CONVOCATION TO FEATURE AFGHANISTAN NATIVE ABDUL RAHEEM YASEER

The first convocation at Iowa Lakes for the 2005-06 academic year will feature an Afghanistan native, who is an expert in international relations.

Abdul Raheem Yaseer was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1939. In April, 1987, he, his wife, their son and two daughters escaped from communist rule in Kabul, Afghanistan, to Pakistan. They arrived in Omaha in November 1988 and now reside in Ralston, Neb.

Yaseer serves as coordinator of International Exchange Programs and is Assistant Director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He received his B.A. Degree from Kabul University in Teaching English; his M.A. Degree from UCLA in Education Administration and Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Yaseer also earned a post graduate diploma in linguistics from the University of Wales in the UK.

The convocation coincides with the 2005-2006 core book, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

The Kite Runner is a powerful best selling novel portraying growing up in Afghanistan during the time of the Russian invasion and the resulting changes as well as the violence that continues to threaten Afghanistan today. Yaseer’s life somewhat mirrors the lives described in the book. He will share with the audiences about the culture of Afghanistan.

“With so many families being touched by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we as a book committee felt there would be great interest in learning more about Afghanistan and its cultures,” said Lynn Dodge, core book committee member.

The convocations will be presented Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 10 a.m. at the Emmetsburg campus gymnasium followed by a 1 p.m. presentation at the Estherville campus gymnasium. Both convocations are open to the public.

There will be a community discussion held that evening in the auditorium at the Estherville campus of Iowa Lakes from 7-8 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend.