Approximately ten thousand refugees return from Pakistan and IranMinistry of refugees announced that approximately ten thousand refugees returned to Afghanistan in last week .In addition, the ministry added that 7930 thirty refugees... Page 5

The Story of a Hazara Girl“Allah-o-Akbar. Allah-o-Akbar. God is great. God is great!”It was 3 a.m. The sound of Azan blasted from the loudspeakers of mosques, paving the deserted,... Page 3

Saturday, May 27, 2017 Vol. 2, No. 74

2. Personal Essays3. Short Story4-5. News

6. Opinion7. Literary8. Interview

See Inside Quote of the Week"A recluse without books and ink is already in life a dead man"

- Alfred Nobel

Star Educational Society Weekly

Interstellar (adjective): situated or occurring between the stars; conducted, or existing between two or more stars

Children Playing, Then a Blast: Mortar... Page 4

Ethnic Division: A Stronghold of Ongoing Conflict in AfghanistanArgumentThe formation of the National Unity Government which installed Ashraf-Ghani as the president and Abdullah Abdullah as the Chief Executive illus-trates the open-secret of ethnic divi-sion in Afghanistan. The two rivals, who both declared victory in... Page 6

competition is not as strong as it is in the big cities. Star’s presence in Bamyan brings world-class language instruction and nearly two decades of experience to the remote province. We are not surprised that hundreds of students were quick to seek admission in our first few weeks in the city.

The numbers of reasons that gaining English language skills are important for people in Bamyan are many. We have met students who were rejected for valuable positions with NGOs in Bamyan because their English was not strong enough. Oth-ers were not able to do their jobs prop-erly because of weak English skills. Many students are not able to pursue higher education abroad because they cannot score the minimum required results on the TOEFL exams. There is no doubt that Bamyan is full of talented and capable students and young professionals. But even the most talented person will not be considered for a Fulbright scholarship or other opportunity if they cannot meet the

minimum English requirement.There are many conferences, work-

shops, and other opportunities inside and outside the country that require a certain level of English proficiency. We want Bamyan youth to qualify for these chances and we are here to help them to develop and perfect their English so that they can compete for these opportunities and improve their lives and the lives of their families.

Bamyan has an additional need for local people with foreign language proficiency. As one of the most secure provinces in Afghanistan, we also have historic and cultural treasures that can attract tourists throughout the world. The existence of the ancient Buddha stat-ues, Band-e-Amir lakes, historical cities of Zahak Gholghola and Chehel Bourge, amazing green valleys with beautiful na-ture make Bamyan a popular destination. Bamyan University has a tourism depart-ment, there are cultural centers, guides, and a tourism association, but there are

not enough professionals in the tourism and hospitality industry who are profi-cient in English. To share the beauty of Bamyan, learning international languag-es is the only way that Bamyan students can introduce their people and their province to the world.

The hotel industry has developed, the airport has been improved, and we now have a modern hospital. Bamyan hosts winter skiing competitions, mara-thons, and bicycling events which attract international participants and competi-tors. Since the Taliban collapsed, there have been no terrorist attacks in Bamyan province, except near our borders with insecure neighboring provinces. Bamyan is a glorious city, with the most hospitable and peaceful people in Afghanistan.

Bamyan was more than ready for Star Educational Society to open a branch in the city. We are eager to serve the needs of the beautiful people in Bamyan and look forward to a long-lasting relationship with this special city.

The brand new Bamyan Branch of Star Educational Society be-gan operations on 1-Apr-2017 and celebrated the beginning of its first semester on 18-Apr-

2017. We welcome eager Bamyani learn-ers from all walks of life in four different shifts: early morning, late morning, af-ternoon and evening. Within only a few short weeks of hanging our banners and announcing our presence, nearly 400 stu-dents have joined Star to study the Eng-lish language.

Despite the fact that some people suggested that Bamyan students would not welcome a new private English Lan-guage center, Star’s experience has been just the opposite. The young generation in Bamyan is clearly aware of the impor-tance of learning English and is willing to embrace the high quality learning oppor-tunities offered at Star.

Students know that they can open a new gate in their lives by learning English. In order to be competitive with young people from bigger, more developed cit-ies in Afghanistan, Bamyan youth must take advantage of every opportunity to advance and improve themselves. Pri-vate courses are fewer, specialized train-ings are hard to find, and the quality of language centers is weaker because the

Star’s Bamyan Branch – an immediate success!

Message by Issa Omid, Executive Manager of Star’s Bamyan Branch

My FatherAlthough the most important person in my life is my mother, my father is the most influential person in my life. He is a great example of a successful person. He is a quiet person who dedi-cated his life to studying and achieving his goals. My father has been there for me through thick and thin. He has had my back at times when it felt as if no one else did.... Page 2

May 27th, 2017

Vol.2, No. 74 Personal Essays

Page 2

My Father My mother’s love

About the author: Fatima Mahdian is a Star alumna who re-cently attended teachers training. She is currently a school stu-dent who hopes to major in designing in the future. About the author: Wahid Ghulami is a Star

alumnus and a new teacher at Star. He is current-ly studying urban planning at Kabul Polytechnic University and plans to pursue his master’s stud-ies in the U.S. He is also the chancellor of Danish-gah publication.

Although the most important person in my life is my moth-er, my father is the most influential person in my life. He is a great example of a successful person. He is a quiet person who dedicated his life to studying and achieving his goals.

My father has been there for me through thick and thin. He has had my back at times when it felt as if no one else did. If someday I decide to marry, I hope I marry a man even half as amazing as my dad. My children will be incredibly lucky. My dad believes in me no matter what. He never questions my judgement, and believes that I will always make the best deci-sion I'm capable of. He lets me make my own mistakes, and is always there to help me learn from them. My father is one of a kind.

My father provides me with support in financial matters, education situations, and necessities and luxuries. He teaches me how to be a better person and to be a better citizen in life. He speaks of the ways of life, the good deeds that shall be done, the difference between right and wrong, and lessons and lec-tures on life. His personality and attitude are inspiring. It would take me a lifetime to explain every single detail.

