Home for a Year; A New Home for Han
10 May 08
Afghanistan Without a Clue (AWAC) was created in August 2006 to chronicle my adventures on a one-year tour in Afghanistan. In February of 2007 fellow military members started contributing, and it became a massive job producing daily posts. Most of us returned home in May 07. I will keep AWAC running to provide information for folks deploying to Afghanistan, as well as for new readers who recently discovered the joys of the AWAC world. I’ll post occasionally so the old-timers can keep tabs on my adjustment to life in the states, as well as any news I receive from Kabul. If you are new to AWAC, the best thing is to start from the beginning. Just wander over to the archives (they are over there to the left) and enjoy. Be warned, there is a huge amount of stuff over there. Do not read near fire or flame.
Yes, there is a good reason for this photo of Iron Man
So much to write about this week, and all of it is tied to Afghanistan! Refreshing, as most of my posts lately have little, if anything to do with it. First, this is the one-year anniversary of my return home. Yes, exactly one year ago today I was reunited with my family. It has flown by, and now I am eligible to deploy again. I think it is unlikely I would get tagged again, since I am retiring, but it is still possible. It is also possible the Air Force could invoke a stop-loss again. If this happens, personnel are not allowed to retire or separate, due to manning shortages. Even if I retire, it is possible to be recalled to active duty, should things get serious enough. Bottom line, it ain’t over, even if it’s over.
Han and his boys
Remember Han, one of our interpreters back at the Central Movement Agency? I just got word that he immigrated to the United States! That’s all the details for now, but it is great to hear he finally made it, and I hope to see him someday.
I’ve watched two movies this week that both feature Afghanistan. First, I highly recommend Iron Man, easily the best super hero movie ever (yes, even better than the first Spiderman or the first Batman). A good chunk of it takes place in or is tied to Afghanistan. The other is Charlie Wilson’s War, which is all about Afghanistan and our efforts to drive the Soviets out, and then how we dropped the ball afterward. A must see for anyone interested in the beginnings of the endless conflict over there.
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During one of our many discussions, Hamid wondered if he would be happy in America.
“I think I might not be happy there. If I beat my wife, they will throw me in jail.”
I was surprised to hear this from him, and agreed that they would throw him in jail, as well they should. Once he figured out I was not in favor of wife-beating, he never mentioned it again. I assumed this was just another Afghan thing, as Hamid would call it. But last night, as I read the Qur’an, I came across this most illuminating passage, Chapter (Sura) 4, verse 34:
Men have authority over women because God has made one superior to the other, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient. They guard their unseen parts because God has guarded them. As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them, forsake them in beds apart, and beat them. Then if they obey you, take no further action against them. God is high, supreme.
This explains a great deal. Hamid was simply doing God’s will, or least, he would be. Every American should read the Qur’an. If you want to know why people think the way they do, why they act the way they do, it certainly helps to read their holy books. Just read Sura 4, and you will understand why women are treated as inferior to men – according to the Qur’an, they are. And while it is true the Bible is guilty of the same thing (depending on one’s interpretation), I don’t recall any verse that says it’s OK for a man to beat his wife. Maybe I missed it, but I don’t think so.
Sura 4 (verse 56) also lets us know what awaits in hell. God will burn your skin off, and then regenerate it, and burn it off again, for eternity. Hell is mentioned a great deal. It is a heavily recurring theme, and little room for interpretation is left. It’s real, it’s eternal, and it involves burning. Forever.
Of course, the Bible teaches the same thing, but in such a way that some interpret it figuratively. The Qur’an leaves no room for doubt. None.
For those of you serious about knowing what matters to Muslims, I recommend The Koran, translated by N.J. Dawood. It is in modern English, not King James English. Considering that we are at war in two countries where the Qur’an is central to everything, it would be criminal NOT to read it. All of you, get a copy, and start reading. Don’t let others (or me) tell you what it says; read it yourself.
