I first published this essay a year ago, late in 2021.
“Not so different.”
That is the way to describe any of our lives in the end. But the specific details differ at some moments and so do our perceptions of each other’s lives.
For months I have been serving as the English-language outlet for the voice of a young man trapped in Afghanistan. To date, I have published 18 of what I’ve variously described as letters from — or conversations with — him.
As for the specific details, his life must seem quite different from the lives of my readers. He is a member of the Hazara minority, which has long been despised and discriminated against by the dominant groups in Afghanistan, particularly the Pashtuns, who make up the bulk of the Taliban now in control of his country.
Most Hazara are Shia, not Sunni Moslems, whereas the Pashtuns are overwhelmingly Sunni. The internal Islamic conflict is similar to the Catholic-Protestant conflict of centuries past.
Over the years that the Taliban built up and finally seized control of the country, they recruited alienated members of other ethnic groups, especially the Tajiks, Uzbeks and Turkmen to join their ranks.
But most Hazara stubbornly remained resistant to Taliban control.
Therefore, since late August when the Taliban seized power in Kabul, life has been especially difficult for the Hazaras. Some have been summarily executed by Taliban fighters now in control of the roads and checkpoints simply for being Hazara, or for being openly critical of Taliban rule.
Many others live in fear of suffering a similar fate if they venture out or speak their minds.
No single group currently lives under that kind of blatant threat in the U.S., although the widespread racism, homophobia, misogamy, anti-Semitism, anti-Islamic and other hateful ideologies just below the surface of American society require our constant vigilance lest they burst out into the open again at any point.
Here at least anyone can speak his or her mind, for now.
But my Afghan friend also is educated, thoughtful and skeptical of organized religion, centralized power, capitalism — all of the major forces that shape our lives here and around the world.
The majority of humanity lives under the control of despotic rulers — not democratically elected leaders — though few are subject to as harsh extremes as the Hazards face from the Taliban.
So those of us in the (relatively) free world need to remember how despotism can rise and overwhelm the peaceful, thoughtful, skeptical, educated minority by exploiting the ignorance, prejudice, fear and misperceptions of the masses — overseas but here as well.
The would-be despots among us would have you believe that our differences in age, race, gender, religion or lack thereof, class, occupation, status, orientation, belief system, education, location, appearance are actual threats.
But we are not all that different, really. The great majority of people want peace and freedom and to live with dignity.
And it is never too late to remember that.
LINKS:
Why I Quit Elon Musk’s Twitter (New Yorker)
Mauna Loa is erupting for the first time since 1984, prompting an ashfall advisory for Hawaii’s Big Island (CNN)
Ukraine warns of more Russian attacks as fighting rages in Donetsk (Reuters)
Civilians escape Kherson after Russian strikes on freed city (AP)
Bordering Georgia’s breakaway regions, villagers fear Russia’s next steps (Reuters)
Ukrainians remember suffering inflicted by Stalin, Putin 90 years apart (WP)
China COVID cases hit fresh record high after weekend of protests (Reuters)
Growing Protests In China Over Zero-Covid Restrictions (NBC)
Rare protests against China’s ‘zero covid’ policy erupt across country (WP)
Xi Jinping’s Dilemma: Placate or Crack Down on China’s Covid Protests (Bloomberg)
How Afghanistan’s Money Exchangers Have Worked Around the Taliban (Foreign Policy)
More employers are demanding workers return to the office as the job market slows (WP)
US provides Chevron limited authorization to pump oil in Venezuela after reaching humanitarian agreement (CNN)
It can be hard to distinguish the cultural claims of right and left. Just look at Qatar (Guardian)
Republicans shrug off Trump '24 bid: 'The excitement’s just not there' (Politico)
Democrats issue fresh calls for assault weapons ban after shooting tragedies (Guardian)
Salted ants. Ground crickets. Why you should try edible insects. (WP)
Man Hopes No One Can Tell He’s Bald Under Full Head Of Hair (The Onion)
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