[NOTE: Today I’m publishing the latest in a series of conversations with a young Hazara friend who lives in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. This is the thirtieth such conversation (or letter) we have had since the Taliban took over his country last August. He writes in English; I edit. Also, I protect his identity because he is in severe danger for speaking out. To my knowledge no western journalists have republished or referenced any of our reports to date, which is disappointing. But we will continue.]
Dear David:
This has been a sad week in Afghanistan for those of us who are Hazara. On Tuesday, more than thirty students were killed and dozens injured in three different explosions in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood of Kabul. The first blast occurred at an education center and the other two at a high school.
These attacks took place near where my brother, several other relatives, and a number of friends live. As always when I hear such news I called my brother to make sure he was okay. He answered and told me that the hospitals were full, that they couldn't accept any more injured people, and that ambulance sirens were sounding on all sides.
But the Taliban try to suppress news of these events. They arrest and punish Aghan journalists who try to provide coverage of the bombings. Thus what Western journalists reported from the Taliban is that only six were killed and 20 wounded, but we know the actual figures were much higher.
I followed the news from Barchi all day on Twitter and Facebook. My heart ached when I read that one mother who had lost her husband in an explosion in 2016 and her daughter in another explosion in 2018 now had lost her son in one of these bombings. Another story told of a father who lost his three sons in these explosions.
Then on Thursday came more bad news. A new massive attack targeted Hazara worshipers in a mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif, where preliminary reports indicated that 48 people were killed and 67 wounded.
As Hazaras, losing our lives this way is our daily story. Furthermore, when we try to enter hospitals to identify our loved ones, the Taliban will not allow that. When we try, we are beaten.
As to who is behind these attacks, ISIS claims “credit” for them, but many of us believe it is the Taliban themselves. The Hazaras are Shia Moslems whereas most Taliban are Sunni. Also, the Hazaras have actively resisted the Taliban, who are dominated by Pashtuns, ever since the group emerged in the 1990s.
The bottom line is the Hazara people have been suffering from this systematic slaughter for years. While the United Nations sometimes condemns the attacks, the western world generally ignores them. We have tried to launch several Twitter campaigns arguing that these systematic killings should be officially labeled as genocide, but we have not gotten any response to our plea from the rest of the world.
Only silence.
***
Today’s News (60):
Experts call for support for evacuees from Afghanistan, other conflict areas (NHK)
Gul Makai Royeen never gave up hope her daughter would make it to the United States.Now living in the Bay Area, Royeen fled Afghanistan after the country fell to Taliban control last year. She was separated from her daughter Arian, who has an intellectual disability, in the chaos. For months, an international rescue mission has worked to evacuate Arian. And now, as Royeen’s family celebrates Ramadan, they are finally together again. Read more (SFC)
Death toll in Afghan mosque bombing rises to 33, Taliban say (AP)
Le Pen Closer Than Ever to the French Presidency (and to Putin) (NYT)
Marine Le Pen’s Far-Right French Party to Pay Nearly $13 Million to Russian Military Contractor (WSJ)
Macron and Le Pen in last-gasp appeal to French voters (Financial Times)
Why France's presidential election matters far beyond its borders (NPR)
Russia says it plans full control of Donbas and southern Ukraine (Reuters)
Ukraine Accuses Russia of Digging Mass Graves for Civilian Victims (WSJ)
Another possible mass grave with as many as 9,000 bodies is found near Mariupol (NPR)
Ukraine war could last to end of next year - Johnson (BBC)
Russian General Lets Slip a Secret Plan to Invade Another Country and Seize Ukraine’s Entire Coastline (Daily Beast)
The West can’t afford to neglect Moldova — because Putin won’t (WP)
In Obliterated Kharkiv, Ukrainian Survivors Struggle to Hold Out (WSJ)
Russia pressed its new offensive in eastern Ukraine, while in the port city of Mariupol teams of volunteers collected corpses from the ruins after Moscow declared victory there despite Ukrainian forces holding out. (Reuters)
Calling Off Steel Plant Assault, Putin Prematurely Claims Victory in Mariupol (NYT)
