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Afghan women came to Scotland to finish degrees
Nineteen female medical students who were banned from attending university in Afghanistan arrived in Scotland on Wednesday to complete their studies.
The women were forced to give up their education when the Taliban took control of the country three years ago and rolled back women’s rights.
However, the Linda Norgrove Foundation – a charity set up by the parents of Scottish charity worker, Linda Norgrove, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2010 – arranged a safe passage and student visas for the women so they could complete their studies.
“We endured 1,000 days of suffering to reach this point, 1,000 days of being confined to our homes, of having our voices silenced with nothing but tears and sorrow, our lives wasting away,” said Omulbanin Sultani, one of the students. “When we heard about the visa approval, we were so excited I felt like I was flying. We are going from hell to paradise.”