Post 1: Unit 1, Afghanistan

My research on Afghanistan was very effective. I did research on the types of jobs women could get in Afghanistan. This helped me understand their lives and culture. I basically had no knowledge of this subject. I was pretty shocked when I found out about their terrible living conditions and that women were not much thought of when it came to the kinds of jobs they had in the past. While the women here in the United States can have any job they want from collecting garbage up to the President of the United States, the women in Afghanistan have not been so lucky and treat as fairly. The women I did research on were nurses, fashion, aid worker, wedding worker, and a borrower. Some of these women lost everything during the war and have brought themselves back from nothing to something. Nadjia Shujaee owns a fabric store and shows the women in Afghanistan new ways to dress. She lived in Iran for several years when the Taliban controlled Afghanistan. Now she is trying her luck with the same kind of store in Afghanistan. Mohammad Rahimi is an aid worker who is helping to rebuild the lives of the people and the community she live sin. Shala, the wedding worker, lived as a refugee in Iran and helps women have the most beautiful wedding they possibly could have. Shamisia, the borrower, is from Kabul and she has a school for women to help team them how to do things for themselves. These women don't seem to be out for the glory or money, they are doing a service for the women in their country, which is a selfless thing. These are good women who are helping others and not putting themselves first. I am quite amazed at what I learned just by choosing these five types of jobs. I am sure there are other jobs out there with the same kinds of stories that would help me understand more about their culture. All in all, my research taught me quite a bit about the lifestyle of women in Afghanistan and how bad they have had it in the past and still have it bad.
Update: http://news.yahoo.com/topics/afghanistan. This website gave an update on the current Taliban problems that Afghanistan is having. The Taliban are the ones who are some of the worst terrorist the world has. They are the ones who attacked the U.S. on 9/11. President Bush did a lot to try to get rid of terrorists and have war against them. President O'Bama isn't as strong on the war on terror as Bush was. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/06/afghan-troop-withdrawal-gradual/. This news story about Afghanistan talks about President O'Bama's policy on withdrawing troops from Afghanistan. This news story says it will not happen in 2011. (this is their opinion). The President does not want to do it all at once, he wants to make sure that the Afghan country will succeed and be able to take care of themselves before all of the U.S. pulls out of their country. If the U.S. pulls out of Afghanistan too soon or all at once, it will just create the same problem and maybe worse - more terrorists. The President also recently announced that he wants to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan to help them out. The general over there had actually asked for 40,000 extra troops, but the President is hoping that NATO will supply the extra 10,000 troops. The United States is not making a time table and insisting that they be out of Afghanistan by a certain time. They will pull the troops out slowly to make sure that Afghanistan is ready to control their own country. These current stories could affect the women and their jobs either way I think. If the U.S. pulls out too soon, the Taliban could take over Afghanistan again and the women may lose everything and have to start all over again. Since more troops are going in now, the women may have a chance to survive a little while longer with their jobs and their businesses. I really believe that this country wants to be free from terrorists, but it takes more than just wanting it for it to happen. The whole country needs to pull together and work hard, like the U.S. did when we got independence from Britain back in 1776. Once Afghanistan becomes a free democratic country and can keep it that way, these women's jobs will succeed and the women will earn more rights like we have in the U.S. I don't think it will happen quickly, but the women will have to be patient to get everything they want.
Reflect: I am very happy and proud for Afghanistan as they get nationalism. They are fighting for their own national identity just as the French did (Chapter 10). Before, the people of Afghanistan just lived the only way they knew how to - under the rule of terrible leaders that hurt their people. Now that we have gone in and showed them a better way of living, running their own democratic country, being able to vote for their leaders, the people of Afghanistan are wanting this too. These people are very devoted to their country. They are not leaving their country just because they are in conflict with the Taliban. Some people have fled, but for the most part, most have stayed to fight for their country. The people of Afghanistan are now in a revolution for their country - just like the revolution of other countries when they want to be different than the way they are being run. The U.S. had a revolution against the British. The French revolted. It happens when a country is being run wrongly and the people want something better than what they have. This is what is going on in Afghanistan now. The people want a better life. They want to be free. They want their children to have a better life. They want to chose their rules and make their own laws. They do not want to stand by and watch their country go down the drain. As long as the Taliban are there, their country will struggle. I am happy that the country of Afghanistan is trying to get better.