Allah Akbhar! It looks like my job won't be eliminated this year. I am blessed. I will have a job next school year. Inshallah. (See previous post for translations).
Tonight I'm posting comments about fellow grad students' papers over Three Cups of Tea, and I was reminded of one of the Pakistanis in the book who was instrumental to the success of Mortenson. Abdul Shah was a local in 'Pindi, who with nothing to gain, served Mortenson and helped him accomplish his goals.
Being reminded of his actions by another student's paper got me thinking, so I thought I'd share what I wrote on our class's discussion board:
"It's difficult when I put myself into Abdul Shah's position. I like to think of myself as a generous, helpful person. We all would like to believe that about ourselves, I think. However, would I do what he did? Would I serve an outsider in this manner? Shine his shoes? Spend a day haggling for supplies and risk my personal reputation in a community I must live in for the rest of my life? All for an "infidel"?
It seems like good common sense when we read it because we know how this story ends - Mortenson is a good guy doing good things. Shah has no idea how this story will end, though. And many Americans have given him little reason to have faith that a benevolent, sacrificial foreigner exists. This is a true picture of generosity - the kind that costs you something and comes at a great risk."
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