Hazara Old Man (central of Afghanistan)
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Thoughts and reflections on literature, language, culture, society, religion and politics
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President Hamed Karzai announced on his return from the US back to Kabul that he is ready to talk with Mullah Omr, Taliban leader, and Gulbudin Hekmatia the leader of Hezb Islami. Karzai addressed in a press conference that his government started talks with the Taliban; this is welcomed by United States and United Nation.
Over the last months this is the third time that Karzai is talking about his government being in discussion with opposition insurgents, especially Taliban, but this is the first time Karzai utterly frank invited Mullah Omar and Hekmatiar for discussion.
In his first conference after returning from the US Hamed Karzai told the media that if he had the address of these two opposition leaders, he personally will send people to talk with them.
"If a group of Taliban or a number of Taliban comes to me and asks, "President, we want a department in this or that ministry or we want a position as deputy minister... and we don't want to fight anymore," ... If there is a demand or request like that to me, I will accept it because I want to end the conflicts and fighting in Afghanistan," Karzai said.
"I wish there would be a demand as easy as this. I wished that they would want a position in the government. I will give them a position," he said.
Because of the sensitivity of talks with Taliban in society and government he suddenly expressed the affirmation of his government, like with Mullah Omar and Hekmatia he will talk about specific circumstances to respect the constitution and the six years of his government results. He pointed out that he had started consultancy with his cabinet and leaders of parties.
He also pointed out that during his last visit to New York he has talked about this issue with Bush and some other world leaders.
Three weeks ago the Taliban announced they're ready to talk with the Afghan government, without any specific circumstances. On one hand, this was a very hasty reaction from rebels who had always wanted the international forces to withdraw from Afghanistan, but that this comes so simple also embarrassed the international community. On the other hand, Afghan government was not sure if the ones they were talking to represent the Taliban, or just a small group.
Every time when there were talks of negotiation with Taliban the Afghan government was challenged. For example, 'talks with Taliban' means talks with the leader of Taliban Mullah Omar? If so, it is also a fact that Mullah Omar is known as a terrorist key figure on the list of the United States of America. So, what will happen with him?
This always has been a serious question for the government, but the Afghan authorities always gave vague answers to media. They only say again and again: with anyone who believes in the Afghan constitutional law, the government would have no problem.
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Women in Afghanistan face daily discrimination and violence.
Afghan women suffer from daily violence. Apart from houseworks she has to feed her children and often the whole family.
Afghan men often see their wifes like slaves and their absolute property.
Today there are many widows begging in the streets. There are only a few who are selling bread and cigarettes, to buy food for their children.
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September11 is an important event in the world especially for
I met Bashardoost a member of
Bashardoost believes that while the Mujahiden was in power, they committed much crime. In that time the
Afghanistan welcomed the US and international forces in order to build a free and prosperous society, but unfortunately after six years we do not have the results that we hoped for.
Right now the Taliban insurgents are controlling the districts of Helmand and
Bashardoost believes that Human rights were abused by the warlords who came in power, just as the ministers and high ranking authorities now. I asked him about the process of democracy and human rights in
I asked Bashardoost what he thinks about Conspiracy theories over what happened on 9/11. He says, “I am not specialist but I know that these were the hands of terrorists, and not the CIA.”
Bashadoost says that September 11 was an important event in his live. It was then when he became popular and elected as legislator.
The current situation is not comparable with the last four years. Especially since the Mujahiden were empowered and entered to government. He believes it was a catastrophe when Mujahiden warlords, previous communist criminals and Taliban leader entered the government.
For the people the Karzai government has lost its honor and future promises. Bashadoost says that today many warlords are running private jails. Some times these warlords kidnap women and girls.
And why the Mujahiden who destroyed the country and committed lots of crimes are back into power now? Who supports and supported them, and why are they still powerful? Bashardoost blames the
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I am doing podcast to bring some analytic views of Afghan researchers and writers about September 11 and its importance for them and their society.
For the first parts of my Podcast I brought in Jeffery Stern, an American freelance journalist who came recently in Afghanistan. He lived in the USA when September 11 happened. I asked him about his immediate reaction to September 11, the day of the attacks.
The next question I asked him was about the September 11 impact on American cultures. For example how media, movies and TV programs have been affected? Do people in the USofA think movies and TV programs should maybe emphasize more patriotic themes?
