Fieldnotes on Humanity

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------ Just a few days ago Attorney General Abdul Jabar Sabit ordered the police to arrest a reporter from Tolo TV in Kabul . Sabit told media that he had been misquoted in news about hanging a number of convicts. The police entered the Tolo TV office where they beated and arrested the three reporters. It was broadcasted live, by and from Tolo TV. The police who were ordered to arrest the journalist, had no official letter or arrest warrant, and were behaving as if they were arresting terrorists and looters. Since last year, Sabit, a white-bearded man with a kind of embarrassed figure appeared to fight against alcohol and prostitution. Soon, he became famous when he launched a few funny tasks in the name of a revolution against corruption. For a period he was praised in the media, but he was never trusted. He has a dark background of being a member and supporter of Hezb-e-Islami Hekmatiar, a blacklisted terrorist party. I believe that Abdul Jabar Sabit after his unsuccessfu...

--------- Hereafter I decide to write by using my real name. I have already told in my Farsi blog http://kabuli.org/ where I introduced myself completely. This is not a sudden decision. For the last few months I was thinking what I should do; should I stop blogging or continue using my real name? I was receiving death threats on my pseudonym Sohrab Kabuli, used illegally in many websites by someone who used my name in articles which were not mine. One of the controversies was an offensive against Ahmad Shah Masoud who is known as a national hero in Afghanistan. The article was published at an Afghan-German website based in Germany . After questioning and asking many times my name was removed from the article. I asked them to the reason why my name was used in the article, but they refused to give me a reasonable answer. And again I’ve seen my name being used in a similar situation along with an article supporting the Taliban. I found no option BUT appearing into the open and writ...

I am corresponding at the end of the clip from the place where the traditional festival of Nawrooz took place. You can watch my face how i am excited. A huge crowed of people screaming and shouting. Many others running towards the Holey Flag of Hazrat Ali. The Afghan Calender year starts on March 21. I am reporting; the tight security reason today is because such worship in the of Taliban was forbidden...

------- I met Sandra Schäfer in Kabul and did this interview via email whilst she was in Kabul for a short period. Sandra Schäfer studied Art, Political Sciences and Sociology in Kassel, London and Karlsruhe. She is filmmaker and curator. She lives and works in Berlin. Since 2002 she has been several times in Kabul and Tehran for doing research for her film project Passing the Rainbow and the film festival Kabul/ Teheran 1979ff. She curated film programmes about Afghanistan and Tehran in Belfast, Lüneburg, Karlsruhe and Berlin. Currently she works together with Elfe Brandenburger on the documentary film Passing the Rainbow. She is coeditor of the book Kabul/ Teheran 1979ff: film landscapes, strained cities and migration. The book got published 2006 in the publishing house b_books in Berlin. Films/ videos/ video installations: »Traversée de la Mangroves« (2006), »The Making of a Demonstration« short film (2004), »A country’s new dawn« (2001), »The invisible services« (2000), »The j...

-------- It is not now but a prolonged years especially a dark period of Taliban that Afghan women suffered of violence. Violence not only in out side house but inside. Though afghan men always look to their wives as possessed materials who owned by paying. In Afghanistan women are completely apart of daily live, what the husbands believe to them is too different than western men do. Sometimes Afghan men beating their wives for nothing just they like it to show their power and anger in his family member. When they feel to beat their wife they do it immediately. Many parents marry their daughters off to wealthy men aged 60 and 70. A shocking story of child bride at the age of four in Kandahar is one example of thousands. Many parents sell their daughters like materials, they are not care where does she goes and what will happened on her. About 57% of Afghan girls are married before the legal marriage age of 16; about 60-80% of marriages are forced. Hundreds of women are jailed, ...

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------ Ashura, the 10th of Muharram is a holy day for Muslims and especial day for Shi’a. This day is a remarkable day of Muharram in Islamic calendar, the day of mourning for the martyrdom of Hussian the son Ali and the grandson of Muhammad in the unequal battle of Karbala in the year 61 (AD 680). Hussain was the son of Prophet Muhammad’s daughter Fatima in which Muhammad said: Hussain is from me and I am from Hussain, may God love whoever loves Hussain. Apparently Hussain with his 72 colleagues whom were all from his own family and relatives killed in the battle took place in Karbala in the land of Iraq on the shore of the Euphrates River. Ashura is a fasting day for Sunni Muslims; they cook food such as Nazr and distribute it to their neighbors and poor people. In Afghanistan, Sunni take this as a holy day; they respect and believe in the sacrifice of Hussain, the grandson of Mohammad. Last year Ashura was a bloody day in Herat, the ceremony turned to violence and killed...

