Fieldnotes on Humanity

In my previous post , I wrote: “The rotten stench is rising from the corpse of the Australian Liberal Party’s pitch for the division of Bruce in the upcoming federal election.” There was a reason for that choice of words. The Liberal candidate, Zahid Safi, has now been revealed as a university dropout. It reminds me of George Santos, who successfully made his debut in the US Congress for a brief period but was recently sentenced to seven years in a New York federal court for a slew of deceptions. So how did someone like Zahid slip into the ranks of the Liberal Party? The answer is clear: fake it to make it but now, it ironically translates as fake it to break it. The candidate has become a laughingstock. Touted as a wildly successful businessman, Safi’s record tells a very different story: businesses that were de-registered because of being unable to pay the fees, listed under a fake address, peppered with phony reviews, and littered with stock images. The most successful part in h...

The rotten stench is rising from the corpse of the Australian Liberal Party’s pitch for the division of Bruce for the upcoming federal election. In a recent exposé for The Age , journalist Charlotte Grieve uncovers a disturbing truth: Zahi Safi, the man being paraded as a "successful businessman" by the party, is little more than a fraud. Many of Safi’s businesses appear to exist only on paper, at best. Take Willow Support Services, an NDIS provider supposedly owned by Safi. When Grieve visited its listed address, she found not an office or facility, but a private residence. It gets worse: multiple Safi-affiliated businesses have been deregistered since March for failing to pay basic fees. His websites are padded with fake reviews, featuring photos recycled across countless unrelated pages. The so-called reviewers? Their LinkedIn profiles list them as being overseas and spread across hundreds of pages on the web. Faced with this mountain of fakery, Grieve wonders the obvious:...

Here are the six individuals, along with some background, who co-authored the 2021 parliamentary submission (see page 3, document number 43) targeting the Hazara community—an inquiry widely criticized for its blatant racism, distortions, and falsehoods. The submission resurfaced recently after The Guardian Australia revealed that one of its authors is none other than Atal Zahid Safi, also known as Zahid Safi, the current Liberal candidate for Bruce, an electorate with one of Australia's largest Hazara populations. The irony is hard to miss. In their submission, the authors attempt to frame Hazaras as a national security threat to Australia (see page 14). At one point, they even write: “The Australian Government should work closely with key stakeholders from the Afghan Diaspora, including the authors of these submissions.” In other words, they’re positioning themselves as the authoritative voices of the community, people to be consulted, reconciled with, and trusted. The implica...

In my previous posts , I discussed corruption within the RFE/RL bureau, specifically Radio Azadi, in Kabul. I also alluded to another serious issue: sexual harassment. In this post, I want to share a few specific examples to shed light on what occurred during the bureau’s early years. At the time, and still, Radio Azadi broadcast its programs in two major languages: Farsi/Dari and Pashto. Each language section operated under a separate editor, and every report or segment created by journalists had to pass through these editors before being sent to Prague for broadcast. While the editorial review process was intended to ensure quality and consistency, it was frequently misused by certain opportunistic men to exploit their female colleagues. Many of these men were married, yet that didn’t stop them from making inappropriate advances toward the women they worked with. One of the more insidious methods of control was the misuse of editorial authority. Let me explain how this played out. Ea...

It would have been better if Radio Azaid, the Afghanistan Service, had been renamed Radio of Pashtuns. Radio Azadi, which means a free radio, is a misnomer for a radio that is strongly controlled and catered towards Pathun ethnonationalism. Radio Azadi not only amplified through its biased programs but also discriminated against hiring Hazara applicants and employees. This post is in a series of blog posts that I have decided to write about Radio Azadi, reflecting on my experience and the experience of others who worked in this organization.   When Radio Azadi opened its bureau in Kabul, it hired four Hazara employees; the rest were mostly Pashtuns and Tajiks, except the administrative manager and a guard who belonged to the Turkman ethnic group. Two Czech technicians from Prague hired me; had they been Pashuns or Tajiks, I had zero chance of employment. A year later, I was fired just because I was a Hazara.  A year later, only one Hazara remained. The rest were pushed ou...

On January 20, 2015, Radio Azadi, the Afghanistan Service, purposefully published a parnicious video report from Herat, located in western Afghanistan, which was subsequently published on its website, YouTube , and social media platforms. The report centered around Iranian influence in Afghanistan, and the reporter sought to cast doubt on the presence of Hazaras in Herat. In the report, the reporter visits the Jebrael neighborhood, a Hazara-majority area, and claims that Jebrael suddenly appeared in what was once an empty plain. The implication is clear: the Hazaras were not originally from Herat but were recently brought there by Iran. The reporter further questions local residents, asking if their homes were built by Iran. One elderly man responds, firmly stating, "No, we built everything with our own money and with our own hands." The underlying message of the report is that the presence of Hazaras in Herat is part of a covert Iranian government plan to establish a corrid...

