Around mid-night on May 26th almost 82 students from the University of Kabul, the biggest university in Afghanistan, entered their 8th day of hunger strike and hundreds are supporting them. The students are Hazaras who have been oppressed for over 150 years.
When America invaded Afghanistan the first group to give their weapons to the authority was the Hazaras. Many Hazaras went to study at University. However parliamentary members within the Ministry of Education found it difficult to accept Hazaras as equals.
Teachers at Kabul University have not gone through a proper process of selection. Instead of being chosen on their capacity to teach they are selected because of a corrupt system that enables the continuation of an elite hierarchy.
The Director of Social Sciences openly makes racist comments to Hazara students and one teacher has on a number of occasions abused his position by being racist. The teachers ask young women to do sexual acts with them otherwise they won't let the girls pass the course.
Now Students of the faculty of Social Sciences are protesting and they demand that the Ministry of Education replaces the Dean of the Faculty and the teachers who have abused their students both verbally and physically. To date 82 students have gone on hunger strike for a better education. The Afghan government has remained silent.
Eradicating racial discrimination, dismissal of the Dean and a lecturer of the faculty are our demands. These demands haven't been accepted until now," Zahra Naderi, a student said.
Abdul Rahman a student said, 'We will continue our protests until our demands are accepted'.
It has been reported that many students were rushed to hospitals due to their deteriorating health conditions. http://tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/10610-kabul-university-students-on-hunger-strike-for-the-sixth-day
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Written by Aboozar Amini London Film School
Edited by Corine Dhondee SU President London Film School