---- Children are playing soccer by the river of Kabul, while others are running on the streets to sell matches, cigarettes and plastic bags in order to earn money for their families. This winter, three children with their mothers died from exposure, who were lying down in front of a giant building in which the bottom contained the Cinema Pamir, a place which shows Indian Bollywood films. Not very far away are UN offices and other international NGOs who drive by in their modern luxury cars every day.

I am working on my Podcast to launch it as soon as I can. I would broadcast in two languages: English and Farsi. Programs will be different like, interviews, discussion with civilian and international, may be if I had access to ISAF military I will go to them to interview and also US military in Afghanistan . I had already contact with two US military commanders but lost them. If you have any contacts with them please provide me. I would also have Video Podcast from Kabul and some times in rural areas. But you shouldn’t expect me good quality in Video because I am catching video with 5.00Mig handy camera that I always use it for my photography. What I need is your help. First, if anyone knows about jingles, sound effects and soft harsh melodies to use in my Radio Sohrab Second, I kindly asking you if anyone knows how to make the Paypal account. Third, how is it possible to get Net MD recorder or any voice recorder I will pay through western union bank, because in Afghanista...

---- Cock fighting is a new sport in Afghanistan; it dates back years ago, not only in Afghanistan but throughout Europe, Latin America and Asian countries. Morgh Janngi which means cock fighting is a traditional winter sport as is dog, Camel fighting and donkey racing. In Morgh Janngi, men (only) come from all over Afghanistan to enter their prized cocks in the Kabul arena. Morgh Janngi is highly complex in its rules, brutal in its savagery and can be expensive for the gamblers involved. Most competitors have a non-formal support group of men who help raise the stakes in betting and argue for or against a decision of which cock wins. The cocks fight until blood is drawn, then the owner will pull his chicken out of the ring, for repairing the animals wounds and refreshing its vitality with a mouth of water, blown into the cocks face. The competition is not cheap, men risk money on the result of each fight, sometimes betting 100,000 to 200,000Afghanis ($2,000 - $4,000 US). Sometimes t...

------- An offensive parts of Kabul Express a Bollywood Movie which released on December 15, 2006 by Kabir Khan an Indian documentary filmmaker. This video record after september 11 but it's very weird that they are following the story so cruelly. For example part of this film is about Hazara people which always humiliated and genocide in the country. Part of the movie is focused on them and telling how the Hazara are wildest than US troops plane. The movie is a complete humiliation and insolence for Afghanistan in common and Hazara in particular. In the movie, they refer to Hazara as bandits, looters and sodomites. Dialogue of the movie - If we escaped from the Americans, we can not escape from Hazaras. - What is Hazara? - This area belons to Hazara mujahideen. They are the most dangerous tribe of Afghanistan. Looting is their business. - What’s he murmuring? - He says they are Indian journalists. They were kidnapped by Taliban. The Taliban escaped. - Keep smiling at them… I fee...

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-------- The biggest pass which created fairs and favor to travelers was the “Haji Yaqub” pass. The Haji Yaqub pass is the biggest and the highest one. We already had passed lots of others. The pass was filled with snow and it was stormy. An old traveler with his wife who came pilgrimage was behind me, they were telling weird words of God’s names and lots of others whom are followed by lots of people like prophet and imam. They were asking God’s help repeatedly. When we were going to a slope and reached almost the end, the old man behind me shouted “Oh! There, the smoke comes up from the house We survived!” The other whispered, “Yes we really survived. This was the most dangerous pass not only difficulty with snow, but robbers too.” They pulled their hands up, spelling words of Arabic and thanked god. More than two hours later we were going into the darkness. The narrow road caused a traffic-jam and we stopped until the others left the road. After a few hours we reached a smal...

