See Inside Quote of the Week

• 2 -Personal Essays • 3 -Personal Story That which does Autobiography not kill us makes us  • 4 & 5 - News stronger. • 6 -Star Related • 7 -Literary ~– Friedrich Nietzsche

Saturday, May 18, 2019 Vol. 4, No, 97 Star Educational Society®

Interstellar (adjective): situated or occurring between the stars; conducted, or existing between two or more stars That was beyond a museum A Report of the Institute Advance level students’ visit of Human Rights and Democracy Organisation by Habil Tabesh, a Star Institute Instructor

t was April 8, 2019 when I left Star Institute of World Languages with a group of instructors and students to an unknown destination. It was not clear Ifor me to which destination the bus was heading. Students were talking about their imaginations of that museum to each other. Some of them were thinking that museum of war is a good place and they could have a lot of fun, but when I was thinking of its name song were conspiring together to make tears exhibit all the memorials at the same time, so and violence. “War Museum”, nothing was striking my flow over faces of many visitors. Photo of a they alter the memorials every month. The This museum was not built to make people mind except war and destruction. Unlike my young boy attracted my attention; I could see dialogue was followed by Mr. Ali Reza Yasa’s sad. If we look thoroughly, we can find out expectations, we arrived there in less than ten notebooks and pens inside the box in front speech, the chairman and the founder of Star that such museums can change peoples’ minutes. It did not seem like a museum. The of his photo. For a couple of minutes, I was Educational Society (SES). At first, he thanked beliefs about the ongoing situation in building seemed as simple as other houses pondering about the dreams that he might AHRDO for hosting. Subsequently, two of the Afghansitan. Nowadays, the victims are in first sight. We were warmly welcomed had when he was alive and wanted to achieve audiences shared their short stories with mostly ignored soon after their death. And by employees of that organization. Despite them through education but unfortunately, others. Then, Mr. Rajab Ali Ahmadi, TOEFL according to Hadi Marefat, this program their warm welcomes, I still do not have a he and all his dreams are now buried. and Teacher Training instructor at SES, shared is a cultural project that promotes long good feeling about it. After registering our There was a special place for memos as well. a very emotional and sorrowful story about lasting peace not by marginalizing victims, names, we entered the building. At first, we Visitors wrote their comments and messages his cousin who was killed in one of the recent their memories, and their stories, but by were requested to go to the basement. After and pinned them to the wall so that other attacks. Some of other audiences also shared resuscitating and bringing them to the stepping down some stairs, I heard a very visitors could see them. their stories and remembrances. Some were public place and putting them at the core sorrowful music. That basement had an After visiting the museum, we had an open crying although they knew nothing about the of current nation peace reconciliation extraordinary power to make all the visitors dialogue. At first, Mr. Hadi Marefat, the victims and their families, but they could feel process. Activities of this museum go depressed. head of Afghanistan Human Rights and their pains. After that, I realized that we are not beyond a museum. This organization tries Seeing the names and photos of martyrs, as Democracy Organization (AHRDO), talked living, just we are alive to witness the death of to pave the ground for peace building well as memorials of them kept in small boxes about the history, activities, objectives of this our countrymen. And it is not clear who is the and social injustice through cultural in front of the photos, reading the information organization, and how they gathered all those next prey of this terrible phenomenon. Then and artistic programs, such as, poetry, or short stories about the victims narrated by memorials from all over the Afghanistan. He Mr. Mushtaq Sarwari and Mr. Parwiz Negah storytelling, and most importantly theatre- victims’ relatives, and also listening to the sad added that due to lack of space, they could not performed a very emotional song about war based programs.

You New Year My Learning The Deadly Introduction Security: can be – A New Experience at Dare Game Gripped by to Level Six Our Prime effective! Set of Star’s Teacher of Life in Religious Need in 2 2 Challenges 3 Training Class 4 Afghanistan 5 Extremism in 6 Tajalla Abedy’s 7 Afghanistan Autobiography Personal Essays

