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, repeating his call for all parties to show restraint and resolve differences through dialogue. Meanwhile, Syria said it supports Putin's recognition of Ukraine breakaway regions. (Reuters)
VIDEO: England Announces an End to Coronavirus Restrictions (AP)
A new World Health Organization study reported that even as COVID-19 cases are falling worldwide, the omicron subvariant BA.2 accounted for 21.5% of all new omicron cases analyzed worldwide in the first week of February. BA.2 appears to be more contagious than the current BA.1 strain, but its health impacts are still unclear. [HuffPost]
Got a Covid Booster? You Probably Won’t Need Another for a Long Time — A flurry of new studies suggest that several parts of the immune system can mount a sustained, potent response to any coronavirus variant. (NYT)
Hong Kong will roll out compulsory testing for COVID-19 starting in mid-March for its 7.4 million residents, leader Carrie Lam said, as university researchers predicted new infections could peak at a staggering 180,000 a day next month.. With more patients and fewer nurses, Hong Kong's medical frontline is buckling. (Reuters)
Supreme court rejects Trump’s request to block access to January 6 records (Guardian)
Supreme Court to decide web designer's duty to work on same-sex wedding site (Politico)
Big Tech Makes a Big Bet: Offices Are Still the Future — Even as they allow some employees to change how often they come into the office, tech companies are rapidly buying and leasing properties around the country. (NYT)
‘Stand your ground’ laws linked to 11% rise in U.S. firearm homicides, study says (WP)
‘Cattle, Cowboys and Crypto’: Wyoming Real Estate Opens to Crypto Investors (WSJ)
Oil prices are surging toward $100 a barrel. Here's what that means for you (NPR)
Saudi Arabia held celebrations to commemorate for the first time its foundation nearly 300 years ago, choosing a date that downplays the central role played by clerics from the ultra-conservative Wahhabi school of Islam. (Reuters)
How NFTs Can Move Beyond Arts and Entertainment — Nonfungible token have great potential in education and healthcare, and to drive social-impact efforts. (WSJ)
The recent disappearance of young mother Emmilee Risling has spotlighted an epidemic that has long disproportionately plagued Native Americans. The crisis over missing and murdered Indigenous women has spurred the Yurok Tribe to issue an emergency declaration and brought increased urgency to efforts to build California’s first database of such cases and regain sovereignty over key services. [AP]
Soot is accelerating snow melt in popular parts of Antarctica, study finds (NPR)
The One Group of People Americans Actually Trust on Climate Science
Local meteorologists are better positioned than anyone else to talk their communities through the facts about climate change. (Atlantic)
A supernova could light up the Milky Way at any time. Astronomers will be watching (Nature)
'Exceedingly rare' fossil of giant flying reptile discovered on Scottish island (CNN)
Yale’s Happiness Professor Says Anxiety Is Destroying Her Students (NYT)
Beekeepers using tracking devices to protect precious hives (AP)
The freaky world of never-ending fractals (BBC)
New iPhone Setting Reduces Eyestrain With Black Text On Identical Black Background (The Onion)
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