Greetings!
I had the pleasure of addressing a group at the United Methodist Church in Bigfork, Montana last Monday. It was broadcast and recorded live on Youtube and can been see by clicking here.
I decided to write a summary for those who prefer reading over watching and Evelyn Wood graduates.
THE ECONOMY
On April 13th the World Bank reported that incomes had dropped so starkly that around 37% of Afghan households did not have enough money to cover food while 33% could afford food but nothing more.
International assistance amounted to 19% of the Afghan economy prior to the takeover and accounted for 75% of public spending.
The Taliban have sought assistance from the United Nations, the World Bank, and countries that previously provided support. In addition to their unwillingness to provide funds directly to the Taliban, some will condition support on the education of Afghan girls. The objective at present is to provide humanitarian aid directly to the people.
THE BANKING SYSTEM
It took several weeks before banks opened. There was and still is a run on the banks. The banks simply don’t have enough cash.
I wired $9,000 to our bank account in Kabul on Friday the 14th of August to pay the operating expenses of the previous month. I woke Saturday morning to learn the Taliban were in control of the country. I was unsuccessful in stopping the wire, even though I was at Wells Fargo bank when it opened on Monday.
Since then, we have been trying to gain access to these funds. Mujeeb recently wrote that we soon may be able to. However, depositors currently can only withdraw 5% of their account a week. Ergo, it will take 20 weeks before all our funds can be withdrawn, assuming the liquidity problem doesn't get worse.
Afghanistan's currency, Afghanis, fell in value from around 65 Afghanis to the dollar to 89. It’s probably worse on the streets, where most monetary conversions take place.
BRAIN DRAIN & SQUATTER'S RIGHTS
This happened before in 1996, when the Taliban first took control. The educated, wealthy, and skilled fled the country. It’s one thing to conquer a country and another to run it. The Taliban have been urging those who fled to return and promised amnesty. Some have returned, particularly those who own property. If they don’t return and arrange to protect their property, the homeless understandably will move in.
MUSIC
The Taliban government has not formally banned music, but musicians say individual Taliban fighters take matters into their own hands and target them, halting performances and breaking their instruments because they say music is “haram,” or forbidden by Islamic law. On Sunday, June 26, 2022, Taliban authorities at the dormitory of Kabul University banned students from listening to music.
TREATMENT OF WOMEN
- In most areas of Afghanistan there is no public education for girls above the sixth grade, except for girls who were attending universities before the decision to not educate girls beyond the sixth grade was made. The fact that there are classes for girls beyond the sixth grade in some areas indicates a lack of agreement and control within the Taliban ranks.
- In December, 2021 the Taliban issued a decree barring forced marriage in Afghanistan, stating women should not be considered “property” and must consent to marriage. The legal age for marriage is 16.
- Taliban officials announced recently that all women and girls must leave home only when necessary and must be accompanied by a man (husband or male relative). According to Nabi, this announcement has been ignored by many. What are widows expected to do?
- Women are not able to fly without being accompanied by a male chaperone.
- On May 7, the Taliban ordered all Afghan women to wear the full-coverage burqa in public places. Women must be covered from head to toe including faces. Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban ruler specified the consequences for breaking this decree; "First, the woman wearing immoral clothes will be punished; second, her husband will be summoned and detained for three days, and if he works in the public sector, he will be fired." This mandate is also being ignored by the brave.
- TV News reporters must cover their faces. They now wear masks.
The future role and treatment of women are currently in flux. No one or group seems to be in charge of the entire country. Public demonstrations are illegal. Protestors are threatened, struck, and jailed. International donors will continue to exert pressure and withhold their support until they know how Afghan women will be treated. Most Afghans want girls to receive the same education as boys. No Afghan wants to be governed by the oppressive rules and edicts imposed by the Taliban when they were first in control from 1996 to 2001.
What’s going on with TIE?
LIBRARIES
We just opened our eighth library and received a donation that will enable us to open two more within a month. Below is what Mujeeb wrote about them.
Library No.9 will be located in the 7th district of Kabul city. It is a densely populated area where most of the residents are poor. In this area, there is no private or government course or library that the children of the area can use.
Library No.10 will be located in the 13th district of Kabul city, the most populated area of Kabul city, and its people are extremely poor.The residents of district 13 are of the Hazara race, a group that loves studies and education. Their children have achieved many successes in the field of education.
Due to the capacity of the classes, for each library we expect at least 100 students to attend classes regularly, while in each library more than 200 students will use the computers per month."
I am particularly pleased with the selection of district 13. The Hazaras are a harassed, persecuted and mistreated ethnic minority within Afghanistan. They do, as Majeeb wrote, "love to educate their children. “
Our 8 libraries at the end of June were being utilized by 787 students on a regular basis. If libraries 9 and 10 will each be used by 100 students on a regular basis, that will put the regular library utilizers at 987. The total utilization (regular and occasional) will be well in excess of 1,000 students.
As you may recall the Taliban ruled that women cannot teach boys and men can not teach girls. Our libraries have historically been run by women and will for the time being continue to be. Therefore, the thousand plus students using our libraries will be girls. It's certainly reasonable, given that there is pubic education for boys.
The libraries’ average absentee rate continues to be 2% by the way. I’m convinced it’s this low because the girls not only want to learn, our libraries also get them out of the house. The libraries are social centers for girls who aren’t at liberty to be outside their homes.
On the 15th of August, 2021 I thought we were done. We're not. We're continuing to support the street children who remained in Kabul, now providing $100 per month for a year to eighty one destitute families, and soon will have increased the number of libraries from seven to ten. How has this been possible? You're clearly not done either.
Budd
Ps. We now have an office in Kabul.