About the author: Wahed Gholami is a Star alumnus and is currently You can be effective! teaching at Star. He has his Bachelor’s Degree my classmates with reference books in Urban Planning and materials. Therefore, I established Danishaga (university) Bookstore and/ from KPU. He is the or publication when I was a sophomore. chancellor of Danishga I started my work with the money I was book publication in supposed to flee the country with; that amount of money was enough to get Kabul and is planning me to Australia or Europe illegally. But I to pursue his Master›s changed my mind, thinking that I could Degree in the US. not be as effective person anywhere else as I could be in my own country. I thought if I go to any foreign country, I will have no choice but to work as hard as I could especially when I have a poor family. Even though I could not supply Five years ago, after I succeeded in my classmates with urban planning Kabul Polytechnic University to pursue my reference books the way I was planning education as an urban planning engineer, I to, I am happy that I am working towards found everything weird for the first time; 72 the enlightenment of my society. After students in one class, totally different and four years, Danishga is among the famous in many ways. My classmates were from book publications in Afghanistan. Every different provinces of Afghanistan, and it day it provides tens of students from looked like we were from different countries; different majors with great and updated Diversity should have been the first and the books, we are going to print out the 35th most important property of our class as long book with Danishga publication logo as I remember. Different beliefs, cultures, their classmates everyday just because of year, I noticed that most of my classmates soon, and we always warmly welcome languages, clothings, and hair styles even those who can write and read. Thus, we and so on. Like every one of my classmates having different thoughts and beliefs. Such don’t read books at all. Neither do they a disappointing feeling! No one even thinks study reference books of our studying field strongly believe that only books have the experiencing urban life style for the first ability to change a society fundamentally. time, me too, didn’t know the proper way of the feedback of those hatreds that can nor do they study something else, novels be the strongest reason of the nation’s gaps at least. Some ridiculing chapters prepared If we want to be a different and powerful of behaving with those classmates having society, we ourselves have to write and different religious beliefs. I noticed that the and social separations. I believe the root by the university’s Pohands were the of hatreds is ignorance and only ignorant only things my classmates used to use as read. Considering these beliefs, I love teachers used to differentiate among students what I do and most importantly, I enjoy according to their nation and religious people can hate each other. studying materials. Unfortunately, no one was willing to think of some changes as it being with books; only few knows the beliefs. So sad. As a result, the first thing that Facing this situation, I used to be sad and was obvious that we would know nothing feeling behind being the reason for I learned at university in theory and then hopeless as I thought I could not do anything when we graduate studying only those someone to start reading a book. Such started practicing was discrimination. I don’t to help change the situation; one year passed chapters. So I decided to provide at least a pure and amazing feeling it is! know how many people experience hating and nothing changed. Beginning the second

New Year – A New Set of Challenges

Remind yourself when his focus and is you have to change your mindset now that give you confidence and motive to get greater concern was trying to hunt animals to feed if I talk about challenge, it does not mean of them. You have to strengthen your inner himself. He did not think about clothing, that you are in trouble or I make trouble for machine from your achievements. Because your living and civilizing. By the time, his focus you. Challenge means to screen its contains body should recognize that you have done and and concern widened and broadened. He whatever it is, get rid of its badness and you can do its greater, as well. The base of every not only thought about himself, but he failures, and grab its goodness and success. achievement and success is failure. Remind also thought how he could go away from Actually, failures are the building blocks of a yourself that he succeeded in bringing new life hunting and being hunted by animals and successful life. You have to accept that if there style in this world. He trained his followers, built be as his God has created him – HUMAN were not failures, there would not be such a new buildings and made new principles for (the best creature of Him). If I gradually life that we witness now. For instance, there living. There were great achievements that he come closer to the present time, I have to were many dangerous and harmful diseases did. You can also do. Because he provided this ignore thousands of years of his life and that he had passed. He had lost many of his period and this time for you. The time that you come to the time when he realized that the relatives, friends and so on. You might think do whatever -- you can improve your knowledge, better idea is to change the surrounded that the people who had passed have failed. provide service to people and change the world environment. He started working to Yes! That is right. However, he invented new to a better place as he did. He wants you to make beautiful houses, public buildings – approaches and means by which diseases complete his incomplete missions in this world. temples, schools, libraries, parks, courts, are eliminated now. See! This is failure that Nothing is for free. You have to pay for what you prisons, etc. He proved himself that with follows success. You also might have some want. If it is getting knowledge or something accepting new challenges, he could change weakness in your English. In spite of your else, you have to pay its cost with perseverance, even the entire world. Do you know who hard work and your teachers’ hard work, you attention and hard work. All achievements that he was?! Yes! He was the old version of you. cannot speak well. It seems like a failure, but he got were actualized by mentioned paybacks. The only difference is that he was a little on the other hand, it is like a success. Why? About the author: To sum up, your old version left bit earlier than you. Maybe he respected Because you realized that the method you Jawad Amini, an this world for you as it is now. You are in 21st his grandchild – you, to live in 21st century have used is not practical and standard. You century – the time that every achievement is alumnus of Star – the most changeable and the fastest can find the most practical and standard way possible. It just needs some tricks. And those time that has ever been. He respected you, of learning English and go with it. When he Educational Society, is are perseverance, attention and hard work. You to whom you prove now that despite all did whatever he wished in those simple and an instructor at A branch have to prove yourself to him that you are the excuses you can make, you can do much disadvantageous periods, you can do much best creature of God. You have to differentiate of Star Educational greater and better than him. 1398 (SY) has greater than him. Just remind yourself that he your lifestyle with another creature’s. Another arrived and you can start your timetable did. The best way is that you have to identify Society. He studies creature like animals just do based on their and can accelerate your speed. This year your weaknesses, mistakes, and failures. You medical science at Kabul genetic codes. But your genetic codes are can be like a mirror that you look yourself are his 21st century son. You have great time reversed – you do code anything from your University of Medical and your past in. You can identify your to distinguish and overcome your weakness genetic machinery. You can code perseverance, mistakes and failures (obstacles), and and failure. Science. attention and so on to fight with challenges and you can strengthen your inner machine If you look at your previous years, defeat the failures. Prove yourself that you can to move towards your future much more you will find some achievements that you make much better than him in 21st century. confidently (opportunities). have got. That is it. Those achievements One thing that should be clarified despite being simple, small or less valuable,

