Education: Hope for the World!

Recently, a friend expressed interest in going to work for a non-profit organization in Kabul, Afghanistan. A girl at our table immediately discouraged that idea and classified the Afghan people and their culture as one of terrorism.

I had to interject at this point in order to rectify that comment. It pierces my heart when people ignorantly form opinions about others and in this case, would move to crowd an entire people in a single basket. How can we call the Afghan culture one of terrorism? Do we condemn all for the sins of a few? Should we blindly and stubbornly reject all Afghans because of the gruesome acts of the extremists? A couple of years ago, I would have probably shared her view: Who cares! Bomb them all! However, I read a lot about Afghanistan and their way of life and they are not inherently a culture that promotes the killing of the "unfaithful" (non Islamic people).

Afghanistan is a poor country at war with other nations but also at war with itself. The country is devastated and many children lack the option to attend non-extremist schools. I mention children because I not only have a soft spot in my heart for them but also because they are the future. If those children continue to attend radical madrassas, more Bin Ladens will in turn be created. It is a dangerous thing to have children receive their first and probably only education from extremist groups preaching nothing but hatred and complete submission. It is simply the beginning of their doom and ours.

The lack of education in Afghanistan, and in any other country for that matter, is a great calamity for the country in question as well as for the world. If you haven't heard of Greg Mortenson yet, I suggest you look up the work he has been doing over there. He believes that the only way to truly fight and ultimately end terrorism is by educating the people. Although I don't think it's the only way to reach that goal, I believe education plays an important part.

JW von Goethe said "Nothing is more terrible than ignorance in action" and evidence of this last is ever so present when little girls get acid poured on them for the great crime of attending school; when innocent families get blown away by enemy forces leaving behind orphans unable to grieve due to a conundrum of resulting problems; when extremist groups get a hold of those orphans and implant hatred in their hearts, in turn giving birth to a new generation of terrorists.

I recently read the testament of an ex-Taliban soldier stating that his family lived in poverty and the Taliban offered him $300 to join their forces. That being the only option to ensure his family's survival, he sent the money home and joined the troupes. It seems hard to believe this was truly his only option. We often say that you always have options and if you choose the evil path you do so by pure choice. But I believe this last changes once you have a family, for you are no longer making difficult decisions for yourself but are responsible for other lives -- lives that look up to you to solve their every problem. I am in no way condoning the actions of this man but simply trying to relay the undying sense of hopelessness present in the hearts of so many.

Therefore, I urge you to get informed before making rash public comments about whatsoever. And if you'd like to get a better sense of life in Afghanistan through recreational literature, I highly recommend the following books. The first two are fictional novels depicting stories derived from true events and the last one is about the work Greg Mortenson is doing in Afghanistan.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

Happy reading and may God bless us all!!!