My dad is my life. I live my life to make him proud that he has a daughter like me. My dad provides me with everything I ask for, but I am still reasonable. He gives me money, even if I don’t ask for it. If I do, he never questions me about why I need it. He pays for everything too, from my academic needs, to things I just want such as shoes, clothes, electronics, and more. If I ask, I can get it, depending whether it's the right time and the right thing to ask for. It's amazing how he can manage it all. He has to pay for the house bills, lights, insurance, food, everything basically. I don't think there was ever a time he has ever rejected my request.

My father is the most influential person in my life, he was always there when I needed him. I will love and respect for him forever. I am my daddy’s little girl and he is and always will be my hero.

Our Tears FallWritten by: Pari and republished from the Afghan Women’s

Writing Project http://awwproject.orgChakChakChak

I scream in silenceFor the nonstop violenceAgainst Afghan women

The barbarism, extremism, wildnessI don’t know where to startShould I write about KabulOr let me first cry for Zabul

We saw beheaded people, innocentSuch cruelty and violence continues

This time, those cruel handsBeheaded a small flower

A nine-year-old girlI don’t know what to write

The tears fallDrop

by dropby drop.

All the love, affection and tenderness that my mother gave me for the past 22 years of my life makes it easy for me to write about her. Her pure love and affection are carved in every cor-ner of my heart. I have found the meaning of love in her kind eyes and her pure smile. She is very warm-hearted and wants me to be always happy, satisfied and tranquil.

I will never forget all the days my mother would give me a cup of hot milk, a warm hug, a kiss on my eyes and send me to school with thousands of ambitions for a bright tomorrow. When I would come back from school, she wel-comed me with a bowl of cold tasty “Dogh.” I still have the taste with me when I recall those memories. My mother’s passion and love for me always made me wonder how someone could be so good. That’s when I understood there is no replacement in the world for a mother’s tender-ness.

I was in eighth grade when I first dreamed of becoming an engineer. And my mother was the first person who called me ‘Engineer’ after I shared my dream with her. She has been call-ing me that until today. Nobody knows how it felt when my mother was calling me ‘Engineer Gooli Abai’. I planted the seeds of becoming an engineer in the wild land of my soul to rescue my family from poverty, but the one who irrigated those seeds was my mother. She always called me Engineer and gave me the motivation to believe in myself and study hard. For 22 years, my mother watched a small sapling grow into a strong tree and now my mother is waiting to reap the fruits that I will bear. It is her time to receive all the love, care and attention back from me. That is what all mothers expect from their child. And they really deserve it!

I remember how hard my mother cried when I left her for the first time to come to Kabul for my university studies. It was five years ago and still, the sound of her crying echoes in my

ears. She misses me immensely if I don’t talk to her every week on the phone. There is no greater power in the world than a mother’s love for her child. And of course, no one can understand that better than a mother.

After every five or six months when I go home to see my family, I find my mother more kindhearted and sympathetic than before. And that just leaves me in awe of how tender-hearted my mother can be and how unconditional her love for me is.

Langari, Shaista. 'I Am Shukria'. 2016. Mobile drawing with Galaxy Note 3.

Vol.2, No. 74Short Story

Page 3May 27th, 2017

They had been sitting in the car for eight hours, and Sadiq noticed this in Taba-soom’s face. She seemed gloomy, staring into space. Maybe she was already home-sick.

“Mother! How good that we brought Tabasoom with us. Now we will sell her somewhere or even give her to a husband in Jaghori!” Sadiq grinned and pinched Tabasoom’s left cheek gently. And sud-denly she felt apprehensive.

Her grandmother, sitting between them, pushed Sadiq’s hand and said, “Your uncle is just teasing you. Won’t we become blind if we did such a thing? We will return before your school starts.” This relieved Tabasoom, and she pushed herself closer to her grandmother who was embracing Tabsoom.

“Grandma! Why did we migrate from Afghanistan in the first place?” Tabasoom asked, lost in deep thoughts.

Her grandmother took a deep sigh and paused for a few seconds before say-ing, “Oh, my love. There has always been misery. Around 64 percent of Hazaras were massacred during Abdur-Rahman’s reign. Many were killed brutally in Af-shar, Orozgan, Kandipusht and much more. Hazara girls and women were sold as slaves for two rupees. Discrimination still exists everywhere. Indeed, we have been like born criminals and have had enemies in our own homeland.”

“Who is our enemy, Grandma?” Ta-basoom asked, astonished.

“Jahalat, ignorance! We have been suffering due to ignorance, Tabasoom jan,” replied Grandma kissing Taba-soom’s head.

Tabasoom suddenly remembered the day when she was asked in class by the teacher what her name meant. And she had no answer. “Your name means smile,” her father had said later at home. He had also said, “We named you Taba-soom because we believe that a smile brings more smiles, and you will also bring smiles and happiness to others in future.”

“Grandma! Our teacher says that we can kill ignorance with knowledge. I also want to become a teacher in the future. I will spread education and knowledge. I will finish war and ignorance using the power of knowledge and also bring smiles to others!” Tabasoom stated assertively.

The passengers in the car were dis-cussing ignorance and how to destroy it as the car entered Zabol. Suddenly, a thick, black cloud appeared in the blue sky. The roads were deserted, and cars were no longer speeding along. Indeed, no cars were seen now. A pin-drop si-lence ruled everywhere, and a similar si-lence took over the inside of the car as it stopped. An army of men surrounded the car, a few with covered faces, while oth-ers wore black turbans. The only similari-ty was the fact that all of them had loaded AK-47s hanging on their shoulders cov-ering their big bellies and long beards. The rifles were like brooms sweeping the men’s swollen bellies as they talked. They were talking loudly and barking orders at each other in a language that Tabasoom didn’t understand. In the car everyone was terrified and trembling. They read verses of the Koran to protect them. Sadiq was pale, looking almost dead.