Page 2 | Saturday, May 18, 2019 | Vol. 4, No, 97 Personal Story: Autobiography

My Learning Experience at Star’s Teacher Training Class

By Fakher Ahmad Amirzad

“Join us for a difference” is the Pejorative, and Slang), Summarization teaching how to write (Product Approach, motto which inspired me to join Star versus Paraphrasing, Root and Affix, Skills Process Approach, and Genre Approach), Educational Society in late 2008. Taking (Productive and Receptive), etc. these Kinds of Writing (Expository Writing, the placement test, I qualified for are the key elements that the students of Narrative Writing, Persuasive Writing, studying Junior Beginner. Before long Teacher Training Class should learn in Descriptive Writing, and Creative Writing), I could enhance my English skills at order to become a perspicacious English etc. I found these elements very essential Star Educational Society while studying instructor. for being a great English teacher. During English. After graduation from Star Having a satisfactory teaching method the time I was at Star’s Teacher’s Training in 2011, I had the honor of teaching is one of the features that a great teacher Class, I could learn how to teach English English in various Educational Centers has to have. At Star’s Teacher Training Class, grammar, how to interact with different in Kabul. During that time, I have taught I had the honor of studying Contrast among kinds of students (learners) inside the class, different levels including elementary and Teachers and Lecturers, Steps of Learning, how to build confidence among students, intermediate levels. To be honest, the Kinds of Learning (Verbal and Non-verbal), how to use language awareness, how to honor of teaching English was gifted by TLA (Teacher Language awareness), SLA teach students to write for the first time, Star Educational Society’s great teachers (Student Language awareness), seven Kinds and how to teach students to speak English and decent learning system. In late 2016, of Learners (Visual Learner, Aural Learner, fluently. I joined Star’s Teacher Training Class Social Learner, Logical Learner, Physical Star is proud of having over 60000 where not only I improved my English Learner, Verbal Learner, and Solitary alumni during the past twenty years skills, but also enhanced my teaching About the author: Learner), Tips of Teaching Grammar, where thousands of its alumni majored Fakher Ahmad Amirzad is skills. Grammar Teaching Approaches (Direct and have been majoring in various As an English instructor, having Approaches, Functional Approaches, and universities throughout the world. Over current English instructor enough knowledge on English grammar Communicative Approaches), Arguments 100 Fulbrighters learned English at Star at Star’s A Branch. He is prominent. If a teacher is not skillful against Grammar Instruction, Arguments Educational Society. Moreover, many earned a BA in Computer enough in the related field of teaching, for Grammar Instruction, , Toulmin professional English instructors have been Science from Shahid he/she will not be able to convey what Argument (Claim, Ground, Warrant, trained at Star. Star is a place where you can should be taught to students. A student Backing, Rebuttal, and Qualification), build not only a brighter future, but also a Prof. Rabbani Education in the Teacher Training Class should Kinds of Warrant (GASCAP), Logical Fallacy more decent personality. Star has changed University. He has been an have good knowledge of basic as well as ( Ad Hominem Argument, Band Wagon many lives. If you want to make your way active volunteer for many advance English grammar. According Fallacy, Hasty Generalization, Begging the to success and change your life, join Star civil activities. He plans to to syllabus of Star’s Teacher Training Question, Either/or Fallacy, Red Herring, Educational Society for a difference. Join study his Master’s degree Class I experienced, the students are Slippery Slope, Faulty Cause and Effect, Star’s Teacher Training Class for enhancing required to learn Kinds of Formal Words Appeal to Tradition, False Analogy, Appeal your English proficiency and teaching in Software Engineering (Collocation, Register, and Jargon), to False Authority, and Straw man), Pathos, skills. Sell your professional self at Star abroad. Kinds of Informal Words (Taboo, Ethos, Logos, General Approaches for Educational Society.

