Afghan Refugees and the History of Conflict in Afghanistan

Homework Instructions and Course Context

• This lecture covers the material required for week $18$ homework.

• Students are required to take notes on this lecture using pen and paper, a Surface (OneNote), a Word document, or on the homework document itself.

• Notes must be uploaded to week $18$ on Canvas along with the answers to the four assigned homework questions to receive credit.

• Due to time constraints, the topic of Afghan refugees will be covered via this recorded lecture rather than in-person class time.

Defining Immigrants vs. Refugees

• Big Question: How did Afghan refugees adapt to their new life in America?

• Immigrants: Individuals who choose to come to a country for specific reasons or opportunities.     * Chinese Immigrants: Came willingly to find gold and better opportunities.     * Japanese Immigrants: Moved for better-paying jobs compared to those available in Japan.     * Filipino Immigrants: Immigrated to the United States primarily as US nationals.

• Refugees: Individuals who do not have a choice and are pushed out of their own country.     * Many refugees desire to return to their homeland but are unable to do so due to ongoing war or conflict in the region.     * Afghan refugees serve as a primary example of this classification.

Principal Study Questions

• How did the conflict in Afghanistan push refugees out of Kabul (the capital city)?

• How did Afghan refugees integrate into The United States?

• How were Afghan refugees treated post-$9/11$?

Historical Timeline of Conflict in Afghanistan ($1973$-$1979$)

• $1973$: Afghanistan was ruled by King Zaire Shah. A man named Mohammed Dawud Khan staged a coup to remove the King from power and established a constitutional republic where representatives were voted upon. A coup is defined as the act of removing or taking away someone's power or right to rule.

• $1978$: Extreme instability followed, and Mohammed Daoud Khan was ousted from power.

• $1979$: The Soviet Union (USSR) invaded Afghanistan to take advantage of the region's instability and its vast oil resources. They installed a pro-communist puppet leader named Babrak Kamal (also referred to as Babakumar) to rule under Soviet control.

Cold War Dynamics and US Strategic Interests

• The Soviet invasion increased Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union.

• Cold War Context: A struggle where the Soviets sought to expand communism while the United States viewed this as a threat to capitalism and pushed back.

• Proxy Wars: Large powers (like the US and USSR) funding and supplying the militaries of smaller countries to fight each other, representing the larger powers' goals.

• Reasons for US Concern in Afghanistan:     * Oil: Control over Middle Eastern oil allows for significant wealth and the ability to export and trade a vital global resource.     * USSR Expansion: The US aimed to prevent the rapid expansion of communism during the Cold War.     * $9/11$: Afghanistan was later believed to have harbored Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, leading to the $2002$ invasion.

Resistance and the Mujahideen

• Following the Soviet invasion, the United States allied with anti-Soviet groups based on the mentality that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

• The Mujahideen: Anti-Soviet rebel forces fighting against USSR control.

• US Support: Through the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), the US provided weapons including the AK-$47$ and the bazooka, and trained the Mujahideen to expel the Soviets.

• Fundamental Disagreements: The US supported the Mujahideen despite disagreeing with their fundamentalist religious views, which included being oppressive toward women and having incredibly strict familial rules.

• $1989$: After ten years of conflict and effective guerrilla warfare (hiding in hills to shoot down at tanks in valleys), the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan, concluding they had nothing left to gain.

The Rise and Rule of the Taliban

• The withdrawal of the Soviets created a power vacuum. The Taliban, the largest group within the Mujahideen, seized control of the country in $1996$.

• Ideology: The Taliban are fundamentalists and Islamists who follow a very strict, straightforward interpretation of the Quran and Islam as the rule of law.

• Legal Penalties: Examples include cutting off hands for theft or stoning for adultery.

• Oppressive Policies (1996-2001):     * Women were barred from receiving an education.     * Women were forced to wear burqas (garments covering the body from head to toe).     * Movies and standard entertainment were banned.     * Men were forced to wear beards.     * Public executions were held in the major stadium in Kabul.     * The Sunni fundamentalist militia brutalized those who did not follow their edicts.

September $11$, $2001$, and the US Invasion

• On September $11$, $2001$, four planes were hijacked by the terrorist organization Al Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden.     * Two planes struck the World Trade Center (North and South Towers).     * One plane hit the Pentagon.     * United Airlines flight $93$ crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers wrestled control from the hijackers.

• Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost (note: context suggests the speaker may mean total affected or a general high number; standard historical counts relate specifically to the $2,977$ victims).

• Because the US identified ties between Al Qaeda and the Taliban, the US invaded Afghanistan in $2002$ to overthrow the Taliban government.

The US Withdrawal in $2021$ and Resulting Chaos

• The US military stayed in Afghanistan for $20$ years ($2001$-$2021$).

• President Biden enacted a withdrawal of troops, following a campaign promise originally made by the Trump administration.

• The Fall of Kabul: The capital fell to the Taliban faster than analysts expected, leading to mass panic.

• Evacuation Chaos:     * Afghans rushed to the airport, scaling walls and crowding planes to escape.     * Many US-affiliated interpreters were left behind despite their help translating for the US military.     * Anecdote: A $13$-year-old member of the Afghan National Youth Soccer Team clung to the wheel of a departing Air Force plane. He lost consciousness at a high altitude and fell to his death.

The Afghan Refugee Crisis

• Approximately $5,900,000$ Afghan refugees have left the country.

• Pakistan Refugee Camps: Many fled to Pakistan but were forced into border camps with makeshift tents, piled-up trash, and lack of sanitary water. They were not allowed into larger cities.

• US Admissions: About $240,000$ arrived in $2007$, but only about $90,000$ have been admitted since $2021$.

Life in America: "Little Kabul" and Cultural Integration

• Afghan refugees established communities known as "Little Kabul" or "Little Couple," most notably in Fremont, California (Bay Area).

• Cultural Markers:     * Building mosques for Muslim worship.     * Opening grocery markets and restaurants selling Afghan goods and food.     * Celebrating Neruz (also spelled Neluz), the Afghan New Year, with large family meals.

• Challenges:     * Post-$9/11$ questioning regarding associations with terrorism.     * Being viewed as "un-American."     * Reliance on welfare programs due to language barriers.     * Intergenerational Conflict: Young refugees felt torn between elders who wanted to preserve original culture and the desire to embrace American culture.

Assimilation vs. Integration

• Assimilation: Giving up parts of one's original culture to fit into America.     * Example: Irish and Jewish immigrants giving up Yiddish or Hebrew for English, or changing their names to sound more American.

• Integration: Retaining one's unique original culture while including it in the broader American fabric.     * Example: Afghan refugees keeping their specific traditions, markets, and foods while thriving within the United States.

• Discussion Prompt: Students are asked to consider whether assimilation or integration is the better or more effective option.

Final Exam Information

• Final exams take place on the last two days of class.

• A comprehensive review session will be held on May $16$ from $2:00$ to $5:00$ in LOCADE $209$.

• Attendance at the review is optional but recommended as it will take approximately $3$ to $3.5$ hours to cover all materials.