AFGHANISTAN VIEWPOINT PRESENTED FORMER GOVERNOR ADDRESSES STUDENTS.Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer PALMDALE - When a former governor from Afghanistan spoke before hundreds of Highland High School Highland High School or Highlands High School may refer to: In the United States:
``In life, terrorism is a crime,'' 77-year-old Taj taj n. A tall conical cap worn by Muslims as a headdress of distinction. [Arabic t Wardak said. ``Also, in the Afghan culture and Islam, terrorism is not accepted. Terrorism is like a disease, a killing disease. We should do anything we can to wipe it out, anyplace an·y·place adv. To, in, or at any place; anywhere. See Usage Note at everyplace. Adv. 1. anyplace - at or in or to any place; "you can find this food anywhere"; (`anyplace' is used informally for `anywhere') anywhere in the world.'' A second student asked what he thought about the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. simultaneously bombing and dropping food. ``The war is not against Afghanistan. The war is against terrorism,'' Wardak said. ``There is no doubt the United States of America UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The name of this country. The United States, now thirty-one in number, are Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, has been helping Afghanistan. The people of Afghanistan hope that they will continue to help.'' Wardak left his homeland 13 years ago, after the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. He became an American citizen and now lives in North Hills. Since the Taliban came to power, he has been back three times, most recently this summer, to try to facilitate a peace process, he said. Wardak was invited to speak at Highland by the school's Tolerance Club. Students from civics civics, branch of learning that treats of the relationship between citizens and their society and state, originally called civil government. With the large immigration into the United States in the latter half of the 19th cent. , history, economics and other classes crowded into the school theater to hear him. Wardak spoke in his native languages of Dari and Pashtu, and the oldest of three teen-age grandsons who accompanied him to the event and sat with him on stage served as interpreter. Wardak said he believes that more than 90 percent of Afghans are unhappy with the Taliban government, which came to power in 1996 and imposed a strict interpretation of Islam on the people. Badakshan is in the northeast corner of Afghanistan bordering Tajikistan and is now controlled by the opposition Northern Alliance, a coalition of anti-Taliban forces. Badakshan is predominantly Tajik, not the Pashtun ethnic group that dominates the Taliban. Wardak was governor of Badakshan from 1961 to 1968. He also served as governor for two years in the province of Ghorian in the western part of the country, and for two years in Laghman in the eastern part. Wardak drew the most raucous rau·cous adj. 1. Rough-sounding and harsh: raucous laughter. 2. Boisterous and disorderly: "the raucous give and take of American democracy" applause when answering whether he had ever met bin Laden. ``I'm very happy not to see his monstrous face,'' Wardak said through his grandson. CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- 2 -- color) Top, Taj Mohammad Wardak Taj Mohammad Wardak is an Afghanistani politician, from the Pashtun ethnic group. He spent some of the period of the Taliban's administration in the United States of America, and became an American citizen. , ex-governor of Badakshan, speaks at Highland High. Above, the ROTC Color Guard arrives. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer (3 -- color) Highland High students and faculty applaud their Afghan guest Friday. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer |
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