| Saturday, May 18, 2019 | Vol. 4, No, 97 Page 3 News OVER A CENTURY OF PERSECUTION: MASSIVE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION AGAINST HAZARAS IN AFGHANISTAN By M. Hussain Hasrat - Published from: http://www.hazarapeople.com

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Hazaras of Afghanistan has suffered target of around 30 suicide and orchestrated losing of more than a thousand deaths attacks by the Taliban and IS-KP in various and injured during the National Unity public places such as schools, education Government (NUG) in last five years. centers, mosques, stores, and streets during Almost all suicide and orchestrated demonstration and religious ceremonies only attacks along with various target killing, in past five years. Kidnapping, beheading, beheading and kidnapping have been road blockage and direct massive attacks by proclaimed by the Taliban and Islamic the Taliban and IS-KP were of those horrific State-Khorasan Province (IS-PK). It incidents which are never bounded to merely surpluses the blatant discrimination the NUG reign period. Although Hazaras of Afghan government and unclear encountered persecution and systematic security prospect steaming from rapid discrimination in their chronicle for more reemergence of the Taliban and new anti- than a century, however their well-founded Hazaras radical groups such as IS-PK fear was provoked once the NUG blatantly across the country. sidelined them from national economic, As stated frequently by Hazara activists education, security and political decision in and outside Afghanistan, immense and making in various levels. Rerouting of increasing human rights violation is not electricity power line, higher education quota one and only Hazaras’ concern, rather proposal and constant negligence of dozen the central question is Hazaras’ survival target attacks against Hazaras were of many by and large. This question particularly those examples occurred during the NUG roused public alarms for the majority of which fascinated national and international Hazaras after they changed to the main medias’ coverage.

The Deadly Dare Game of Life in Afghanistan

By Poya Safdari

was aiming to cure the untold pain of her father and dreaming big for doing her part in Afghanistan›s government to callous and refine the fragile government of Afghanistan. She graduates school with the highest ranking of GPA, teaches at the same school after her graduation for two years, and later on, after passing the public university entrance exam, she soon gets a scholarship for her bachelor studies in India which is not so common in Afghanistan to let a girl move abroad for studying. By the elapse of time, Najiba graduates from India. Soon after her return, she was offered a job in Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan. Her curiosity and enthusiasm toward education have not ended with the bachelor’s degree; hence, she gets a scholarship for pursuing her master studies in Japan. She successfully ends up this period of Poya Safdary is a former instructor of C her studies and returns back to Afghanistan branch at Star Educational Society - he and gets to work back to her ex-office in is a brilliant writer and an advocate of a higher position. But all these endeavors women rights. He is also a star alumnus come to an end within a second that is even who graduated from Star Educational unimaginable; the morning when she left Society A branch and attended teacher home for work riding on her office›s bus, after training in the year 2015. Poya has some miles, a car gets crashed to the bus on travelled to India several times and has which Najiba and her colleagues were sitting; attended many women rights forums. He the heavy voice of blast fills everywhere is a peace activist and is currently busy around; the glasses were broken, birds get doing his masters, he is working for a silent on the sky, street gets red, and the Google partner company as a part time suffocating smell blows around, within this employee. scenario, Najiba›s life turns to its end. Yes, just within a second. This is how life is a deadly dare game in Afghanistan. «The loss at last ninety minutes, indemnifying in extra time», is the title This is not the only story, there are hundreds of a reporting article which narrates of untold stories; hundreds of Najiba are the heartbreaking story of a girl in killed, lost their lives in the explosion, Afghanistan who pushed herself to kidnapped, and shot. The stories which are overcome the poverty of her family, built with toil, endeavors, and travails, but went to school with the enthusiasm turned to the end just within a second and while carrying the affliction of her aged buried forever. Here is that the reporter said father whose ragged hands is the sign that living in Afghanistan is «Loss at ninety of endeavors in a dry, mountainous, minutes, indemnifying in extra time», and it and a deprived village. Simply, she is a deadly dare game.

| Saturday, May 18, 2019 | Vol. 4, No, 97 Page 4 News Hazaras Gripped by Religious Extremism in Balochistan More than 2,000 Hazaras have been killed since 2004, with the latest deadly attack on April 12.