“Don’t worry. Don’t be afraid! Every-thing is fine,” Tabasoom’s grandmoth-er said, cuddling her hard as her eyes roamed everywhere. Tabasoom gazed at her grandmother and felt that she seemed older; the wrinkles on her face had increased in an instant. The car door

that the hotels on the way served unclean food.

All three said their goodbyes and crossed from under a Koran held high by Ramazan, entrusting themselves to God’s hands. Everyone does this while travelling along the perilous path toward Afghanistan. Death is always present. There are two possibilities when tak-ing this path. The first is that you will be killed by a landmine or by a thief; and if you are Hazara, you could get beheaded by Taliban. The second is that you will reach to your destination in the arms of your beloved ones.

“Don’t get sad or miss me, okay? I will be back soon!” Tabasoom said, smil-ing towards her mother, comforting her before climbing beside her grandmother in the backseat.

The car drove away leaving a hazy view as it produced a large cloud of smoke. Fatima threw a bowl of water behind the car for their safe arrival and watched the car until it turned to the cor-ner. Then she closed the metal gate.

“I wish Tabasoom wouldn’t go. She has never been away,” Fatima said in a heavy tone, her voice trembling.

“Ahh! Don’t worry. My mother is with her. She would be hurt and would miss Tabasoom if we had not let her go. Moreover, it will be a great experience for her. Real learning is in experiencing,” Ramazan said, smiling. Fatima nodded; a slight smile appeared on her face after a few seconds of reluctance.

For Tabasoom, it really was a trip filled with new sights. She was watch-ing the scenes excitedly while others in the car compensated for the last night’s sleeplessness by taking naps. Both Sadiq and Tabasoom’s grandmother had been talking with others at home all night, as if it was the very last night of the world. The excitement of the trip had stolen the sleep from Tabasoom’s eyes. She didn’t want to miss any moment of the trip. She leaned on the car’s window panel as it drove out of town. She was staring va-cantly at the asphalt road, thinking about her friends and parents left behind.

When the car was passing the vil-lages lying far away from the main road, the empty fields were visible. Tabasoom imagined the long golden wheat swaying and dancing there by the order of winds just a few months ago, before being har-vested by the farmer. She witnessed the gradual rising of the sun for the very first time in her life, showing its face like a shy girl using the eastern mountains as a burqa or chador. But at last it showed its face to Tabasoom.

Now she put her head out of the car and enjoyed the cool and wild wind kiss-ing her face and hair, struggling to steal the scarf from her head. She laughed at the odd sound echoing in her ears, pro-duced by the wind entering her mouth as she said something. The other cars zoomed by like rockets. There were many colorful lorries racing madly along the road, as if they were in a race with the other cars. Tabasoom watched all of this, and it added to the excitement of the trip. But this excitement came to an end when the car reached Chaman, the Pakistan and Afghanistan border, at 8 a.m.

There was a long line of cars stopped ahead, waiting for the border gate to open. It was at this moment that sleep took its revenge from Tabasoom. She fell asleep and woke up only when the car was passing Kandahar, and the passen-gers inside were suffering from the hot weather. The trip was getting tiresome.

“Allah-o-Akbar. Allah-o-Akbar. God is great. God is great!”

It was 3 a.m. The sound of Azan blast-ed from the loudspeakers of mosques, paving the deserted, lifeless streets of Mariaabad, Quetta in Pakistan. It was like a giant sitting on the shoulders of the air, getting carried to every house. Streetlights stood at the end of every street. Some of them were working, shin-ing light, while others were broken. In addition to the Mullah and the muezzin, one who recites Azan, many other people were also awake, moving slowly and si-lently toward the mosques, to perform ablutions before saying their morning prayers.

“Tabasoom! O Tabasoom Jan!” Taba-soom’s mother, Fatima, was calling her name gently, in a low tone. “Get up now. The car might come.” She shook Taba-soom’s shoulder gently.

A slight smile appeared on Taba-soom’s thin lips, revealing the dimples on both cheeks. Then her almond-shaped eyes opened wide. It seemed as if those eyes had not been closed at all that night. The excitement of the trip ahead kept her from sleep. She immediately got up from her bed and performed ablution to offer the morning prayers before the car ar-rived. Prayers were obligatory since she was nine years old now. Tabasoom of-fered her prayers, folded the prayer mat and put on her socks. She was looking at her face in the mirror and arranging her scarf when the car reached the gate, honking.

Tabasoom ran towards the yard where everyone was waiting -- her par-ents, her grandmother, and her uncle’s wife. She wished everyone good morning before joining them and standing beside her mother, who took her in her arms. Ramazan, Tabasoom’s father, who was standing beside them, patted his daugh-ter’s head. Sadiq, Tabasoom’s uncle, was taking all the luggage and souvenirs to-ward the car waiting outside.

Tabasoom was going with her grand-mother and uncle to Dhamorda, Jaghori, Afghanistan; the schools in Pakistan were not in session, and Tabasoom’s parents had decided to send her on this trip dur-ing the vacation, in part because Taba-soom had insisted. Tabasoom’s mother kissed her daughter several times and handed her a small backpack filled with some clothing, curried chicken meat, a few loafs of Naan, and a bottle of water to be used during the trip. Fatima thought

opened, and everyone was dragged out-side. The driver was told to return, and the passengers were taken by the men into another car.

All seven Hazara passengers were ab-ducted by ISIS or probably Taliban that day. Nothing was done by the govern-ment officials. Nearly a month after the abduction, on November 8 2015, all sev-en dead bodies arrived with cut throats – even 9-year-old Tabasoom’s. The doctors said that their throats had been cut either by sharp metal strings or kite wire (Haz-ara International Network). Tabasoom’s lips were frozen in a slight, tight smile, and her eyes were closed peacefully. It seemed as though her soul was still in her body; if one didn’t see her cut throat, one would think that she was in a deep sleep.