Conspiracy theories about what happened on 9/11 began to circulate just days after the attacks, but in the last six years, they've become a phenomenon with up to 75 percent of Americans believing their government hasn't told them the whole truth about that tragic day.
I also asked him about conspiracy theories of some American professors that have been pointed out last year at the fifth anniversary of September 11, that 9/11 was a USofA government conspiracy.
What do American people think about these theories and what are his personal thoughts on the matter?
I asked Jeffery about four crashed planes and none of the passenger lists containing any Arabic name?
I asked him about the US troops fighting in Afghanistan against Al Qaeda and Taliban. Are they in power or are NATO troops weak?
Day by day the Taliban become more powerful. They even have access to major cities like Ghazni that recently dealt with the South-Korean government over receiving 20million dollars.
The next Podcast is with an Afghan MP
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According to local news resources reported that Merajuddin Pathan, governor of Ghazni province has expressed that a group of Taliban who are holding Korean hostages in Ghazni assaulted four hostages’ women, which created a battle between two groups inside of the Taliban.
The local and international news agencies did not reveal the news for some reason But only one local media revealed the news in Kabul. The report witnessed by Mr. Pathan the governor and he added that Pakistani Taliban did the assault.
Taliban militants on a road in the central Ghazni province kidnapped the 23 South Koreans weeks ago. Afghan and the U.S led coalition forces have cordoned off a suspected Taliban hideout in Qarabagh district of Ghazni to secure the release of the hostages. The Taliban also demanded the withdrawal of 200 South Korean troops from this country. The South Korean government said the soldiers would be pulled out at the end of 2007 as scheduled. Taliban militants have carried out kidnappings time and time again over for the past two years. After killing two Koreans they released the two women out of 21 other hostages.
Meanwhile, Taliban strongly rejected allegations regarding sexual assault on four female Korean captives. Militant spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi told to media they were waging jihad against obscenity, immorality and un-Islamic acts in Afghanistan.
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Foreigners here have a lot of luxury facilities and expensive cars while outside of these restaurants hundreds of human beings are suffering on the streets, begging, asking for food. Some time foreigners are accompanied by a number of security guards, blocking the roads and driving over 100 miles/hour. Some, in very fashioned restaurants drink Champagne, smoking marijuana and narcotics. They are allowed to do so, but the Afghans are not allowed to enter, to drink, to spend time there. I am seeing that some of the foreigners only work for themselves, they brought facilities in here for themselves; not to help Afghans. They take the money they make back out of Afghanistan..
I feel frustrated when facing with such a phenomenon. No one seems to trust us. A considerable number of aid workers come to our land, but they can't understand our feelings. It was so frustrating while the muscle-man rudely told me I am not allowed to drink. The way it happened also is a thing you would not do in our culture, even if we have different codes, which in need can be flexible also. These day there are dozens of foreign restaurants, hotels, discos and prostitution houses in Kabul, for the foreigners, who call themselves 'ex pats' (for ex-patriots).
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Last Friday we went out of
In the early morning I went to Park-e- Share-e-Naw to watch partridge fighting in order to complete my articles about animal fighting in
We started to eat lunch very late; if it would have taken any longer we were close to start eating the leaves.
The meals were delicious, the bread was local and tasty, and especially the yoghurt’s water was so yummy. The guys were telling us about the local beer. It was a bit strange that a few people drank beer while the elder villagers were there. I thought maybe they might not understand if it was bear rather than Pepsy or any other soft drink.
The lunch was too much and we only ate a bit of it. This is a part of Afghan traditions; they always cook more than there are expected guests. They presume other coming un-expected guests or sometimes are afraid of having a lesser meal. It is a bad reputation for the hosts if meals don’t satisfy the guests. Therefore they cook for 50 people when there are only 20 invited.
I was a bit uncomfortable because of the security measures and the tight space where to walk around. You had to be careful when walking in garden, and there shouldn’t be women in sight otherwise you’ll be shot by the men. This is what they call honor and pride; this is a very sensitive part of the traditions, mostly among Pashton but among other ethnicities differences are there. For example the Hazara woman works with her man side by side and appears with him together in public, same for Tajiks.