By Maisam Iltaf

Pakistan’s Hazara community had peace for roughly one year before terror broke out again. On Friday, 55 Hazara vegetable vendors said a routine goodbye to their loved ones, not realizing the danger that would come next. Minutes after arriving at Hazarganji market, a bomb detonated among burlap sacks of potatoes, taking at least 16 lives – and any hopes of returning back to their loved ones. The blast turned the blue sky grey with bits of dust and potatoes floating in the air. For ’s nearly 1 million Hazaras, the incident also carried the eerie sense of lurid déjà vu. Sadly, it is neither the start nor the end of the bloodshed in their ghettoish enclave of , Balochistan. Years of systematic persecution have forced Pakistan’s Hazaras into two ghettos in Pakistan’s largest province of Balochistan: Mari Abad and districts. They have been targets of suicide attacks and targeted killing for decades now. Even the 11.6 kilometer distance via Spini Road that connects the two districts has proven deadly. According to a report by Pakistan’s National Pakistani Shiite families from Hazara community chant slogans during a sit-in protest to condemn Friday’s suicide bombing, in Quetta, Commission for Human Rights, more than Pakistan, April 13, 2019. 2,000 Hazaras have been killed since 2004.* While hundreds of Hazaras across state in 1947, the country’s leaders have SSP leaders proclaimed that Pakistani Balochistan, the epicenter for these Balochistan’s coastal belt have been forced to played on religious sentiments as a means military and intelligence had advised them repeated massacres, has sustained various flee to southern cities of Pakistan, reportedly of strengthening national identity. That in 2016 “to tone down their inflammatory, hate campaigns against the Hazara 70,000 others have taken a precarious includes attempting to breed and manage anti-Shia language but maintain their basic community, both the central government migration route to countries such as Australia militant Islamism and “trying to calibrate it policy.” In another example, LeJ leader and the army have persistently failed to in a bid of better and safer life. Despite the so that it serves the state’s nation-building Ramazan Mengal was freed by the authorities apprehend attackers or prosecute members increased installation of Frontier Corps (FC) function,” as former Pakistani ambassador two days before the Friday attack despite of militant groups, including LeJ, that and checkpoints erected after 2013, Hazaras Husain Haqqani put it. General Zia-ul Haq’s Mengal’s admission of killing tens of Hazaras, have claimed responsibility for numerous have continued to be targeted almost “Islamization,” for example, gave rise to and serious allegations of human rights attacks against the Hazara community. everywhere in Balochistan. Safety has yet to a devastating extremism that penetrated violations. Unless the Pakistani army and government return to the city of “walking dead” and peace both the social and political fabric, resulting Likewise, groups like LeJ, which has its take all necessarily concrete measures with remains nothing but a dream. in religious intolerance, social hatred, roots in Punjab, have continued to organize courageous political reforms to stop that “Sunni extremists have targeted Hazara and sectarianism, and a fragmented and public and free-spoken anti-Shiite rallies, campaign of violence, it will, unfortunately, with guns and bombs while they participate polarized society. In the mid-1980s, its impact particularly against the Hazara community continue to take tolls on the Hazara in religious processions, pray in mosques, resonated and lingered in Balochistan’s in Pakistan. A video from one such rally on community of Pakistan. travel to work, or just go about daily life,” homegrown radical-extremist groups, which Mezan Chowk in Quetta shows LeJ leaders said Brad Adams, director of the Asia division view Hazara Shiites as “heretics.” One such freely chanting “Shiite Kafir” slogans, *A previous version of this piece misstated at Human Rights Watch. “There is no travel example is the Sunni extremist group Sipah- threatening to “wipe out the entire [Shiite] the timeframe of the National Commission route, no shopping trip, no school run, no e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), which begot a Hazara community,” while FC personnel and for Human Rights’ report. work commute that is safe for the Hazara. The vicious offshoot known as Lashkar-e-Jangvi police are seen roaming around the rally. government’s failure to put an end to these (LeJ). Though the SSP was banned in 2002 Under the aegis of some senior Baloch tribal attacks is as shocking as it is unacceptable.” by the then-Musharraf government, it was leaders, especially of the Raisani and Mengal The Hazara community has tried all possible subsequently re-established under the new tribes, groups like LeJ have built several means to make their demands for justice, title of Ahl-e Sunnat Wal Jama’at (ASWJ) later. madrasa cells by enticing locals to join their protection, and security heard: from sit-ins As Husain Haqqani writes: Islamist-extremist militancy. It is said that LeJ in the cold and heat to worldwide protests; [T]he effort to create national cohesion madrasas have even stretched to southern from knocking on government doors to between Pakistan’s disparate ethnic and Punjab in Mastung, the heart of the territory searing hunger strikes. Sad to say, however, linguistic groups through religion assumed controlled by the Raisani tribe. Beyond the none of these efforts have borne fruit – even greater significance, and its manifestations physical attacks, there are plentiful threats the international community has turned became more militant. Religious groups, and hate slogans directed at the Hazara blind eyes to their plight. In May 2018, armed or unarmed, gradually became more community; hateful slogans chalked on walls, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar declared that powerful as a result of this alliance between death threats delivered on social media, and Hazaras were effectively undergoing “ethnic the mosque and the military. Radical and distribution of anti-Hazara printed leaflets cleansing” at the hands of extremist groups violent manifestations of Islamic ideology, across the province. and called for serious actions. Later that year which sometimes appear to threaten For too long, Pakistan’s Hazara community Pakistan’s chief of army staff, General Qamar Pakistan’s stability even today, can be seen in has been facing systematic persecution in About the author: Javed Bajwa, paid a personal visit to meet the some ways as a state project gone awry. the form of mass attacks, targeted killings, Maisam Iltaf is a Kabul-based leaders of the community, promising them Although LeJ has been labelled by Pakistan’s intimidation, and egregious abuse – all researcher and human rights protection and security. In practice, however, Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) as one because of their ethnicity and religion. While activist. He is the co-founder they have defaulted on those promises. That of the country’s “most virulent terrorist the perpetrators slaughter Hazaras with of Rahila Educational and implies either incapability, indifference, or organizations,” and proscribed by the United an air of confidence that defies the law, the Resources Center (RERC), and possible complicity with the extremists. States, doubts remain about the severity of the international community excites their plight a contributor to Global Voices. Since Pakistan’s evolution as an independent crackdown on such groups. In one interview, through their silence.

