Foreign Exchange: Why did Yale slam the door on Afghan women?

Opinion Journal.com ^ | March 24, 2006 | Unsigned

[aculeus]

A statement from Yale University, defending its decision to admit former Taliban spokesman Ramatullah Hashemi, explained that he had "escaped the wreckage of Afghanistan." To anyone who is aware of the Taliban's barbaric treatment of the Afghan people, such words are offensive--as if Mr. Hashemi were not himself part of the wrecking crew. It is even more disturbing to learn that, while Mr. Hashemi sailed through Yale's admissions process, the school turned down the opportunity to enroll women who really did escape the wreckage of Afghanistan.

In 2002, Yale received a letter from Paula Nirschel, the founder of the Initiative to Educate Afghan Women. The purpose of the organization, begun in that year, was to match young women in post-Taliban Afghanistan to U.S. colleges, where they could pursue a degree. Ms. Nirschel asked Yale if it wanted to award a spot in its next entering class to an Afghan woman. Yale declined.

Yale was not alone. Of the more than 2,000 schools contacted by Mrs. Nirschel, only three signed up right away: Roger Williams University in Rhode Island, Notre Dame College in New Hampshire and the University of Montana, Missoula. Four years later, the program enrolls 20 students at 10 universities, listed in the table nearby.

[jdm]

Is the headline a joke?

Here goes...

Why did Yale slam the door on Afghan women?

Answer:

Because they weren't members of the Taliban.

Sad, but probably true.

[highlander_UW]

A statement from Yale University, defending its decision to admit former Taliban spokesman Ramatullah Hashemi, explained that he had "escaped the wreckage of Afghanistan."

Is the admin at Yale simply stupid? He didn't escape the wreckage of the Taliban...he was PART of the Taliban and the cause of that wreckage.

[JeeperFreeper]

Ahh, too bad these women couldn't run the 40 yard dash in under 5 seconds because then the universities would have given them full scholarships even though they were dumb as a box of rocks.

[tkathy]

The beaten up brutalized women of the Taliban aren't even allowed to go to school. Or they are killed, along with their teachers.

[twigs]

And what about Christians? Look at what they wish to do with a Christian in Afghanistan. Yes, I know that they say it's because he converted from Islam, but too much of their historic writing state that they want the world to become Muslim. This man was the spokesman of the very group that wants to murder this Christian. And--are radical Muslims planting Muslims on college campuses to insure that their fellow Muslims do not become Christians? What then?

[edpc]

Miss Afghanistan 2003

They could always try Cal State - Fullerton. See story below:

Vida Samadzai (Miss. Afghanistan) to compete as the first afghan woman alongside 60 other women from across the world for the Miss Earth title in Manila. She is a student at California State University - Fullerton and has a double major in Advertising and Speech Communications. Born in Afganistan she moved to the United States and became a US Citizen. She speaks five languages fluently and is involved with helping the Afghan Refugees in Pakistan. Her life ambition is to work for the United Nations and be a leader and helper for Afghan women who's rights were suppressed for over a decade.

[DancesWithBolsheviks]

Thanks for the Miss Afghanistan pic. Makes me want to start a University:)

[TNCMAXQ]

I guess this is OK with NOW, NARAL, and the advocates for women's "rights." What a joke they are.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Probably because Afghan women are uncomfortable reminders to American university feminists of just how far away their priorities are from real women's rights issues around the world. It's pretty hard to yammer about Larry Summers' comments amounting to a "holocaust against women" when survivors of a real holocaust against women are attending class down the hall.

[george76]

"Yale seems to have gotten itself into a PR quagmire."

[GovernmentShrinker]

Just to play devil's advocate here: Yale did not admit Mr. Hashemi to "pursue a degree", as Mrs. Nirschel's program requires. He has "special student" status, which means that he can register for classes and receive academic credit, but he is not a candidate for any degree from Yale. And if they had any thoughts of allowing him to switch to degree status after proving his academic ability in his initial coursework, I expect those thoughts have been erased by the avalanche of negative publicity for letting him in even as a special student.