On our way returning to
The Taliban's influence on the people is growing. Their access to the villagers too.
A few weeks ago, Taliban entered into the Wardak district “Sayeed Abad” and asked the local governor to leave his job and support the Taliban. Local elders and the governor discussed, and after two weeks they told and promised the Taliban that if they conquer Ghazni province they will join and support them.
Taliban are entering villages and distribute their messages through Mullah’s and students studying in religious schools. They promise to support the villagers and to bring peace instead of horrors and fears. In their message they call the people to stand up against the
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Every day her mother makes her some Bolani (Afghan fast food) and sells each one for 5 afg, almost ten cents.
She is 9 years old and wishes to go to school one day. She wishes that one day they’ll have food at home and a schoolbag for her brother. She wishes for the day when he will have shoes on his feet. She is tired.
I asked her if she likes to go to school.
“If I go to school who is going to take care of my little brother and sister? Who is going to feed my mother? We don’t have a home, we don’t have food, and we don’t have money. That is why I am coming to the street to sell Bolani and earn a little money, to buy food for my family”, she answered.
I looked down at her feet in the old torn shoes. Her toes came out and were terribly harmed. She suffers from her long walks to reach this place to sell her bread.
“Look I have no shoes to go to school; I walk 30 minutes to get here. And here I am not comfortable also, because the traffic comes towards me, forcing me to leave this place. At night when I go back home I am tired and I can’t play. So I go to sleep and early in the morning I wake up again and take me and my breads back to this place”, she said.
0 comments Labels:Afghan children
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Radio Voice of Shariat has been launched again by the Taliban in southern
Following September 11 and after opposition forces entered
According to locals, the programs were already heard during the last few years. According to locals Radio Shariat broadcasts every night from an unknown place on FM band, which can be heard for over a week. Most of their programs are propaganda against the Karzai government and international forces based in
Their propaganda calls the country occupied and they encourage the people to fight against the government and international forces. Parts of the program are messages of Mullah Mohammad Omer, the Taliban leader that provokes people for Jihad.
They do broadcast songs, but without music, the same music was heard during the times when
In the songs the Taliban played during their time of rule, the
The Taliban used to distribute letters throughout the night, dropping them in the front of house doors, throwing them inside shops, hanging them on walls and especially in mosques.
As long as Radio Shariat broadcasts, they are able to have easily access to people, and this will make it easier too for them to reach people and harass them.
Without doubt they’re getting more powerful day by day, but this is just one of the signs, now that they launched a mobile FM radio that makes it difficult to trace the place from where they are broadcasting.
0 comments Labels:Radio,Shariat,Taliban
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Just five days later another journalist, Zakia Zaki, a very effective reporter and journalist trainer in private Radio Solh (Peace Radio) channel based in Parwan province was killed in her bed. She had started with her work eight years ago in a region which was out of the Taliban control. She was a very active women journalist, known in the country and she had her critics always against injustice, criminals and Mujahideen.
The reason why the two women journalists were killed still remain unknown. It is almost two years agoo, since Shaima Rezaie, another female private Tolo TV channel reporter had been killed in her home anonymously, in May 2005. And it is still unknown why she was killed.
Women have a very limited space for development and for working side by side with men. Afghan men always believe women should stay at home; the men feed them and let them go out. Many others believe that the current situation is too traditional and not ready for women to work in media.
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Recently I heard shocking news from Noor Mohammad Wasil, the deputy minister of social work. Lately he visited an orphanage in Mazar-e-Sharif, northern Afghanistan. According to Noor Mohammad, 6 million children are at risk of sexual abuse, violence and harsh child labor. According to the deputy of minister of social work, 50% of these children are under 19. Since 6 million out of 12 million got the opportunity to go to school, the rest of the children are under exposure of different threats and abuse.
According to his estimation, children are exposed to addiction of narcotics, child abuse, marriage under the legal age and smuggling.
The government and international community must pay attention, since these are serious threats for the future of the children.
If you walk the streets of Kabul, hundreds of them are begging. They are homeless or they their parents during the eternal war. Today lots of international NGOs are involved in different projects to rebuild Afghanistan (in reality they aren’t rebuilding) but they don’t care how the residents are.
P.S: I want to ask you if you are able to help Afghan children. Please collect and send me clothing, notebooks, pens and money.