Page 5 | Saturday, May 18, 2019 | Vol. 4, No, 97 Star Related Introduction to Level Six By Zakaria Khaleqi, Star Educational Society’s A branch manager and of the most experienced and senior instructors

These are the pictures of a Level Six class American File 3, each student is assigned to at “A” Branch of Star Educational Society. This read a book of their favorite, write a review upper-intermediated course is designed to of the book to the teacher and talk about it improve students’ four skills with the main in small groups. This course covers some of concentration on reading and speaking. The the very widely used and useful grammatical main book applied in this level is American points like Participles, Subjunctive, File 3, which contains four skills of English Correlative Conjunctions, Transition Words language with crucial tips on sentence stress, and some other mini grammatical points. word stress, sentence structure and native Studying this course, students are fully accent and pronunciation. This course prepared for Pre-Advance and Advance lasts for 35 days and in addition to studying packages offered at Star Educational Society.

Tajalla Abedy’s Autobiography

I am Tajalla Abedy. I was born in Helmand province of Afghanistan. When I was 6 years old, I was sent to school, a governmental school and a school where the only language for speaking, teaching and getting along with others was Pashto. My first problem with school was my native language, which is Persian while the most popular language in Helmand is Pashto, of which I didn’t know even a single word. It went on like this for 3 years. After the third year of my school, another school teaching in Persian got established, so I left the governmental school and started going to the private one. When I entered there, I saw everyone speaking in my native language; teachers were teaching in Persian. I got amazed by that and it was wonderful for me. I studied in that school for one year. Then security situation in Helmand was getting worse day by day, so my parents decided to leave there and move to a safer place, Jaghori, a district in Ghazni. All the people there had the same culture as we did. After half a year, I started my school goal in my life for the first time to succeed in to the capital city of Afghanistan, Kabul. I beating faster than its normal days, I could and I remember very well the day that I was Kabul University one day. enrolled in an educational center whose each succeed in the place where I set as my goal busy playing with other kids. The daughter of I finished my secondary and high school in class of kankor consisted of more than 800 many years ago. one of our neighbors came to me and said, our village and it was kind of tough because students. For me the best timing for having Starting going to University was a new “Today is the first day of our school; don’t you every day we were walking for 40 minutes the best teachers was 5:00-7:00 p.m. which chapter in my life that I had to live in an want to go with me?” As soon as I heard it, I with school uniform in the direct sunlight to was hard for a girl to go by herself at that time. all completely different environment. followed her with no scarf, no formal dress get to school, but with all struggles, I managed I finished the course and went to Ghazni for I have found many new friends, I have and no clean shoes. I really was curious to see to pass the school with a great percentage of the university entrance exam which made me experienced the most important progress my new school. 99.89%. stay for four days in a city where I knew no in my life there and through which I have When I was in 6th grade, I came to Kabul for After finishing school, there was a big challenge one. improved. the first time with my father to participate in a waiting for all students of Afghanistan which After taking my Kankor Entrance Exam, I Now, I am a senior at university as a student wedding party. In that journey, I visited Kabul was University entrance exam. In order to get waited for 3 months until the results were of Building Construction Management. University as well and it caused that I set my preparation for that, I left Ghazni and came announced. Checking my score with a heart

