History lessons

Everyone in the district knows what happened this autumn to a girl from one of our villages. I will not write her name; the newspapers did not. She was strong and she escaped. The court gave a fine.

I am a history teacher. In history class I tell the children that "ala kachuu", the stealing of brides, is not our old tradition, whatever the uncles at the wedding say. It is a crime. I said this in every class this week. Some boys laughed. Some girls did not laugh, they listened.

Now young women wear white headscarves for this: Ak Jooluk. Two of my 11th class girls wore white scarves on Monday. I said nothing. I was proud.