Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Lecture on Afghanistan: Beyond Burkas and Bombs
The first of the quarter's Faculty Lecture Seris was a talk called 'Beyond Burkas and Bombs'
Mr Jeske spoke briefly at the begining and then Mr. Monty Walker a popular history instructor at the college gave a humorous but respectful introduction of Captain Zontek,
When I heard that Mr. Zontek had served in Afghanistan in the U.S. forces, it really grabbed my attention because 1. I wanted to see how much he might follow the administration line, and 2. I wanted to see what he'd have to say about 'facts on the ground' and whatever his views might be, I knew he'd have a valuable perspective on what is really going on.
I was not disappointed. He served as a military intelligence officer, so he dealt a lot with the locals and the military from other countries serving in Afghanistan.
He decided not to just 'do his job and get out'. He decided to do something to help, something good!
The tales of the difficulties in helping people there were sometimes funny and other times sad.
He decided to do what he could to help the Women's Shelter. As far as I'm concerned the best cause he could have helped! There were many interesting stories of the women in the shelter, and the children there too.
All of those women had harrowing experiences at the hands of husbands, brothers, fathers, and even society at large. Some even had been mistreated by sons!
One thing that Mr. Zontek was at pains to explain is that this sort of thing is not Islam, and that America needs to do what it can to help Muslims who stand against this sort of thing, because there are Muslims who object to this sort of thing.
He showed that he is knowlegable about the history and the people, and respectful.
In helping the shelter, he got to know the British, including a number of Gurkhas, and he felt the British were very good soldiers who knew what to do.
I noted among the many excellent photographs one of a small group of Croatian soldiers, carrying a Croatian flag.
During the question and answer session I wanted to ask about these men, but could not get recognized, so I buttonholed him at the reception.
He was delighted someone noticed the Croatian flag, and when I asked about them, he said they were very enthusiastic soldiers and knew how to throw a good party, also they'd picked up on the fact that he's very Slavic looking, and asked him what he was ethnically, and been very welcoming to him as a fellow Slav, and I learned many of the soldiers in Afghanistan from the U.S. are of Polish descent.
Mr. Zontek mentioned about the sad case of the Buddhas of Bamian too,he noted that it was something that bothered him at the time it happened.
Not too many people know that the Bosnian government attempted to save these art treasures, it was the Muslim member of the presidency who offered to cut them up and reassemble them in BiH someplace. Bosnians have some strong feelings on the subject of destroying cultural heritage.
At the reception your editor had a chance to examine more closely a burka. I was in San Francisco when the first big wave of Afghan refugees arrived, but the first adaptation to America was to not wear burkas anymore, they wore headscarves. So I never got to actually see a burka close up before. I do know about such things of course, and knew this was a good one from Herat, the top of the line, with good embroidery and neatly executed pleats.
In fact I tried it on, and found that the main thing that I didn't like is that the lace work thing that goes over the eyes is MISERABLE. I don't have good eyesight to start with, but this lace grill blocked my eyesight so badly that it really would be hard to get around for me.
Incidentally when Muslims go on the Hajj, the women are not supposed to cover their faces, it's forbidden, so if a face veil is so Islamic, why is it forbidden on Hajj?
All three monotheistic religions require female modesty, and basically up until WWI, Christian women even in the cities did observe basic physical modesty. Those who know me know that I am a strong poponent of physical modesty, as a part of Christian observance, and as an act of liberation for women, but this was too much modesty! :)
This was an excellent lecture, I really enjoyed the photographs, and I want to say that if someone wants to impress upon me a good reason to be in Afghanistan, a talk like this is FAR more effective with me than Rant Wing Radio!
Greetings are conveyed from Mr. Huyck to Ivan the Terrible, as well as congradulations on his sucessful escape from the Yakima Gulag and I had the privelege of meeting his lovely wife, she's really a nice person.
I had a chance to say 'hi' as well to Mr. Walker, an excellent history instructor.
Friday Oct 13, there is going to be an Open Mike Poetry Night, in the H.U.B., Mujeres in Motion are featured, and it looks like it's worth going to. I am going.
The Paperboys are performing at the Yakima Valley Museum too the same night, that makes for a miserable choice! From nothing to do to nearly too much! :)
That is the life in our gulag!
Mr Jeske spoke briefly at the begining and then Mr. Monty Walker a popular history instructor at the college gave a humorous but respectful introduction of Captain Zontek,
When I heard that Mr. Zontek had served in Afghanistan in the U.S. forces, it really grabbed my attention because 1. I wanted to see how much he might follow the administration line, and 2. I wanted to see what he'd have to say about 'facts on the ground' and whatever his views might be, I knew he'd have a valuable perspective on what is really going on.
I was not disappointed. He served as a military intelligence officer, so he dealt a lot with the locals and the military from other countries serving in Afghanistan.
He decided not to just 'do his job and get out'. He decided to do something to help, something good!
The tales of the difficulties in helping people there were sometimes funny and other times sad.
He decided to do what he could to help the Women's Shelter. As far as I'm concerned the best cause he could have helped! There were many interesting stories of the women in the shelter, and the children there too.
All of those women had harrowing experiences at the hands of husbands, brothers, fathers, and even society at large. Some even had been mistreated by sons!
One thing that Mr. Zontek was at pains to explain is that this sort of thing is not Islam, and that America needs to do what it can to help Muslims who stand against this sort of thing, because there are Muslims who object to this sort of thing.
He showed that he is knowlegable about the history and the people, and respectful.
In helping the shelter, he got to know the British, including a number of Gurkhas, and he felt the British were very good soldiers who knew what to do.
I noted among the many excellent photographs one of a small group of Croatian soldiers, carrying a Croatian flag.
During the question and answer session I wanted to ask about these men, but could not get recognized, so I buttonholed him at the reception.
He was delighted someone noticed the Croatian flag, and when I asked about them, he said they were very enthusiastic soldiers and knew how to throw a good party, also they'd picked up on the fact that he's very Slavic looking, and asked him what he was ethnically, and been very welcoming to him as a fellow Slav, and I learned many of the soldiers in Afghanistan from the U.S. are of Polish descent.
Mr. Zontek mentioned about the sad case of the Buddhas of Bamian too,he noted that it was something that bothered him at the time it happened.
Not too many people know that the Bosnian government attempted to save these art treasures, it was the Muslim member of the presidency who offered to cut them up and reassemble them in BiH someplace. Bosnians have some strong feelings on the subject of destroying cultural heritage.
At the reception your editor had a chance to examine more closely a burka. I was in San Francisco when the first big wave of Afghan refugees arrived, but the first adaptation to America was to not wear burkas anymore, they wore headscarves. So I never got to actually see a burka close up before. I do know about such things of course, and knew this was a good one from Herat, the top of the line, with good embroidery and neatly executed pleats.
In fact I tried it on, and found that the main thing that I didn't like is that the lace work thing that goes over the eyes is MISERABLE. I don't have good eyesight to start with, but this lace grill blocked my eyesight so badly that it really would be hard to get around for me.
Incidentally when Muslims go on the Hajj, the women are not supposed to cover their faces, it's forbidden, so if a face veil is so Islamic, why is it forbidden on Hajj?
All three monotheistic religions require female modesty, and basically up until WWI, Christian women even in the cities did observe basic physical modesty. Those who know me know that I am a strong poponent of physical modesty, as a part of Christian observance, and as an act of liberation for women, but this was too much modesty! :)
This was an excellent lecture, I really enjoyed the photographs, and I want to say that if someone wants to impress upon me a good reason to be in Afghanistan, a talk like this is FAR more effective with me than Rant Wing Radio!
Greetings are conveyed from Mr. Huyck to Ivan the Terrible, as well as congradulations on his sucessful escape from the Yakima Gulag and I had the privelege of meeting his lovely wife, she's really a nice person.
I had a chance to say 'hi' as well to Mr. Walker, an excellent history instructor.
Friday Oct 13, there is going to be an Open Mike Poetry Night, in the H.U.B., Mujeres in Motion are featured, and it looks like it's worth going to. I am going.
The Paperboys are performing at the Yakima Valley Museum too the same night, that makes for a miserable choice! From nothing to do to nearly too much! :)
That is the life in our gulag!
# posted by Katja R. @ 10:14 PM 
