Op-ed: Working Through Ethnic and Religious Differences
By Ciera DeHart
From 1989 to present day, 1.2 million people with their own story, with their own families, have been killed due to civil war in Afghanistan. This country’s own people have been devastated by the deep-rooted conflict between various ethnic and religious groups, despite the fact that each group has valid reasons to call Afghanistan their home. In my opinion, Afghan society needs to become more culturally sensitive and grant its inhabitants equal rights and representation in its governing bodies.
First of all, I believe that the government of Afghanistan needs to create more positions for its Hazara people. Often, these individuals have been overlooked due to their social stigma and the poor education that many of them have received. Implementing this change would lead to the Hazara representatives being able to focus on the needs of their people. Why would the Pashtuns concern themselves with such outsiders? Issues such as the lacking education and job opportunities presented to this ethnic group can be addressed. Having ethnically diverse representatives higher up would bring to the table a wealth of unique background experience; they are the most suited to understand the oppression of Afghanistan’s minorities.
In addition to the previous reformation, schools should be more religiously sensitive to the various beliefs of its students. Sikh and Hindu parents have both objected to and been offended by their children being required to learn the Qur’an. To avoid this, and foster better parent-teacher and student-teacher relations, an alternate track should be created where the learning of the Qur’an is not mandatory. To combat bullying based on religious prejudice, children should be educated about other religious perspectives; if done correctly, it should cultivate respect for fellow students and help create a more global perspective overall. Adults must learn to raise children with awareness of the various peoples of Afghanistan.
To be sure, these suggestions would be a major shift in the established mentalities of the Afghan people, but they would be worthwhile. Also, I realize my position asks for changes that cannot be implemented without long-term preparation. Finally, my suggestions stem from personal convictions and may cause more issues than can be resolved in a reasonable amount of time. The people of Afghanistan cannot afford to be overlooked anymore; they deserve to be heard. By allowing Hazaras to better represent their people in government and in the workplace, the community would recognize its diverse and valuable history. Children should not be raised in an environment of religious intolerance and their classmates should be taught to better appreciate their fellow Afghans. In conclusion, it’s time for the Afghans to embrace their neighbors and learn to live with each other, not merely tolerate them.
By Ciera DeHart
From 1989 to present day, 1.2 million people with their own story, with their own families, have been killed due to civil war in Afghanistan. This country’s own people have been devastated by the deep-rooted conflict between various ethnic and religious groups, despite the fact that each group has valid reasons to call Afghanistan their home. In my opinion, Afghan society needs to become more culturally sensitive and grant its inhabitants equal rights and representation in its governing bodies.
First of all, I believe that the government of Afghanistan needs to create more positions for its Hazara people. Often, these individuals have been overlooked due to their social stigma and the poor education that many of them have received. Implementing this change would lead to the Hazara representatives being able to focus on the needs of their people. Why would the Pashtuns concern themselves with such outsiders? Issues such as the lacking education and job opportunities presented to this ethnic group can be addressed. Having ethnically diverse representatives higher up would bring to the table a wealth of unique background experience; they are the most suited to understand the oppression of Afghanistan’s minorities.
In addition to the previous reformation, schools should be more religiously sensitive to the various beliefs of its students. Sikh and Hindu parents have both objected to and been offended by their children being required to learn the Qur’an. To avoid this, and foster better parent-teacher and student-teacher relations, an alternate track should be created where the learning of the Qur’an is not mandatory. To combat bullying based on religious prejudice, children should be educated about other religious perspectives; if done correctly, it should cultivate respect for fellow students and help create a more global perspective overall. Adults must learn to raise children with awareness of the various peoples of Afghanistan.
To be sure, these suggestions would be a major shift in the established mentalities of the Afghan people, but they would be worthwhile. Also, I realize my position asks for changes that cannot be implemented without long-term preparation. Finally, my suggestions stem from personal convictions and may cause more issues than can be resolved in a reasonable amount of time. The people of Afghanistan cannot afford to be overlooked anymore; they deserve to be heard. By allowing Hazaras to better represent their people in government and in the workplace, the community would recognize its diverse and valuable history. Children should not be raised in an environment of religious intolerance and their classmates should be taught to better appreciate their fellow Afghans. In conclusion, it’s time for the Afghans to embrace their neighbors and learn to live with each other, not merely tolerate them.