We are going to launch a few projects in different districts to help the children to at least keep them war in the next winter.
Already many people from Italy, The Netherlands and the US asked to send me some clothes and shoes for Afghan children, but unfortunately it wasn’t easy for me to find the right people in the area where they live.
If it doesn’t cost you much please send your gifts to Afghan poor children individually or if you know each other in your city please act as a group and send me your gifts. I promise to transfer your gifts to Afghan children.
I will document and take pictures to send to back to you.
I wrote in my Farsi blog that Saddam Husain's execution is an alert to all war criminals in Afghanistan; some weeks later HRW announced that the warlords’ crimes in
A sensitive issue in the country over the last three years; almost every one believed they overwhelm to media and international but it seems they are the most powerful. Powerful because they came to power again, supported the drug dealers and were honored by the international community. More than 80,000 civilians died in Kabul alone. Large numbers of others were kidnapped, mutilated or raped and hundreds of thousands became homeless and left the country.
Just after September 11, the
“No problem, we have succeeded” was heard by many warlords.
When Saddam was executed the Afghan warlords shivered. Afghan warlords committed crimes tens times more brutal than Saddam. Saddam was sent to hell and Afghan warlords are in power again. They control the system and control over their tribes, Karzai has no power but within the alliance and now they are forcing Karzai to approve the amnesty bill that grants them with immunity and a peaceful life.
There were many who were chanting against US: “Down with
“We support the national amnesty agreement for Mujahideen in order to bring peace in our country” I heard Abdul Rabb al-Rasul Sayyaf saying, he’s one of the most who committed the crimes in early 1990s.
Afshar is a place where the Hazara people lived. The area was completely demolished by Shura-e Nazar (the Jamiat forces under Ahmad Shah Massoud the dead leader of Tajik ethnicity) and Itihad forces (under Abdul Rabb al-Rasul Sayyaf, Sunni-Pashtun Ittihad leader).
He said he pochaghed Hazara [slaughtered, or cut their throats]. “We killed 300, 350 people,” he said. “I went to a house. I saw an infant. I put the bayonet in its mouth. It sucked on it like a tit, and then I pushed it through.” This happened in Taimani, the northern part of
And according to The Guardian, November 16, 2001:
On February 11, 1993, Ahmad Shah Massoud and Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf's forces entered the Hazara suburb of Afshar, killing - by local accounts - "up to 1,000 civilians", beheading old men, women, children and even their dogs, stuffing their bodies down the wells.
Ahmad Shah Massoud and Sayyaf groups raped many women before they killed them.
And now what is going on…? The parliament granted immunity to these warlords and war criminals. It is going to be worse, when the upper house of Parliaments wants to cover fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar and former prime minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. The bill grants immunity to all those who committed war crimes even during the Soviet occupation from 1979 to 1989; the civil war that followed until 1996 and during Taliban.
The proposal is waiting to be approved by President Hamed Karzai. Apparently Karzai will opposed to approve this as heard lastly from his spokesman Karim Rahimi that said; the war criminals could forgive by only families of the victims deserve the right to give amnesty to those involved in war crimes, this is also heard by Head of the UN mission in Afghanistan Tom Koenigs.
On Friday February 23, the warlords brought their supporters to an amnesty rally in the Kabul Stadium for the proposed war crimes amnesty. If Karzai approves the amnesty bill to give warlords immunity, the country would be more insecure, and it would ensure the criminals enough safety to continue their crimes and drug trafficking.
If the US and International community want to bring peace and prosperity in
In order to bring peace and normality to
If the
In HRW: The Battle for Kabul: April 1992 - March 1993
Read Afghan amnesty covers Omar, Hekmatyar here….
Read War crimes immunity bill passes second hurdle here…
Read Afghan warlords in amnesty rally here…
Read war criminals win amnesty vote here…
Read Thousands rally in support of Mujahideen leaders here….
Warrior and peace, is Ahmad Shah Masood a legitimate candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize? here…
Read story from Kazakh an old Soviet Union officer who joined in holy invasion in
Read also in Russian language here…
Neweurasia’s Vitaly Mantrov interviewed (RUS) the veteran of the war in
Just after September 11 “The Afghan Trap” read here…
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