In my previous post , I wrote about theft at Radio Azadi. Here’s an example: The RFE/RL Afghanistan bureau in Kabul had just moved from the Mustafa Hotel in the buffer zone, located between downtown and Shahr-e Naw, to Wazir Akbar Khan, a more opulent and safe neighborhood. It was sometime in late 2002. The city's electricity was rarely available, let alone reliable, so the office has received permission from the main office in Prague, the Czech Republic, to purchase a generator to provide electricity to our newly built two studios plus nearly 45 desktop computers. I was a technician and, therefore, was responsible for any technological problems.  I went to Shahr-e-Naw and found a computer shop owned by a Herati merchant that sold German generators. It was nearly two years after the people of the Taliban regime, and finding a powerful generator was like a dream come true. The only generator that the store had was 5000W, which was considered pretty good given the scarcity. Plus, if ...

When Kari Lake was nominated as a special advisor to the United States Agency for Global Media, some media outlets reported that Trump had asked Lake to gut the government agency that oversees Voice of America (VOA). Instead of gutting, Kari Lake dismantled the agency, which oversees six organizations, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America. I don’t know much about the other organizations that were closed, but I know a lot about Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Afghan Service, known as Radio Azadi . (to call it Azadi, which means freedom, is a misnomer; I will write on this more in an upcoming blog post). I worked in its Kabul bureau as a technical manager in 2003. I was responsible for all communication tools, technology, radio broadcasting, and relay systems. I know how corrupt this organization was. I mean corrupt in every sense, ethically and financially. During the time I worked, male journalists would openly demand sex from their female colleagues in bro...

This morning, I was walking along a winding path through the university campus until I reached the bottom of the hill. From there, I followed the serpentine path upwards. Along the way, I saw a beautiful butterfly adorned with red and black spots. I knelt down quietly to take a short clip and share it with my nephew, Amir who is in fifth grade. The emergence of such a beautiful butterfly was mesmerizing. I didn't move for a minute, just to appreciate its beauty and presence in such an early spring. I haven't seen a butterfly yet. Just as I was gingerly prostrating over the grass while filming, it flew off timidly. Without hesitation, I shared the short clip with Amir. "Hey Amir, check out this surprise of mother nature," I texted, accompanied by a smily emoji. He immediately called, and we briefly video-chatted, after which I continued. As I was meandering through the hills, a not-so-distant memory suddenly rushed to my mind—the moment when I had walked this same pat...

Photo source: x/twitter One of the questions that has preoccupied the minds of contemporary Hazaras is: Who are we, and where do we come from? This question has no historical basis, but nevertheless, a question is a question. So, why is this question raised in the first place? Who is asking it? What has fueled this question more than anyone else is not the Hazaras themselves but the non-Hazaras, the Pashtuns and Tajiks in Afghanistan. The origin of this question lies among those who do not consider the Hazaras native to Afghanistan. It stems from those who claim that the Hazaras are outsiders and that they arrived in Afghanistan with such-and-such army in such-and-such century, but they never bother to question or think about their originality, how they did come to Afghanistan. This question also originates in the inhumane attitudes and behaviors of members of the dominant ethnic groups towards the Hazaras, which persist to this day. The roots of this discriminatory outlook lie with th...

I found this following refugee poem by chance. It is by an Afghanistani poet, Raziq Faani, and I thought I would regret it later if I did not translate it. ----- One morning, from the children’s playground, My little one returned with tearful eyes, And with the lump in his throat, he asked: "Tell me, dad! What is a refugee? Is it an insult or just a name?" At his question, a sorrow filled my heart, And a tear slipped uncontrollably down my cheek Quietly, I wiped it away with the back of my hand, As my mind searched for the right words. I told him: "Look, my dear child, Do you know what homeland means?" He nodded, "Yes, You once told me, That homeland is where our ancestors lived." I kissed his face, And with a heavy heart, I added: "If in one dark night, A band of thieves and marauders burn your dad's home, And set fire to everything, and you, in fear, run away, Spending nights on the streets of strangers, You will become a refugee, my child, You ...

If you are in the Washington D.C. area, you should definitely consider attending this remarkable event: " Hazara Women of Afghanistan Share Digital Stories ." What makes this event unique is that, for the first time, the Hazara women, members of the lower caste in Afghanistan, are able to share their stories. Hazara women are the untapped reservoir of talent, valor, resistance to oppression, resilience, and perseverance in the face of constant oppression. This is a good chance to discover who the Hazaras are, in particular, who the Hazara women are, and what role they played in the past 20 years of relatively democratic and peaceful situation that was created by the presence of the U.S. and its allies and how this fragile peace disbanded overnight. The aftereffect of this betrayal was catastrophic for women, particularly the Hazara women because they have been treated in worst oppressive manner than women of other ethnicities. There is a stark difference between being Hazara ...

