Iqra, Read

I hope your holidays were happy and you were able to stay healthy. I know that mine was busy with lots of good things to eat and fun things to do. Did you make New Year’s Resolutions this year? I didn’t. I decided a long time ago that I didn’t like to set myself up for failure. But another movement is to pick your “word of the year”. It is meant to be a source of inspiration for activities throughout the year. Your word could be courage, persistence, kindness or whatever you like.

I had no intention of picking a word, but then I read about a courageous Afghan woman who stood in front of her university holding a sign saying “Iqra”. This translates to “Read”. The Taliban is once again banning girls and women from education in Afghanistan. It’s hard to imagine this degree of prejudice and suppression, but here there it is, right in front of us. See this December 30 story from the BBC.

Across Afghanistan women have been banned from education and removed from their jobs. Men that are supporting these women are often beaten to prevent their dissent. So why did this brave Afghan woman choose to put Iqra on her protest sign? Iqra is the first word revealed to his followers by the prophet Mohammad. He was directing his subjects to read. He did not say only men should read.

In support of the Iranian and Afghan women struggling to continue to educate themselves, I am choosing the word “Read” as my inspiration this year.

I know that most of you enjoy reading, hobbies, and continuing education. Here are some ideas to help get started.

• Check out the free community lectures at your local university.
• Use your library to explore books related to a hobby you either currently enjoy or want to learn.
• Review your community or library calendar to see if they are bringing in regional expert lecturers. We just enjoyed a lecture at our library related to ancient Egypt.
• Search the internet for a list of good books to read. There are many lists available and you may want to narrow it down to a specific topic or genre. Here is an example of a list from Goodreads.
• Give books as gifts, or bookstore gift cards as gifts.
• Above all else, Iqra. Read!

I need to read more about Australian Cattle Dogs so I can understand my new dog Tipper better. Don’t you love this picture of her hiding her toys in the cushion of her bed? I dare you to take one away from her!