Page 6 | Saturday, May 18, 2019 | Vol. 4, No, 97 Literary Security: Our Prime Need in Afghanistan by Mohammad Zaki Zaki

The prime necessity of society The last reverie of wounded warriors The refrain of citizens disabled by war The title of our poem and discussion Security, which brings safety Without unity and security There is no country The abysmal sound of bombs blasting destroys our sleep No city to live The plaint of distressed mothers is insufferable No safety The piercing sound of orphans is horrible No profession The funeral of young soldiers is intolerable No place to work together The bloody coffin of our wounded army is painful No blame to be wrong We’ve lost security When the motto of peace speaks up The people look optimistic for agreement in Qatar Children begin to dance They impatiently expect……. People commence to smile To eliminate the name of terror and violence The country starts to reconstruct To eliminate massacre and slaughter To determine the development of our homeland When peace exists A rich man can help the poor We miss affability A teacher can teach students We’ve lost egalitarianism A breadwinner can work safely We yearn for literacy A bird can fly strikingly We want to be safe A woman can walk freely

Why does peace seem impossible in our homeland? Men, women, young and elders Why can’t we feel its perception? Hoping to fly the dove of peace in the gloomy sky of Afghanistan Why is the hiding place of some terrorist groups Anticipate enjoying the beauty of peace Afghanistan? The answers appear unknown Men need tranquility to get educated Women want peace not to be stoned anymore But when folks speak about peace Adolescents need peace to make their future stunning In surprise All need unity to live together My heart starts to beat My eyes begin to tear Mothers will smile with this good news for their descendants My lips commence to smile Fathers smile to see happiness in their kids’ faces My body starts to tremble Youths dream not to hear just the motto of peace The desire for security A holy phenomenon is missed in our motherland Residing powerfully in my dreams

About the Poet: Mohammad Zaki Zaki is a Star alumnus and former instructor at Star›s Daikondi branch. He graduated from the Geoscience Faculty of Kabul University.

| Saturday, May 18, 2019 | Vol. 4, No, 97 Page 7 Editor-in-Chief: Ali Reza Yasa Editorial support: ROYA Online Writing Center and Rajab Ali Ahmadi Designer: GhulamReza [email protected] Distribution: Najibullah Malikpoor ------+93785103920 B Branch: Abdul Rahman ------+93744046052 C Branch: Jafar Musafer ------+93708457453 D Branch: Sakhi Naseri ------+93779618550 E Branch: Abbas Irshad ------+93771040235 H Branch: Latif Shafayee ------+93746134962 Bamyan: Essa Omid ------+93773609598 Daikundi: Rajab Ali Sazgar ------+93775230756 www.star.edu.af Ghazni: Essa Jamal ------+93787126362 [email protected] Institute: Khalil Baha ------+93789063723

Add: Star Avenue, Sabiqa Stop, Dehburi, Kabul A Branch Phone: +93744563755 / +93785103920 Saturday, May 18, 2019 Vol. 4, No, 97 “Mothers Over Nangarhar” An interview with Pamela Hart, award-winning writer

Interviewer’s note: It was an honor to interview Pamela Hart, American professional writer, as she has been a very kind, patient, and helpful person to me, and has helped many people in their writings and the promotion of their poetry talents. Recently, she published a book named «Mothers Over Nangarhar», telling the story of several families of soldiers who fought in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. This book provides an insight on war from these families’ points of view, as well as describing feelings, thoughts, and concerns of parents who had to see their sons and daughters deployed to Afghanistan. Considering this book as a masterpiece of poetry, it is without any reservation that I recommend it to any reader looking for other perspectives on these conflicts.