On Highway 5 South, I was returning from San Jose. I stopped at a rest stop, which has now become a habit, I can't and shouldn't miss a rest stop. This rest stop is in an area between Lebec and Gorman in California. The elevation was marked as 4,000 feet.  A familiar scene, and yet not very noticeable, caught my attention. The sight of two men in safety vests scrubbing the stubborn stickers off from the traffic signposts and poles. I went close and said hi. They looked at me with a wondering face and replied, "Hello, sir. How is it going?" "very fine, thank you," I responded. "Can I help?" asked the taller man. "No, I'm just curious about what you are doing," I said. Marked by annoyance, the man with the scrubber looked tired but determined to get rid of the stickers. I offered water. "Not cold though, they are in the trunk of my car." "Thanks, man!" the taller replied. Where are you from? Facing this question has ...

No one comes short regarding the prejudice and dehumanization of the Hazara people in Afghanistan. Since the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, racism and hatred against the Hazaras have been on the rise and social media platforms have amplified it. I have tried to stay away from Twitter, but today, when logged in again, I accidentally stumbled upon a few racist tweets. One of them was by a person who claimed to be a Tajik commander of Panjshir valley. He created a Twitter poll by asking: " Who is conscientious and loyal? Dog or Hazara."  Here is the screenshot: Equating Hazaras with dogs and other animals has a history of racism, exclusion, dehumanization, and genocide. I have written a blog post about this racial trope used against the Hazaras by the Tajiks, Pashtuns, and other ethnic groups. This kind of racial slur carries the echoes of ethnic hatred and deep animosity against the Hazara people, who are right now facing genocide.  Oftentimes, people point the finger...

In the midst of the ongoing violence against women in Afghanistan by the Taliban, an article by Ali Abdi, a Ph.D. candidate in Anthropology at Yale University, offers insight into the complex issues of gender and sexuality in the country. Entitled " The Afghan Bachah and its Discontents: An Introductory History ," the piece delves into the historical, social, political, and cultural factors that have shaped and continue to shape the practice of " bacha bazi ," or the exploitation of young boys for entertainment, sexual pleasure, or aesthetic matters, as the author explains. Despite the abhorrent nature of the practice, little research has been done on the topic. Abdi's article breaks new ground in its in-depth examination of the various dimensions of bachah bazi and its place in a larger historical context through an anthropological lens. The issues it raises are particularly relevant in the current climate, where women are once again being banned from education...

Not long ago, I walked here with a young novelist who I befriended recently. Since then, I have been coming every once in a while, especially when I need to get out of my daily routine and alleviate stress, which has become a regular occurrence these days. Every time I visit this spot, I see people standing, taking photos in groups, chitter-chattering, some with their arms stretched out holding cell phones, their eyes staring at the camera, trying hard to smile while tilting their heads right and left as if trying to find enough space to capture the ocean in the background. This particular spot is called “Inspiration Point.” It is a famous site in the seaside neighborhood of Corona Del Mar. A couple of weeks ago, this area was closed to visitors due to an oil spill. Not many people knew why it was closed though. I saw them being frustrated. Not only this spot, but the entire coast of southern California was shut down; dead animals washed up the beaches, some were injured and stranded, ...

In 2013, when Margaret Thatcher died, some people celebrated her death--due to her destructive economic policies during her terms--not only in the UK  but also in other places, like  Chile . Rejoicing over her death was not only considered something unethical but a source of joy and happiness.   Today I heard that Mujib Rahman Ansari, a senior Sunni extremist  cleric and pro-Taliban, was killed in a blast . On social media platforms, many Afghanistanis expressed their happiness over his death. The first question that might come to our mind is, is this morally a good thing? This is not the right question. A more correct and accurate question to ask is whether the absence of someone who promoted and caused hatred, disgust, misery, and suffering brings us peace?  I asked a friend of mine this question. He told me that "rejoicing over the death of an evil person should not only be considered normal but also morally justifiable. We humans naturally rejoice ...

Some terrible news come from Afghanistan. In the past two days, the Taliban militants waged an attack on Balkhab, a Hazara district in northern Sar-e Pol province. They have been killing innocent people. Images appeared on social media show men and women are indiscriminately being shot, some are beheaded. Here is a  VOA piece about extrajudicial killings in the Hazara districts of Balkhab. The title of the news wrongly says "Afghan district," it's a Hazara district.

It's sad, extremely sad to see what is happening to women in Afghanistan. Nothing has changed in the Taliban's strategies and views on women. They remain the same people as they were 20 or 30 years ago. Today I stumbled upon state.gov archive and found quotes by women and about women 20 years ago. These quotes took me to 1990s, the decade that resembled like today, nothing has changed in the Taliban's outlook. For the original, please visit here .  Report on the Taliban's War Against Women BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND LABOR November 17, 2001 Report They made me invisible, shrouded and non-being A shadow, no existence, made silent and unseeing Denied of freedom, confined to my cage Tell me how to handle my anger and my rage? -- Zieba Shorish-Shamley, from  "Look into my World"  published on the 50 th  anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Taliban in Their Own Words "It's like having a flower, or a rose. Yo...