When her body reached her home, it created great agony. When the quilt was removed from her face, Ramazan stepped back and leaned on the wall. He slid down crying silently. Fatima couldn’t believe her eyes; she pressed her daugh-ter’s body to her chest and shouted, “Ta-basoom! Tabasoom! My dear daughter. Wake up. You had promised that you would be back soon. I have been seeing your path every day. Wake up! Say moth-er once more.” Then she looked upwards and shrieked at the top of her voice, “Oh, God! Please take my life instead.” Then she fainted on her daughter’s body, cry-ing. A light rose from Tabasoom’s body and her soul left her body at last, kissing her mother’s wet face as it flew towards the sky like a fairy leaving earth behind with all its ignorance and sorrows.

Suddenly her body became cold and her smile faded away.

Writer’s note: This story is based

on an event that actually took place in Afghanistan in the fall of 2015, but it is made into fiction. The Hazara girl in the actual tragedy was named Shukria Ta-basoom; she was the daughter of Ramzan Ali from Dhamordha Jaghori District of Afghanistan and was born in Dhamorda . During a journey from Jaghori to Quetta, Pakistan, all seven ethnic Hazara passen-gers were captured in the valley of Zabul, Afghanistan . The locations were changed in this fictionalized version.

The main point is that the real-life Tabasoom never received justice; this story honors her life and attempts to con-vey what happened that terrible day to a young girl filled with love and hope who life was brutally cut short simply because she was Hazara.

About the author: Muhammad Ali Huj-jati is in the 11th grade at Marefat High School and plans to study business or eco-nomics in the future.

The Story of a Hazara Girl

Page 4 May 27th, 2017

Vol.2, No. 74 News

KABUL, Afghanistan — The men came back to the mud house, sitting down for lunch and shared grief on Sun-day. They had just returned from burying a relative — a police officer who had been killed the night before during a Taliban raid on the local checkpoint.

From outside, there were the happy sounds of young children playing cricket. And then an explosion. The men rushed

Recently, a large number of Taliban

members were killed as the result of Afghan forces’ attack through the Af-ghanistan on Taliban bases. Ministry of defense’s spokesman said that it was an organized attack in some provinces like Nengarhar, Kapisa, Khoost, Ghazni, Qa-ndahar, Orozgan, Farah, Faryab, Herat, Kondoz, Helmand, Sar-e-Pool and Ka-bul to destroy Taliban bases. Moreover, in these attacks sixty-seven members of

and in his stomach, and in the head. I buried them at 5 p.m.”

Mohammed Nawab was 7, and his brother Mohammed Malyar was 6. Their cousins were Muhammad Zaher, 7; Zary-lai, 8; and another Malyar, 10.

They became the latest casualties of a long war that is leaving children dead or wounded in record numbers.

On Monday, the United Nations said that the violence across Afghanistan in the first four months of the year had killed 283 children and wounded another 704, a 21 percent increase over the same period last year.

“The children were playing outside their home and found the mortar round, likely fired during fighting earlier in the day,” Tadamichi Yamamoto, the special representative for Afghanistan appointed by the secretary-general of the United Nations, said in a statement. “A family destroyed in seconds — this horror is just one of too many incidents documented at the onset of this fighting season.”

The “persistent use of indirect and/or explosive weapons in civilian-popu-lated areas,” as well as the use of “indis-criminate improvised explosive devices,” are the biggest cause of casualties among children, the statement said. Deaths or injuries caused by ordnance that does not explode immediately but blows up later are also on the rise.

The violence in Afghanistan is ex-pected to intensify this year, in the ab-sence of any peace effort or any regional consensus on ways to ease the conflict.

The Taliban, who have gained large

outside to find five children — cousins 10 years old or younger — killed by a piece of stray ordnance they had stumbled on.

“When I came outside, I saw all the children lying around — some of them had hands missing, some head, some feet,” said Malay Khan, 31, who lost two of his six children in the explosion, in the eastern Afghan province of Laghman. “My one son, Nawab, was hit in the eye

Taliban were killed and fifty eight oth-ers were injured. He added that in an-other Afghan forces’ attack in Kondaz province, seventeen members of Taliban were killed, twenty others were injured including an important commander of Taliban and three main bases were de-stroyed. Ministry of defense’s spokes-man also added that in Nawah district of Helmand and Bala Morghab in Badghis province twenty-four Taliban members were killed.

areas of territory in the last few years, overran the districts of Qala-i-Zal in Kun-duz Province in northern Afghanistan and Zebak in Badakhshan Province in northeastern Afghanistan since begin-ning an offensive late in April. Zebak has been recaptured by Afghan special forc-es, but Qala-i-Zal, as well as most of the territory in Kunduz, remain in Taliban control, according to provincial officials.

President Trump, in a broad policy review of the war in Afghanistan, is con-sidering a recommendation by his advis-ers to send several thousand additional troops there. They would be added to the 13,000 international troops in the coun-try now, about 8,400 of them American, that are assisting the Afghan armed forc-es.

Laghman Province, where the chil-dren were killed, has seen increased Taliban activity in recent months, with fighting reported close to the provincial capital, Mehtarlam.

Nazar Gul, 33, who lost his 7-year-old son, Zaher, said the fighting near their vil-lage, Omarzayo, had continued over the last 20 days. They had to rush the burial of their relative, the police officer, while bullets were being fired.

In the explosion, Mr. Gul said, Zaher was thrown yards from where the blast occurred.

“Before he died, Zaher came home to ask for money — 10 afghanis — for an ice cream,” Mr. Gul said, the equivalent of 15 cents. “His mother said she didn’t have money. But she gave him cold water, and he went back to play.”

