Kabul, Day 3

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Another cold night last night. My roommates tried to surprise me; while I was at the Internet cafe, they requisitioned an electric heater from another room (we were the only ones who didn't have one) and plugged it in to get the room warm while I was gone.They turned it on high, which not only melted the cord, but started a small fire in the room. They get props from me for trying, though.

We began Day 3 by visiting one of the schools in Kabul that are run by Afghans for Tomorrow, a US based charitable organization. The school is for girls, and encompasses grades 1-8. The school operates on an accellerated schedule, doing two school years of work in a single year - this allows the older girls who were not allowed to go to school to "catch up" more quickly. The girls all seemed very eager to learn and were glad that we came to visit them. There were a broad range of ages in many of the classes, even in the earlier grades.

Later in the day, we went to "the women's garden." This area has a park, a children's playground, and some small shops inside a walled compound, and is one in which the burkaed women feel comfortable enough to remove or fling their burkas back over their heads, as no men are allowed inside the walled area. Everywhere that we went in Kabul, men seemed more prevalent than women, even in the markets. About half the women still wear the burka, and many who don't wear the black abaya, covering all but their eyes. I don't recall seeing any women at the Internet cafes or restaurants that we visited.

We then met with Lal Gul, a lawyer who heads the Afghan Commission on Human Rights. Mr. Gul was concluding a meeting with several men who had traveled from the mountain province of Ghazni to discuss the continued detention of several members of their community at Bagram and Guantanamo. Mr. Gul came out and told us that his clients, upon hearing that a group from the West, primarily the U.S. were here, asked if they could also meet with us. It was an experience, to say the least. We went into a large room, and the men from Ghazni sat in chairs lining one side of the room, and we sat in chairs on the other. They began to tell us how several of them had been captured and released by US and NATO forces, then began circulating the letters that they had been given by the US government which stated that they had been investigated, but were found to have not been involved in any wrongdoing. Those who were captured and detained for several months said that they were not tortured, but they were obviously upset at their imprisonment and the continued detention of their fellow citizens. Putting on my lawyer hat for a moment, I told them that many lawyers and members of the military also shared their concerns about the detentions and the lack of a process for adjudication and release, and that in fact, several military lawyers, including Admiral Alberto Mora, the recently resigned General Counsel of the Navy, have publicly protested over their concerns about the Geneva Conventions and lack of due process. The men indicated that they were not aware of these things, but that it was good to know, and they thanked me for it.

Later in the day, we had an earthquake. One of my roommates was excited about getting to meet with members of the Taliban and experience her first earthquake all in the same day. She was sort of the danger junkie in our group. I teased her that she could have lots of dangerous adventures and make lots of money tax free by joining the army; I received a well-deserved flip for that one - and later in the trip, it was she who proposed that I pay $1 everytime that I whined about missing my dog or my husband or wanting to go home. 😊

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Photos

Mosque in Kabul
With the inevitable afternoon rainstorm brewing.

Kabul street
I'm sure that this is something with a name, but I don't know what it is. ")

Rims 'r us of Kabul
I wonder if spinning rims have made it over here yet?

Our new friends from Ghazni
The gentlemen that we met at the Afghan Commission for Human Rights

School bell
Is it time for recess yet?

Gift shop at Afghans for Tomorrow school
Crafts and clothing made by the students are sold here.

Motley crew goes to school
Our group entering one of the buildings at the school.

Volleyball, anyone?
Playground at the school. There IS a volleyball net strung between the trees, but it is quite worn.

Typical lunch at Kabul restaurant
Mystery meat kabobs (lamb or goat) and rice.

Girl at the Women's garden
I played soccer with her for a few minutes.