Rangina Hamidi - Afghanistan: Past & Present

Program Title: Rangina Hamidi - Afghanistan: Past & Present
Description: It may surprise you, but more than two millennia ago, Afghanistan, land of the Afghans, was a major center of Buddhism. Situated on the fabled Silk Road, this mountainous landlocked country has an old and rich history and culture with great poets like Raabia Balkhi, Khushal Khattak, and most renowned of all, Rumi. Afghanistan has been called “the graveyard of empires.” Just ask the British, the Russians and the Americans. Today, it is ruled by the Taliban, notorious for their rigid brand of Islam. The situation in the country is bleak. It is under sanctions. Hunger and poverty are widespread. Violence, though reduced, continues. Education for girls is limited. Ahmed Rashid, author of the bestseller Taliban warns, “Unless the Taliban are prepared to moderate their policies Afghanistan will remain the fulcrum of unrest and turbulence in Central Asia for years to come.”

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Featured Speakers/Guests: Rangina Hamidi was born in Kandahar, Afghanistan. In 1981, she emigrated to Pakistan and then to the U.S. in 1988. She returned to Afghanistan in 2003. She worked to better the lives of Afghans, particularly women and girls through development projects and most importantly, education. She was the last Minister of Education of Afghanistan before the Taliban came to power. She is co-author of the book Embroidering within Boundaries: Afghan Women Creating a Future.

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Topic: Politics Type: Interview

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