[NOTE: Here is my latest letter from a friend inside Afghanistan.]
Dear David:
My family prizes education, which is not necessarily the case with all Afghan families. I have a bachelor’s degree and currently have one brother and two sisters who are attending universities in various cities around the country. My other sister, who is married, left university when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan and fled to Pakistan with her family.
During the first days of his university semester, my younger brother tried multiple times to leave, much like many of his school classmates. These young men went to Iran in search of work because they think an education will not be useful anymore in Afghanistan.
I argued with my brother and convinced him that while going to university does not help us find work or have a better future inside Afghanistan itself, it may be a path to eventually go abroad, for example on a student visa.
One of my sisters also wanted to leave the university because she thought that a civil war was about to break out in the city where she is studying but so far she is staying in school.
Even before the Taliban came to power, the situation of universities in our country was not good. The educational system here is outdated, the teachers are poorly trained, and the books are not up to date.
The Taliban have made the situation worse by promoting extremism in classes, and adding unnecessary religious subjects. Girls and boys now have to go to class on separate days, and the girls are veiled. They are not even allowed to wear a colored veil but only a black one, which they hate. In addition, they have to wear a mask in the classroom.
In Afghanistan, the lack of job creation, overly strict laws, and poor standards in the universities are reasons why most students drop out. One student named Hassan who left university told me that approximately half of his classmates had also left and are going to neighboring countries.
Therefore, the next generation of Afghans are not getting educated properly. They are among the many victims of the Taliban takeover.
***
Today’s News (5/31/22) — 38 stories from 20 sources:
VIDEO: Mourners in Uvalde Hold Vigil for School Shooting Victims (AP)
From Sandy Hook to Uvalde, the Violent Images Never Seen (NYT)
Photos since Columbine show cycle of gun violence in schools (WP)
After Uvalde, mass shootings continue over the weekend across the U.S. (NPR)
A 9-year-old describes escaping through a window during the Uvalde school massacre as anger mounts over police response (CNN)
States Rush Toward New Gun Restrictions as Congress Remains Gridlocked (NYT)
Ten-Year-Old Arrested for Mass Shooting Threat After Uvalde Tragedy: Police (Newsweek)
Biden says 'rational Republicans' offer hope for gun legislation (Politico)
Ukraine Battle Expands as Kyiv Launches Counteroffensive (NYT)
EU countries struggle to agree Russian oil ban (BBC)
Russia appears to have suffered devastating losses amongst mid- and junior-ranking officers, raising the prospect of weaker military effectiveness in future, Britain's defense ministry said. (Reuters)
Ukrainian forces prepare for Russian offensive in east (NHK)
Turkey offers to host talks between Russia, Ukraine and the UN (CNN)
Russian, Ukrainian troops fight block by block in key city (AP)
Russians advance into largest city in Donbas still in Ukrainian hands (Guardian)
Severodonetsk devastated as Moscow makes east an ‘absolute priority’ (WP)
Russian troops have entered the outskirts of the Ukrainian city of Sievierodonetsk, the regional governor said, describing "very fierce" fighting in the ruins of a city that has become the focus of Moscow's offensive. (Reuters)
Zelenskyy fires Kharkiv Security Service Head and hands him over to law enforcement (Ukrayinska Pravda)
Bombed Bridges, Closed Ports Keep Ukrainian Grain From a World That Needs It (WSJ)
The "liberation" of the Donbas region is an "unconditional priority" for Moscow, while other Ukrainian territories should decide their future on their own, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. (Reuters)
Ukraine suffers on battlefield while pleading for U.S. arms (WP)
Macron, Scholz urge Putin to release Azovstal fighters (Reuters)
War in Ukraine adds to food price hikes, hunger in Africa (AP)
EU steps up effort to bring millions of tonnes of grain out of Ukraine (Financial Times)
America’s Teachers Offer Answers to the Education Crisis (NYT)
1 billion pills: The number of seized drugs reaches ominous record in Asia
(NPR)
362 School Counselors on the Pandemic’s Effect on Children: ‘Anxiety Is Filling Our Kids’ (NYT)
Pacific season’s 1st hurricane aims at Mexico tourist zone (AP)
America's next wind powerhouse: The Gulf of Mexico? (Politico)
Over 100 people are missing or confirmed dead in Brazil, the government said, as mudslides and major floods brought about by heavy rains tore through several urban neighborhoods in the northeastern part of the country. (Reuters)
Seeing How Odor Is Processed in the Brain (Neuroscience News)
Astronomers Discover Hidden Trove of Massive Black Holes – “We All Got Nervous” (SciTechDaily)
Hubble telescope spots stunning 'Hidden Galaxy' hiding behind our own Milky Way (Space.com)
Want to regulate social media? The First Amendment may stand in the way. (WP)
Why Fangirls Scream (Atlantic)
Suicide takes more military lives than combat, especially among women (WP)
Report: Only 12% Of Americans Have Met Person They’re Cloned From (The Onion)
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