Selden Spencer

Candidate for Congress

Iowa (IA-04)

 

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Culture Shock:

It’s Enough to “Make the Western World Cringe”

I’m still kind of spent from being sick last week, but I did get a chance to talk with a few people, and I thought I’d share the conversations with you.

There are two very interesting cultural differences in Afghanistan that would make the western world cringe. The first has to deal with the educational system here in Afghanistan. I met a man by the name of Byron Greene. He is the director of a private school called ISKabul. The school is trying to present an affordable alternative to the state and religious schools. He notes that the Afghan students are very respectful but have a big problem with cheating. From his perspective, the goal is to get the grade by whatever means. He believes that the shame of doing poorly on a test is worse than the shame of getting caught cheating. It is hard to generalize, but that is his perspective from the past 3 years.

He also understands the threats to some of his students. One family had received written threats but continued to send their students to the school, even though they knew a certain vehicle had been following them. Eventually the police were able to intercept this vehicle, and the threat ended.

Nonetheless he knows of two students who have had their fathers kidnapped, one of whom is still unaccounted for. He feels the future of Afghanistan is offering this kind of character-building and critical-thinking education for future leaders. I hope he is right.

The second cultural difference is the role women play in the society. In Afghanistan, as in other Muslim countries, it is right and proper for a man to have more than one wife. The prophet Mohammed had many. It is a sign of prestige to have more than one. I met a woman named Nancy, who works with a co-op of women called “Helping Hands.” Their clientele are women who are discarded after the second wife moves in. They are shunned in their own house and often asked to leave. This co-op offers them the opportunity to develop skills and to earn money in their now destitute state.

Nancy also went on about violence to wives and the very limited number of shelters that are available in the provinces. On the other hand, she plays volleyball with some expatriates who routinely square off with the Afghanistan national women’s volleyball team. At least on some level Afghan women are indeed making progress.

-Selden