Children Playing, Then a Blast: Mortar Round From an Earlier Afghan Battle Kills 5

Donald Trump, who got at the helm of the white house, had promised in his election campaigns to the people of America that he would return the glory of the United States back. Trump and his Protectionists were thinking that the glory of America had been tainted in the term of Obama. They consider Washington`s political class is weak. According to their opinion, America's political elites who had the strategic policy in the last three decades, tainted the greatness of Amer-ica. According to Trump and his follow-ers, the situation reached the peak in the term of President Barack Obama

but this is Trump`s view toward Obama and his presidency. Other elites of The United States and independent observers do not agree with Trump. Ac-cording to many independent observers, Obama was the soft power agent of the United States. Obama saw himself as heir to Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement. In his speeches, he always insisted that democracy, human rights, freedom of expression and freedom of religion were universal values. Obama al-ways said that democracy was the glory of America. Although Obama was honored to an unparalleled military strength and great economy of America, he realized democracy as the real power in America.

Obama was stating about Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King’s Amer-ica and women's suffrage movement. Obama was speaking about America that was a sample for all democratic move-ments of the globe. However, Trump does not want to speak with this litera-ture. Trump believes that America's secu-rity and economy are hurt. According to Trump’s idea, the wrong policy of Obama caused that the enemies of civilization of America and the West announced their caliphate in Iraq and Syria.

Translated by: Abdul Ahad AhadiSource: Hasht-e-Sobh

Translated by: Sharif AkabriSource: Hasht-e-Subh

By MUJIB MASHAL and FAHIM ABEDMAYRepublished from: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/world/asia/afghanistan-children-explosion.html?_r=0

Trump and Greatness of America

Afghan Forces defeat Taliban

Afghan children at play in the Kart-e-Sakhi Cemetery in Kabul. The United Nations said on Monday that violence across Afghanistan in the first four months of the year had killed 283 children and wounded another 704, a 21 percent increase over the same period a year

ago. CreditAdam Ferguson for The New York Times

Page 5

Vol.2, No. 74News

May 27th, 2017

Ministry of refugees announced that approximately ten thousand refu-gees returned to Afghanistan in last week .In addition, the ministry added that 7930 thirty refugees voluntarily came back to Afghanistan from May 7 to May 15. The ministry said that Nimrus border was the witness of many refu-gees who returned back to Afghanistan.

It is said that 9222 refugees returned

and full entree into public life, he intends to forge an array of opponents — espe-cially fellow Pashtuns who feel left out of power — to challenge the struggling gov-ernment and possibly force Ghani from office.

“I fear what will happen in the next few months,” said Isaak ¬Gailani, a politi-cian who has met with Hekmatyar several times since he returned April 28. “There is talk of creating an alliance against the government, against the United States, against democracy. Ghani has made a lot of mistakes, but if Hekmatyar gathers all the partners who hate him and they ally against the government, it would be very costly for the future of Afghanistan.”

So far, few Afghans have spoken out against Hekmatyar’s return, but there is a growing sense that the honeymoon is already over. Government officials have been silent, though several privately expressed shock and anger at his com-ments. Hekmatyar has issued no recent statements, and aides who were -acces-sible during the run-up to his arrival have become unreachable.

For now, most observers here are holding their breath, hoping that the ag-ing warlord — who has spent the past 30 years fighting Soviet forces, rival Afghan militias and a series of Western-backed civilian governments — will adapt to the norms of democratic politics in a rapidly modernizing society.

Friends and advisers, including moderate members of his Hezb-i-

Islami party who remained in ¬Kabul while Hekmatyar was in hiding abroad, have pressed him to be more diplomatic. In the past week, he has paid homage at the tombs of respected anti-Soviet lead-ers who were once his bitter adversaries and received others for tea at his com-pound.

But critics suspect that Hekma¬tyar is unlikely to change his stripes, disarm his men or retract his harsh criticisms. He has denounced Ghani’s government as the “illegitimate” creation of U.S. offi-cials, attacked the news media and com-plained that ethnic minority Shiites have been given too many rights — an appeal to Pashtun Sunni ambitions that risks arousing sectarian conflict.

“We welcomed the peace deal, but instead of surrendering to the govern-ment, Mr. Hekmatyar is acting as if the government has surrendered to him,” said Mohammed Atta Noor, a provincial governor from the rival Jamiat-i-Islami

Kabul — When the fugitive warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar returned home to a lavish official welcome last month, abandoning his 16-year insurgency and forgiven for a history of wartime abuses, he was ¬expected to quickly take up the cause of peace and set a conciliatory ex-ample for Taliban insurgents.

Instead, the fiery Islamist leader has landed like a bombshell in the roiling world of Afghan politics, publicly insult-ing President Ashraf Ghani, reneging on a pledge to disarm several thousand loyal fighters, and leaving the stunned capi-tal wondering if inviting him back was a huge mistake.

At 69, Hekmatyar cuts an avuncular and scholarly figure, but his name still strikes fear and horror here. Once an anti-Soviet militia hero, he became no-torious during later civil conflicts for his cruelty to captives and for shelling Kabul neighborhoods to ruins. He was ¬allowed to return to Afghanistan only after U.N. anti-terrorism sanctions against him were lifted.

Yet since his return, he has made no

back to Afghanistan. Similarly, Turkham was the witness of 896 refugees return-ing to Afghanistan. However, smaller number of refugees returned back to Af-ghanistan from Spin Buldak and Islam Qala.

The ministry said that United Na-tion office for refugees paid 200 US dol-lars to anyone coming back to Afghani-stan with legal documents.

party. “We should give him a little time. If he wakes up and accepts democratic principles, everyone will welcome it, but if he sticks to this provocative behavior, it will not be good for Afghanistan’s future.”

At this point, it is not even clear whether the divisive hard-line figure can reunite his own splintered party, let alone act as a catalyst for peace. Members of the main non¬violent Hizb faction, which built a strong presence in politics and government while Hekmatyar was an international fugitive, worry that he will not adjust to the new, democratic brand of politics in the country he fled 21 years ago.

Abdul Hadi Argandiwal, a moder-ate Hizb leader, said he is optimistic that Hekmatyar’s welcome into public life will eventually persuade the Taliban insur-gents to come to the negotiating table, but he said the unrepentant warrior needs to transform himself first.

