[This is the latest in a series of confidential conversations I am having with a friend in Afghanistan about life under Taliban rule. I am protecting his identity for his safety.]
Dear David:
For most of us in Afghanistan, life under the Taliban entails regular violations of our human rights and efforts to control our private lives.
Men are forced to grow beards and wear turbans or hats at all times. A friend of mine said that a Talib slapped him in the face recently simply because he had closely cut his hair on the sides, a style popular here with young men.
Another friend was slapped in the face for wearing a hair bow, which is also popular here.
But the situation for women is even worse. Not only are they deprived of their right to an education, they can barely go anywhere or do anything on their own.
The Taliban have ordered shopkeepers to refuse to sell anything to women who have not covered their faces, and the shopkeepers must not allow women to enter the shop, even when they are veiled. The shopkeeper is only allowed to sell goods to women outside of the shop. Shopkeepers who violate these rules are arrested.
While all of this is happening we are enduring a severe drought. Fully 80 percent of Afghans are engaged in agriculture and livestock, where the impact of the drought is felt most deeply. But as the prices of food are rising, everybody is feeling the pain.
Is it any wonder why so many of us dream of getting out of this place? For too many of us, it has become a living hell.
TODAY’s NEWS:
The Slime Machine Targeting Dozens of Biden Nominees — In an escalation of partisan warfare, a little-known dark-money group is trying to thwart the President’s entire slate. (New Yorker)
The Danger More Republicans Should Be Talking About — White-supremacist ideology is harmful to all, especially the naive and defenseless minds of youth. (Atlantic)
Kyiv arms plant hit by Russia may have made missiles that sank Moskva (Guardian)
Russia hits Kyiv, Lviv and presses offensive in ruins of Mariupol (Reuters)
‘Neptune’ missile strike shows strength of Ukraine’s homegrown weapons (WP)
Ukraine war far from over as Russia renews strikes in Kyiv (AP)
Girding for New Battle, Russia Warns U.S. on Advanced Weapons for Ukraine (NYT)
‘I feel so lost’: The elderly in Ukraine, left behind, mourn (AP)
War in Ukraine generates interest in nuclear energy, despite danger (WP)
US Army using lessons from Ukraine war to aid own training (AP)
As Ukraine investigates Russian war crimes, the U.S. and EU allies offer assistance (NPR)
Clearing the deadly litter of unexploded Russian bombs in Ukraine (WP)
Several Million Seen Staying Out of Labor Force Indefinitely (WSJ)
U.S. arrests 210,000 migrants at Mexico border in March, rivaling record highs (Reuters)
Tanzania’s First Female President Wants to Bring Her Nation in From the Cold (NYT)
5,000 under evacuation orders as New Mexico wildfire rages (AP)
Taliban authorities summon Pakistani envoy to protest military strikes. (Reuters)
Decade-High Mortgage Rates Pose Threat to Spring Housing Market (WSJ)
New, highly transmissible forms of omicron may pose latest covid threat (WP)
U.S. Offers Protection to People Who Fled War in Cameroon (NYT)
The Pandemic Was Supposed to Push All Shopping Online. It Didn’t. (WSJ)
Experts are predicting a summer of travel chaos. Here's why (CNN)
Americans shrug off latest rise in Covid cases (Financial Times)
Four planets will line up in the sky this month. Here’s how to spot them. (NBC)
Study: ‘Truly Being Seen’ Still Ranks Among Worst Possible Experiences In Human Existence (The Onion)
No comments:
Post a Comment