Please tell us a little about yourself. I Nangarhar, is my attempt to make sense of we did revisions and editing together. Editor’s note: am a poet and teacher of poetry. I actually the experience of my son enlisting in the US Since you like to travel, how did traveling In addition to her answers, Pamela Hart work in a small art museum that is in a Army, which was an unusual thing he did inspire your writings? I had a very emotional wanted to share the following poem: town north of New York City, close to where after he graduated from college. The book experience traveling to the country of Vietnam “Jalalabad”. As she explains, “It is a I live. I teach poetry writing at this museum. also depicts the voices of other people with several years ago. This was another country kind of poem known as a ‘prose poem,” Formerly, I was a newspaper reporter but family members in the military and how where the United States had been engaged in because it looks like prose more than I have not done that work in years. Also I difficult that can be. a war. It was very impactful for me to really poetry.” am married. I have three grown children Why did you want to write about soldiers see how the people of Vietnam experienced – two sons and my daughter. I love to read in Afghanistan? I started writing my poems the war, which ended more than 40 years ago. and write of course. Also I am a runner and for this book when my son joined the Army. I have written some poems about this. JALALABAD a few years ago I participated in two half- I was writing every morning. Plus I read What do you think of your students› By Pamela Hart marathons! My husband and I also really many history books and other books about writings, and especially the Afghan poets like to travel. Last year we traveled all the war. Also I read poetry about war. I studied you are working with? My students write Falling asleep I say the word way to Mongolia. We went fishing there! We war and war poetry. I noticed there were not with energy and enthusiasm. The students Jalalabad. My tongue rolling over the toured the Gobi Desert. I was lucky enough many books from the point of view of familes I teach in America at the museum where I syllables of the name of the city. The to meet an important Mongolian poet too who had children or spouses or parents who work are young. Their imaginations are filled aaas and lllls like bedtime prayers. and learn about their poetry. were soldiers. with ideas. I very much enjoy showing them The word a secret in my mouth that What inspired you to start writing In what context do you feel like writing? how to access their imaginations through streams across lake through the poems? What inspired me to write poems The feeling of writing is always with me. I words and poetry. For the poets I work with night. Jalalabad says a coyote. I am is that I love words and ideas, but I am not think about words all the time. I try to write from Afghanistan, I am so impressed with late for everything because Jalalabad. so good with plots and making things up. every day, even if it is just writing down a their knowledge of English. And their skills I find it difficult to talk. In meetings, Poetry I feel is closer to journalism. It’s not dream from the night or a description of a as writers and poets are powerful and strong. other words seem dissonant. Hours like fiction writing or novels. I think poetry book I am reading. Sometimes I take walks I wish I knew how to speak or read Farsi or later I lose track in the canned helps me look closely at the world and my and talk into my smartphone, which turns my Dari. I wish I knew more about the poetry of goods aisle. By dinner, Jalalabad is life, to pay attention, to notice carefully, and speech into text. I call this walking writing. Afghanistan. an ancient desert city at the foot of to think and write with imagination and the Khyber Pass, fed by rivers, with a Sometimes, these long passages can turn into You told me that you like to visit empathy about what is around me. a poem. highway from Kabul to Peshawar. It’s Afghanistan. Do you plan to visit this country, a centerpiece on the kitchen table. How would you define «Mothers Over The deepness of your poems makes me or do you have any other plan in mind? If I Nangarhar»? My book, Mothers Over It is orange and pomegranate. And believe that someone close to you has been were to travel to Afghanistan, I would like to soldiers near helicopters. I clean the to Afghanistan. Is that the case? My son has meet some of the writers and poets I have sink. A sense of place is important to been to Afghanistan as a soldier in the Army been helping and editing. I would like to see a reader. Jalalabad, sing my hands. but I have never been there. I would very where the beautiful Buddhists statues used to much like to visit your country, which looks be. And to see some of the lovely landscapes beautiful and complicated. of the country of Afghanistan. Previously, you said that you have never For my plans of poetry writing, I am already been to Afghanistan. So how did you get to working on poems for my next book. This is a know the Afghan Women›s Writing Project, book of poems exploring the neuroscience of and why did you choose to edit their the brain and trau