The mayor of Mariupol appealed for the "full evacuation" of the devastated southern Ukrainian city. Vadym Boichenko told Reuters that President Vladimir Putin alone can decide the fate of the civilians still trapped in Mariupol, scene of the worst humanitarian crisis of the war. (Reuters)
Kremlin spokesperson casts doubt on peace treaty talks (NHK)
White House brings on retired three-star general to help coordinate Ukraine assistance (CNN)
With sunken warship, Russian disinformation faces a test. (NYT)
Russia seeks to 'influence' Ukrainian economy with new phase; Mariupol still 'contested,' Pentagon says (USA Today)
Exhausted Mariupol survivors describe horrors they endured (WP)
NATO must avoid a direct military confrontation with Russia that could lead to a third world war, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in an interview with Der Spiegel when asked about Germany's failure to deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine. (Reuters)
Next Phase of War Will Be Pivotal for Russia and Ukraine, U.S. Says (NYT)
Trump says he threatened to not defend NATO against Russia (WP)
At least 31 Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, Palestinian medics said, the latest outbreak in a recent upsurge of violence at a site revered by Muslims and Jews alike. (Reuters)
Shanghai further tightens Covid restrictions after weeks of strict lockdown (Guardian)
Locked-down, Shanghai residents skirt censorship to vent online (WP)
China warned Shanghai's 25 million frazzled residents that their purgatory would go on until the COVID-19 virus was eradicated neighborhood by neighborhood. (Reuters)
Covid-19 was third leading cause of death in the United States in 2021, CDC reports (CNN)
‘Best therapeutic choice’: WHO backs Pfizer’s COVID antiviral (Al Jazeera)
Philadelphia is ending its indoor mask mandate, health officials said, reversing its decision just days after imposing the order. (Reuters)
Marjorie Taylor Greene testifying at hearing over whether she should be disqualified from running for reelection (CNN)
Stellar Devastation on a Massive Scale: Black Holes Destroy Thousands of Stars To Fuel Growth (SciTechDaily)
SpaceX signed its first deal with an air carrier to provide in-flight wireless internet using the Starlink satellite network, the space company said as it jockeys with other burgeoning satellite firms to put high-speed internet on commercial airlines. (Reuters)
Guns now leading cause of death among children and teenagers in US, data suggests (Sky)
Massive DNA study of human cancers offers new clues about their causes (Engadget)
Kentucky’s sweeping abortion law has been put on hold, for now. — A federal judge issued a temporary order yesterday blocking a law passed last week that had stopped all abortions across the state. (WP)
Crews brace for strong winds, explosive fire growth in West (AP)
Crypto Thieves Get Bolder by the Heist, Stealing Record Amounts (WSJ)
This weekend's Michigan GOP convention marks a key moment for election denialism (NPR)
‘I’ve Had It With This Guy’: G.O.P. Leaders Privately Blasted Trump After Jan. 6 (NYT)
Audio contradicts House minority leader’s claim that he did not push for Trump to resign (WP)
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy denied a New York Times report that he told other lawmakers he would call on then-President Donald Trump to resign in the days after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. But audio released shortly afterward shows otherwise. “The only discussion I would have with him is that I think [impeachment] will pass, and it would be my recommendation you resign,” he said in a Jan. 10, 2021, phone call with GOP leaders. [HuffPost]
Why Disney has its own government in Florida and what happens if that goes away (CNN)
Warner Bros. Discovery plans to shut down the streaming service CNN+ on April 30, just weeks after its widely advertised launch. The decision was made after CNN’s former parent company, WarnerMedia, merged with Discovery to form Warner Bros. Discovery. CEO David Zaslav has said that he wants to house all of the company’s brands, including Discovery+ and HBO Max, under one streaming service. [HuffPost]
How young people are taking action against climate change (NPR)
Climate change campaigners kicked off a wave of protests for Earth Day, pushing demands such as an immediate halt to European imports of Russian oil and gas and an end to building fossil fuel infrastructure. (Reuters)
Forests burned by wildfires may make snow vanish faster, as the trees no longer provide shade and shed carbon. (AP)
How nature inspires scientists to confront climate change (WP)
The Inner Lives of Animals (Atlantic)
Biden order aims to protect old-growth forests from wildfire (AP)
What if the Optimal Workweek Is Two Days in the Office? (WSJ)
Drugs, Planes, Bail: The Wild Story of George Jones’s Lost Recordings (NYT)
Half-Lobster Scientist Just Going To Hope Coworkers Don’t Notice He Had Mishap With CRISPR (The Onion)
No comments:
Post a Comment