-------- I left Kabul on a misty morning. Dust and smoke covered the face of the city, the laps of the mountains had been filled with snow by the clouds that came rolling down. It was different from other mornings. I couldn't see a hundred meters away, and worried about what would be ahead of me. But I left anyway. We were 14 passengers, including the drivers, planning to reach the mountains in a van. I bought a small radio to listen to the news. As I walked out of the garage, the driver yelled: "Hey man, hurry up! We're leaving soon!" The driver was afraid to leave the main road. The reason, he said, was the traffic police. "The traffic police always makes problems and asks money for nothing," he explained. I was sitting on a bench in the van with three guys from the Ministry of Education. The two beside me started to talk. Their breath smelled horribly and even the chewing gum I offered them did nothing to end the nauseating odor. I covered my nose ...

------ I had always dream of discover, where I lost my kids, where I stared to fox’s green-eyes. The day, when I found my treasure, was an old book. It was a bunch of love poems. This book, later helped me to write in top of my love letter to my beloved but she never looked back and never heard my heart beat. She went until I swallow my tears. She went but drove me to trace her in poems, story and sounds. Later on I wrote down for her absence: Burned my garden of tulips, Gone flower of my side Without you, I have neither color nor scent Oh, your step is my spring And now I am going to unknown trip. Where Paulo Cohilo found her love “Fatima” in the oasis of Egypt in red dress carrying jug of water, where he was searching to discover his treasure which a gypsy woman whispered him. No, I am not going to feel in love but not certain again. Oh I am going to discover some where but where? That is unknown for me. A trip to unknown territory may be which is not discovered yet. My absence here ...

------ "Early morning my mother gave me these eggs to sell them in the street in order to buy food. It was too cold to hold these in my frozen hands. The eggs were supposed to help us survive, but i am not to go back like this..." the child said. Excerpt: Nowadays, many Afghan children are working and selling eggs, cigarettes, plastic bags, chewing gum, and lots of other cheap things in the streets. Many others lay naked on the streets to attract passionate people to give them money. Many others have been taken from the streets and smuggled into Pakistan. A few smugglers have been arrested but they are still active. Day by day live is becoming more frustrating for Afghan children. There's no safe shelter nor places nor funds to educate them. There was horrible news from an orphanage in Kabul of which the manager was a man. He raped several children of different age, but the news never heard from media. I heard this from a 12 years old girl who was allowed to enter and ta...

------ It is only a few days after heavy rains in Kabul . Kabul city is surrounded of mountains these mountains covered of snow now. The weather is going freezing day by day to reach the sub-zero. Last year it was 18,20 minus zero. More than 15 people died and frozen in passages and roads. The year before more than 200 people died but for the government it was only news to say we are sorry for people who die. There was a story in news; a beggar who came early morning on the street to attract the runner’s attention to compassionately receive helps but frozen. People from the vehicles were throwing money to him but he was not moving, while in the midday his son came to him to take him for launch. Calling his father “papa lets go to eat launch” but papa is not alive anymore. This winter coming to freeze the poor people. Fuel, woods and gas are getting higher and higher price day by day. One kilogram gas costing 0.90 cents, 7kilo woods costs 0.90 cents and diesel costs 0.65 ...

------- Based on press release from Kabul police authorities a number of explosives things and some IDs found in an old graveyard in the central capital of Kabul . The explosives and evidences were placed in a special pocket hidden in the cemetery. The documents were containing instructions on bomb-making and suicide attacks against internationals. There were also some passports which were representing the identity of foreign citizens. Kabul police says most of the passports were belong to Pakistan citizens including some Arabic countries. Nearly it is two months since the explosion in front of Interior ministry and a number of other explosions in the south. For the last two month people where living in a peaceful condition in Kabul and now this indicates the terrorists are active to their foreboding decisions.

-------- Here are two exclusive stories by Okke Ornstein an internationally acclaimed journalist working on assignment for NewsMax.com in Afghanistan. He reports from Kabul: Women Born Into 'Bad Luck' in Afghanistan Five-year-old Fawzia was lying in the sand and didn't move. She was bleeding heavily from what was left of her private parts. Mohammad could only stare at her, frozen in awe. Five minutes earlier, he had been at the back of his house chopping wood when a child came running up to him. "They've kidnapped her!" the child yelled. "The man with the white scarf has taken her!" That man with a white scarf had come to the playground where Fawzia frolicked, punched her in the face and taken her to a garden. There, he raped her. "These crimes are common in Afghanistan," says Sajeda of RAWA, an organization that fights for women's rights. Read this story here Also here another story by this pen in NewsMAX Click on Taliban Threatens...