“Afghan society has changed in many ways over the past 20 years. No-body wants more war or destruction. We are part of that society, and we have added value to it. But he has come from war, and he has to change,” Argandiwal said. Noting that Hekmatyar had agreed to visit the tombs of former rival leaders, he said, “I hope it means he will be a new Hekmatyar.”

Other observers, however, worry that his unrepentant stance will have the op-posite effect on the Taliban, who will view him as an armed rival rather than a mod-el for reconciliation. They fear that he will use his new freedom to make a last bid for power — either at the polls or by other means — presenting a muscular, sternly religious alternative to the nerdy, West-ernized Ghani.

Since his return, thousands of post-ers of Hekmatyar have flooded the capi-tal, and wealthy Pashtun politicians have reportedly offered him more men, weap-ons and cash. Supporters say his ruthless behavior in the civil war was no more excessive than that of any other militia bosses, but critics say he does not de-serve a role in Afghanistan’s future unless he renounces his past.

“The truly brave thing for him to do would be to apologize to the Afghan peo-ple,” said Sima Samar, head of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commis-sion. “If he is strong enough to do that, it will heal a lot of wounds and distance people from revenge. It may even help bring peace.”

mention of the past, let alone offered an apology. His speeches have bristled with defiance. One of them drew a cheering, overflow crowd of supporters to the na-tional sports stadium for a rally that was punctuated by nostalgic war whoops.

He has made few public refer¬ences to the Taliban, except to call them “broth-ers” and suggest that they share a com-mon cause in wanting to rid Afghanistan of foreign troops. So far, though, the in-surgents have ignored his return after de-nouncing him last fall as a traitor in the wake of the peace deal with Ghani.

After his provocative public ¬debut, Hekmatyar vanished into a flurry of pri-vate meetings in an elegantly refurbished compound, welcoming supporters, mi-litia commanders, political rivals and tribal leaders from his ethnic Pash¬tun group. The sprawling ¬facility, provided at government expense, is guarded by Hekmatyar’s security forces, and its high walls are covered with enormous posters of him.

The most optimistic interpretation of Hekmatyar’s behavior is that he is rees-

tablishing his tough, anti-Western creden-tials to impress the Taliban, who have been steadily gain-ing ground on the battlefield and have shown no appetite for restarting peace talks. He has said he seeks to build bridges across Afghan society and use his influence to end the conflict.

To some ob-servers, though, it looks as if the canny strongman is using the peace deal as a vehicle for his long-thwarted political ambitions. They fear that instead of col-laborating with the government that of-fered him amnesty

Return of warlord Hekmatyar adds to Afghan political tensions

Translated by: Ghulam Abbas”Betab”Source: Hasht-e-Subh

By Pamela ConstableRepublished from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/return-of-warlord-hekmatyar-adds-to-afghan-political-tensions/2017/05/18/1fa9fb20-398a-11e7-a59b-

26e0451a96fd_story.html?utm_term=.785d357f29ce

Approximately ten thousand refugees return from Pakistan and Iran

Gulbuddin Hek-matyar addresses a special ceremony at the presidential pal-ace in Kabul on May 4. (Shah Marai/AFP/Getty Images)

Page 6 May 27th, 2017

Vol.2, No. 74 Opinion

TUTAP energy project. The protestors saw the rerouting of

the project as being prejudiced against the inhabitants of central Afghanistan, who are mostly Hazara. “The Afghan government, in a Cabinet decision on 30 April 2016, opted to route the electric power line over the Salang Pass (a moun-tain pass, connecting northern Afghani-stan with Parwan province)."

The organizers of the protest were emphasizing two key arguments: first, based on the recommendation of Fich-tner Engineering Company, Bamiyan is a better option from a technical perspec-tive. Secondly the decision to reroute the electricity line was prejudiced and there-fore against the Afghan government’s commitment to social justice as endorsed by its constitution (Daoud Naji).

I think New York times has accurately represented a big problem which exist in the fabric of Afghan society. The conflict in Afghanistan is extended through the lines of ethnics, languages, and religions.

It is very important to study these sensitive factional lines when it comes to peace studies and peace building programs in Afghanistan. Peace doesn’t come when the country is at war with itself, and therefore the vast subsidies which are being paid for peace building in Afghanistan could be in vain.

Summary of primary literature (2)The theoretical framework of this

short research is built upon the work of Patrick James and Davie Goetze: Evolu-tionary Theory and Ethnic Conflict. Their scholarly attempt to explain the role of psychological mechanisms in the forma-tion of ethnic groups and eruptions of ethnic group conflict is incredible. I agree with most of their observations: “Indi-vidual and groups are motivated to join or assert membership in ethnic groups by the cost and benefits associated with ethnic group membership and the ac-tivities of those groups. Ethnic groups are instruments for promoting individual and group interests and ethnic group conflict is merely a form of competition for resources” ( Patrick James and Davie Goetze).

I believe that evolutionary theory has a lot to say about the formation of ethnic groups, and conflicts among them. The

observations of evolutionary theorists are therefore vital. Identity and interest based explanations contribute much in terms of understanding of ethnic fac-tions.

Conclusion Q A wide ethnic division is present

in Afghanistan. Q Ethnic division has been a strong-

hold against peace building initia-tives.

Q Ethnic groups are instruments for promoting individual and group interests and ethnic group conflict is merely a form of competition for resources” ( Patrick James and Davie Goetze).

Q With the presence of long-lasting ethnic devision ,there is always a fear of genocide, as witnessed in Afghani-stan, Rwanda, Bosnia and Cambodia.

Q Peace doesn’t come when a coun-try is at war with itself.

Q Since Afghans don’t have the same platform in their causes, a sub-stantial international peace-building efforts has been in vain.

