REPORT FROM CENTRAL ASIA with Duane Lacey and Faryal Haidary

This month Point of Learning presents a special double episode: 1) a philosophy professor who in August 2021 became the unofficial liaison for Afghan students at the American University of Central Asia (AUCA) in Kyrgyzstan amid the chaotic U.S. withdrawal, and 2) an Afghan grad student who earned two degrees at AUCA. Dr. Duane Lacey starts the show, describing how poetry and philosophy saved him in high school (where I met him, back in New Jersey, USA). He also shares his personal experience of 9/11 in NYC that propelled him to want to dwell in and understand Muslim cultures—as well as some of what he’s learned along the way. Duane is a professor of philosophy at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. With interests ranging from Ancient Greek philosophy and mathematics to the philosophy of science, Duane's first college appointment was at St. John's College in Maryland, but he quickly set his sights east, working for a time in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia before serving as a professor at the United Arab Emirates University in Abu Dhabi for five years. Since 2013 he has taught philosophy at AUCA.

Faryal Haidary, M.A., in an example of traditional Afghan dress, which, as she explains in our conversation, she usually only wears for special occasions.

Faryal Haidary talks with me for the second half of the show, sharing her experience of U.S. involvement with Afghanistan, her views on the value of education, and her uncertainty about the future of her home country. Faryal was born in Kabul, Afghanistan at the height of the Taliban's initial rule between 1996-2001. She attended school through 12th grade in Afghanistan, after which she pursued her studies at the American University of Central Asia in Kyrgyzstan, where she earned a B.A. in Psychology and a Master's degree in Sociology. AUCA is also where she met Duane as her professor for Introduction to Philosophy, and I am very grateful to him for introducing Faryal to me. She and I spoke the night of September 13th, Buffalo time, which was the morning of September 14th in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. I mention the date because things change so rapidly. Faryal refers several times to the courageous resistance being waged in Panjshir, one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. Today it's very hard to know what's going on. In late August, as the battles were heating up, the Taliban disabled internet and mobile phone services in the province, effectively cutting off the residents not only from the rest of the country and the world, but also from themselves.

Faryal was featured on another podcast recently, and it was so good I need to mention it. Hosted by lawyers and law professors Claudia Flores and Tom Ginsburg, the Entitled podcast out of the University of Chicago Law School focuses on “why rights matter and what’s the matter with rights.” In a special episode that dropped on August 27, hosts and guests explored whether all Afghanistan’s women may be considered potential refugees. It’s a powerful document, and the podcast staff wisely chose to conclude with Faryal’s testimony.

HOW TO HELP AFGHANS

Lists of reputable organizations in your area are just a Google search away, of course, but I wanted to share a few that I think are doing particularly good work.

The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) website provides resources for Afghans with questions about visas, humanitarian parole, evacuation assistance, and other helpful information. There are also links for U.S. residents to volunteer through USCRI field offices and to donate to the USCRI Afghanistan Assistance Fund.

The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) has supported more than half a million refugees since 1939. As of September 2021 LIRS and its partners have received over 45,000 volunteer applications that they are processing as rapidly as they can, but opportunities to volunteer may be expected for months and years to come. Their website includes options to volunteer, donate, advocate, and teach. 

Especially if you're based in Western New York, Buffalo United for Afghan Evacuees is worth checking out. I'll be donating all the Patreon contributions to Point of Learning for the month of October to this collaboration between Catholic Charities of Buffalo, the International Institute of Buffalo, Jericho Road Community Health Center, Jewish Family Services, and Journey's End Refugee Services. (More about supporting this podcast through Patreon below!)

SPECIAL THANKS

Denver, CO-based artist Sluggy accepted my challenge to remix some traditional (and not-so-traditional) Kyrgyzstan music for the soundtrack of this episode. For this project, she drew on recordings by Nurlanbek Nyshanov, the Kambarkan Folk Ensemble, and others. Growing up on punk, hip-hop, grunge and classic rock, she currently listens to house, especially “four-on-the-floor” music heavily. She aims to blend genres as a means to integrate cultures and be accessible for a wider audience, as you’ll hear if you explore her SoundCloud page. I’m proud that once upon a time she was my student for 11th- and 12th-grade English.

Always grateful that Shayfer James grants permission for Point of Learning to use instrumental versions of his songs “Weight of the World” and “Villainous Thing” as intro and outro music. (Also proud that he also was once upon a time my student for 12th-grade English!)

The polyglot mentor I shouted out early in my discussion with Duane—the one who learned Hebrew because he perceived it as a personal challenge—was the Rev’d Calvin K. Steck. He has confirmed that I misremembered almost every detail of that story … but also believes that I nailed the spirit of it!

Thanks also to Lucas Fenton for technical support with bumper recording, and to Jenn Starrett for reconnecting me with Duane.

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