-------- The committee of counter narcotics which was made by a group of parliament member rejected a part of the law on drugs that was legalizing poppy cultivation for research and medicines purposes. Both officials of the narcotics ministry and committee rejected the legalization of growing poppy cultivation for healthy purposes in a meeting on Sunday. Mullah Taj Mohammad Mujahid, head of the parliamentary committee on narcotics, said to media, allowing growing of poppies for whatever purposes was against the country's constitution. A few weeks ago, the Senlis Council also stopped to run there policy on narcotics. The Senlis council was working for licensing opium in Afghanistan but interior minister asked them to stop and close their office. Abdul Khalil Shirzai, head of the law enforcement section of the ministry of counter narcotics, told, they were supporting decision of the lower house committee. Earlier, he said they wanted to have some poppies in the country...

---- On Tuesday one ISAF soldier killed and two others injured when their vehicle hit a roadside explosive device in Panjwayee district of the southern Kandahar province. A press release issued on Tuesday said the soldiers were conducting patrol as part of the countrywide joint ANA- ISAF Eagle Operation. The wounded troops were evacuated to the ISAF hospital at Kandahar for treatment. The release did not mention health condition of the injured soldiers. Accordance to NATO policy, ISAF does not release nationalities of casualties prior to the relevant national authority.

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Okke Ornstein is an internationally acclaimed journalist working on assignment for NewsMax.com in Afghanistan. He reports from Kabul. KABUL, Afghanistan -- One of Afghanistan's leading members of parliament, Mrs. Malalai Joya, warns that the current U.S. policy in Afghanistan is virtually certain to lead to another 9/11. Read this exclusive story here...

--------- According to the news, Two US soldiers were killed and three more wounded following a clash with militants in the remote district of the eastern Kunar province Yesterday evening. One soldier of the Afghan National Army (ANA) was also killed in the clash. The US military stationed at Bagram, announced the soldiers were operating as part of a combat patrol that made contact with enemy extremists. The unit engaged the insurgents with small arms and artillery fire. Based on the news from U.S military station at Bagram, All the wounded US and Afghan soldiers were medically took to a US treatment facility in Asadabad, capital of Kunar, where their condition is stated to be stable. Over 7,000 Afghan and US troops are operating in eastern Afghanistan as part of the Operation Mountain Fury. Kunar is the mountainous province situated in east of the country. The province is abutting Pakistan's Bajaur tribal agency, which was once considered the safe haven for al-Qaeda and fugitive T...

--------- Following to massive reaction from Muslim around the world against Pope Benedict XVI about Islam being as a violent religion, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said comments of Pope Benedict regarding Islam are regrettable and affront to our Holy Prophet Mohammad and Islam. A press statement issued in Kabul said the remarks showed an inadequate understanding of Islam and warrants for an apology to Muslims, the followers of a religion of peace and reconciliation. In these circumstances, where there is a demanding need for measures towards reconciliation of different beliefs, such expressions increase tension among the followers of different religions. a link to Vatican website " The Holy see "

-------- Five years ago at the same day the world witnessed an event which didn’t happen in the history. At this day more than three thousand lost their live. At this day lots of others became sad and wept but here in Afghanistan this was a day that after, each Afghan was dreaming to his freedom for his country and his life. A alike releasing from jail indeed. A day which came up to give live to Afghans. After September 11th one of the most urgent action and indication from U.S was attacking against Taliban regime which also received help from northern alliance and people of Afghanistan. It was expecting that the U.S will stand beside Afghanistan to the end for removal of terror from this land. The president of the United States George W. Bush has promised for developing and building Afghanistan as a model in the region and among Muslim countries but regretfully contrary to Afghan expectations from the United States there is no news from making Afghanistan as a model or development. Wh...

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------ On Wednesday 16th of august, rocket attacks on a base of Canadian troops in the Jalai district of Kandahar province left six Canadian soldiers wounding. The wounded soldiers had been taken to military hospital at Kandahar airport. There were also another two attacks on Canadian troops in Kandahar which left four Canadian soldiers dead and wounded three others nearly two weeks ago.