An Instrument, a Refugee, and the Weight of Beauty

<p class="paragraph" style="vertical-align: baseline;"><span class= "normaltextrun"><span style="color: black;">Welcome to</span></span> <em><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><span data-ccp-charstyle= "normaltextrun">Breakpoint</span></span></em><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><span data-ccp-charstyle= "normaltextrun">, a daily look at an ever-changing culture through the lens of unchanging truth. For the Colson Center,</span> <span data-ccp-charstyle="normaltextrun">I’m</span> <span data-ccp-charstyle="normaltextrun">John Stonestreet.</span></span><span data-ccp-props= "{"134233279":true,"201341983":0,"335559731":720,"335559739":160,"335559740":480}"><span class="eop"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span></p> <p class="paragraph" style="vertical-align: baseline;"> <span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none" lang= "EN-US"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style= "color: black;">It’s been almost two years since the U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan, leaving a void of power quickly filled by the Taliban. In that time, Taliban rulers have outlawed</span></span> women’s education</span>, religious freedom, and even <a style="color: inherit;" href= "https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-middle-east-music-arts-and-entertainment-afghanistan-a2ac1095df0568387d6cee15eb82a3b5" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span class= "normaltextrun"><span style= "color: black; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none" lang= "EN-US">music</span></span></span></a><span xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><span class= "normaltextrun"><span style="color: black;">. That’s why a</span> concert violinist named Ali left his instrument behind when he fled Afghanistan in 2021.</span> He knew the Taliban would confiscate and destroy any instruments they found, along with music shops and schools. </span><span data-ccp-props= "{"201341983":0,"335559731":720,"335559740":480}"><span class="eop"><span style="color: black;