Works cited:Hafizulla Emadi (2010) Dynamics of

Political Development in Afghanistan: PAL-GRAVE MACMILLAN a division of St. Martin’s Press LLC

Patrick James and Davie Goetze (2001) Evolutionary Theory and Ethnic Conflict: Pub-lished by PRAEGER

Amrullah Saleh (2012) The crisis and politics of ethnicity in Afghanistan: Retrieved 21 June 2012 from https://www.aljazeera.com http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opin-ion/2012/06/201262013830446913.html

Azam Ahmed and Habibi Zahori (2014) Afghan Ethnic Tensions Rise in Media and Politics Retrieved from the New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/19/world/asia/afghan-ethnic-tensions-rise-in-media-and-politics.html

Dr. Smita Tiwary (2016) Rerouting of TUTAP Power Project: Protests in Afghanistan: Indian Council of The World Affairs retrieved from

http://www.icwa.in/pdfs/VP/2014/TUTA-PowerProjectAfghanistan27052016.pdf

Daoud Naji (2016) SPECIAL DEBATE: Detailed Discussion On Controversial Power Project: TOLOnews retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPVW2Qr264U

Rwanda, Bosnia and Cambodia. There-fore it is indispensable to examine to roots of ethnic conflicts thoroughly and to put it in the public eye.

“Afghans of all ethnic groups have stood together for a common cause, but they have failed to share a common plat-form” (Amrullah Saleh). Afghanistan is a county of many ethnicities, religions and languages, however ethnic hatred, reli-gious division, economic inequities, and a history of ethnic cleansing have been an environmental stimuli for many con-flicts.

Summary of primary literature (1)I have used many literatures to ex-

amine my argument deeply. In light of my experiences I think that the Ethnic Division in Afghanistan has deep histori-cal roots. Many generations of Afghan government have inherited these biases, resulting in the creation of stark factional lines among ethnicities in Afghanistan.

This ethnic division is often reflected in media and politics. Media outlets in Afghanistan are partisan oriented and are therefore sometimes a platform for heated ethnic debates. People of various ethnic groups are often insulted by the addresses from these media. “Pashtuns are the rulers and owners of Afghanistan; they are the real inhabitants of Afghani-stan,” said Gen. Abdul Wahid Taqat, a former intelligence official. “Afghani-stan means ‘where Pashtuns live’” (Azam Ahmed and Habibi Zahori).

Ethnic division is also mirrored in politics, particularly in the development programs of the Afghan government for rural areas in Afghanistan. To accentu-ate this point, my primary literature had focused on the rerouting of the TUTAP Energy Project (TUTAP stands for Turk-menistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Af-ghanistan and Pakistan). I see the rerout-ing of the project as the most compelling evidence of a systematic discrimination against the Hazara ethnic group.

In the article “Huge Protest Against Afghan Government Brings Kabul to a Halt,” Mujib Mashal of The New York Times has reflected on a demonstra-tion that was organized mainly by the Hazara ethnic group. The protest which took place on the 16th of May, 2016 was in reaction to the decision to reroute the

ArgumentThe formation of the National Unity

Government which installed Ashraf-Ghani as the president and Abdullah Abdullah as the Chief Executive illus-trates the open-secret of ethnic division in Afghanistan. The two rivals, who both declared victory in the 2014 election, fi-nally agreed on this power-sharing ar-rangement. At the epicenter of this deal, however, was a widespread division among long-warring groups and factions in Afghanistan.

Ashraf Ghani, whose supporters mainly come from a Pashtun back-ground, embodies a centralized system of government to ensure the governance of Pashtun over Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Abdullah Abdullah is supported mainly by the Tajik ethnic group, which occu-pies the other major side of this political equation. Additionally, the other minor-ity groups aim for a decentralized system of government where they may also have a voice.

Even though Afghanistan is a country where many ethnicities call their home, it has been dominated solely by Pashtun rulers since 1747. Other ethnicities, such as Afghanistan's Hazara community, have been marginalized and subject to a systematic discrimination for many de-cades. The climax of this has been seen since the fall of Taliban as well. For ex-ample, under the National Unity Gov-ernment the TUTAP energy project was rerouted to bypass the Hazara majority Bamiyan province. This counteracts the societal benefits the project was initially intended to bring to one of the most un-derdeveloped provinces in the country. There is no clear evidence that this plan was motivated by anything other than ethnic prejudice.

It is commonly said that Ahmad Shah Abdali united the Pashtun Tribes and, during a gathering in a mosque in Kan-dahar, established a government which had the consent of most Pashtun Tribes. This established the foundation of Pash-tun dominance (Hafizullah Emadi).

Ethnic conflict is surely one of this century’s most notable phenomena (Pat-rick James and Davie Goetze). Many peo-ple have lost their lives and loved ones. There is always a fear of massacre and genocide, as witnessed in Afghanistan,

Ethnic Division: A Stronghold of Ongoing Conflict in Afghanistan

About the author: Ali Arifi is a Star alum-nus and current teacher at Star’s A Branch and Institute. He received his bachelor’s in Management & International Business from Mongolian International University and will begin his graduate studies in Ja-pan in a few months.

Page 7May 27th, 2017

Vol.2, No. 74Literary

Abolqasem Ferdowsi composed one of the great works of world literature, Shahn-ameh: The Persian Book of Kings, the na-tional epic of Persia. Written between the years 980 and 1010, it tells the story of pre- Islamic Iran, beginning in the mythic time of Creation and continuing forward to the Arab invasion in the seventh century. As a window on the world, "Shahnameh" in-cludes unforgettable moments of national triumph and failure, human courage and cruelty, blissful love and bitter grief.

In tracing the roots of Iran, "Shahn-ameh" initially draws on the depths of leg-end and then carries its story into historical times, when ancient Persia was swept into an expanding Islamic empire.

Listen: this story's one you ought to know, You'll reap the consequence of what you sow. This fleeting world is not the world where we Are destined to abide eternally: And for the sake of an unworthy throne

You let the devil claim you for his own. I've few days left here, I've no heart for war, I cannot strive and struggle any more, But hear an old man's words: the heart that's freed From gnawing passion and ambitious greed Looks on kings' treasures and the dust as one; The man who sells his brother, as you've done, For this same worthless dust, will never be Regarded as a child of purity. The world has seen so many men like you, And laid them low: there's nothing you can do But turn to God; take thought then for the way You travel, since it leads to Judgment Day

To My SisterSister, rise up after your freedom,why are you quiet?rise up because henceforthyou have to imbibe the blood of tyrannical men.

Seek your rights, Sister,from those who keep you weak,from those whose myriad tricks and schemeskeep you seated in a corner of the house.

How long will you be the object of pleasureIn the harem of men's lust?how long will you bow your proud head at his feetlike a benighted servant?

How long for the sake of a morsel of bread,will you keep becoming an aged haji's temporary wife,seeing second and third rival wives.oppression and cruelty, my sister, for how long?

This angry moan of yoursmust surly become a clamorous scream.you must tear apart this heavy bondso that your life might be free.

Rise up and uproot the roots of oppression.give comfort to your bleeding heart.for the sake of your freedom, striveto change the law, rise up.

Forugh Farrokhzad (1935 – 1967) is one of the most influential fe-male poets of the twentieth century in Iran and her influence ex-tends further than this. She is remembered now as both a contro-versial modernist poet and an iconoclast. Despite the high regard in which contemporary critics hold her, her poetry was banned for political and ideological reasons for more than a decade after the Islamic revolution.

Shahnameh: The Persian Book of KingsAn excerpt from:

ucate us. Also, I should mention that they give us free notebooks and pens.

Can you tell me how you were informed about the classes of this organization? I was informed by my friends and neigh-bors who lived close to me. Surprisingly, there was no special advertisement about these classes.

What are the benefits of this organiza-tions for women? If you have any mes-sage for those women who are deprived of literacy, please share it with us. I have a good feeling about it because my learn-ing situation has provided me and my classmates with many benefits. I don’t feel like a burden on the shoulders of my fam-ily and society. In my opinion, this kind of organization can provide a chance to educate and to benefit from vocational trainings like tailoring. My message for women who are deprived of education and learning is, if you can attend these classes, please join. It is important to learn because you can provide a more comfort-able and better life for yourself and your family. If you are not allowed to attend to these classes, tell your family about the benefits of being an educated person

Editor’s note: The below message is from Ghazanfar Maihandost the founder of Patriots’ Occupational Organization. The main objectives of the organization are to increase and strengthen the abilities of Afghan women throughout the country to help prepare them for job opportunities and an improved future and lifestyle.

Mr. Maihandost’s message: The majority of people in Afghanistan, due to frequent wars and unfavorable situations, were unable to continue their

Saturday, May 27, 2017 Vol. 2, No. 74

educations. Women had worse situations than men.

This charity organization had many surveys to find poor and destitute districts in Kabul and other provinces. We tried to have many branches throughout Afghani-stan. At the early stage of our organiza-tion’s establishment, we accepted women over 30 years old. When we started these classes, we found many young girls 15 years old and older who couldn’t attend governmental schools because of prob-lems they had. I should mention that our organization is a non-profit, non-political and independent organization. From our own personal money and assets, we provide notebooks, pens and sewing ma-chines for our students to motivate them to learn. We ask for all the domestic and international organizations to follow our Facebook page and help us as much as they can. We want to be a contributor in our country to help bring peace and se-curity. I hope to be a part of one of the national mobilization groups against il-literacy.

Also, does women’s literacy have any in-fluence on our society? In my opinion, the women who are educated act better in both fields, like in their daily routines and working outside their homes. They face less problems than women who are uneducated. For example, a woman who can read and write can manage and calcu-late the daily expenditures and help their children who are attending school. In ad-dition, they are better equipped to raise their children and keep them, can handle problematic situations better, are able to gain knowledge from books and internet to help find solutions for their problems. I feel like educated women can create a new and bright future for Afghanistan by educating our children for their future. If women continue to be allowed to be edu-cated, we are going to have a better society in future.

Please tell me about the program of the Patriots Occupational Organization. What kind of opportunities do they pro-vide for you? What kind of facilities do they provide for you? This organization has been established by Mr. Maihandost and we are so happy and grateful that he provided us this environment for learn-ing. Each semester length is about nine months. The classes are designed for youth and adults who did not have any opportunity to learn and acquire knowl-edge before. I am studying in the Ittefaq town branch. Our curriculum covers Dari, Math, and Ahkam (Islamic book). I am completely satisfied and grateful for the teachers who use their full potential to ed-

Please introduce yourself and tell me what factors encouraged you to educate yourself? My name is Jawaher Noori and I am 16 years old., I’m a student in one of the Patriots’ Occupational organiza-tion literacy classes. Before I attended this organization, I was unable to attend any school and education centers due to my unfavorable conditions. When I was informed about this organization and its classes, I decided to come here to learn.

Do you have any new aims and goals be-cause of your education? Learning has given me more motivation. I have since created new aims and goals for my future. Before I was educated, I can say I was un-able to talk clearly with my friends and my neighbors. I remember that I could not express my ideas but now I can talk with them confidently, and not hide myself anymore. I am hopeful that I can elevate and improve me and my family's quality of life by the knowledge I have acquired. In addition, it has motivated me to want to serve my country.

What are some of the kinds of obstacles that prevent you and other girls from get-ting educated? There have always been many problems in education area for girls and women in Afghanistan. Reasons such as the families’ following "wrong" tradi-tions, migration, gender discrimination and poverty. In fact, I was a victim of one of these factors. I could not attend school.

Can you tell me the differences between an educated and uneducated woman?

About interviewer: Reza Salehi is a Star alumnus and current member of the Teach-er Training class. He received his bachelor’s degree in geology and mines from Kabul Polytechnic University. He wants to be an English poet in future.

Literacy creates a new futureAn interview with Jawaher Noori, a student of Patriots’ Occupational Organization literacy class

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My learning situation has provided me and my classmates with many benefits. I don’t feel like a burden on the shoulders of my family and society. If you can attend these classes, you can provide a more comfortable and better life for yourself and your family.