Fieldnotes on Humanity

------- A man with his bird in the cage walks to the sunset in graveyard, western part of Kabul

------ The current controversy over the Juvenile Delinquency law illustrates the conflicts within the Afghan legal system. The conflicts are rooted in Afghan history itself. "From the 1880's until the 1960's, Afghanistan essentially had a dual judicial system. A system of sharia courts headed by clergy handled areas ... such as criminal law, family and personal law laid down in the sharia. A separate system of government courts handled state law issues, such as those relating to commerce, taxation, and civil servants." In 1964, an Afghan constitution, ratified by the Loya Jirga attempted to bring those threads closer together, but it was ripped apart again in the period of war with the Soviet Union and during the rule of the Taliban. Following the defeat of the Taliban at the hands of US forces in 2002, an international conference in Bonn stipulated the appointment of a "Judicial Commission" whose role was to "to rebuild the domestic justice system in a...

-------- For the first time in Afghanistan , a two days Blogging workshop was organized by the Afghan Association of Blog Writers . The participants were an Afghan journalist, a University teacher, a poet and writers from different provinces and of various ethnic backgrounds. The main goals of this workshop are better access of journalists to weblogs and other digital media. Since Afghan print and internet media are of a very low quality, blogs could help the Afghan print media and become a milestone in the media situation in Afghanistan . This was just the first blogging workshop in Afghanistan . The plan is to continue with more workshops in different parts of Afghanistan , including Herat , Mazar-e- Sharif, Jalalabad, Kandahar , Bamyan and Daikundi. Cultural activities in cyberspace, theories of blogging, detailed similarities and differences between web sites and weblogs, and the techniques of making a blog were discussed in these two workshop days. And at the end, ea...

From Global Voice Online By Hamid Tehrani The Afghan Association of Blog Writers (Afghan Penlog) overcame financial difficulty and obstacles like electricity shortages to organize the first blogging workshop in their history. The workshop was held in Kabul on April 3-4, in association with Nasim Fekrat and Masoumeh Ebrahimi [Fa], two active Afghan bloggers. Twelve journalists, teachers and writers learned how to start a text blog, a video blog, a photo blog, and useful tips, like how to use RSS feeds. At the end of the workshop, several blogs were created in Dari, Pashtou and English. Fekrat said, “I am receiving lots of inquiries from Kabul University students and journalists who want to learn blogging, but financial problems remain a main obstacle.” Fekrat is already thinking of organizing a second workshop because there is more to share and teach. Nasim Fekrat helps lead the workshop. Nasim Fekrat says [Fa]: This experience has been very useful. I learned a lot. Most of ...

------- This was already written but i forgot to put here. On Sunday January 13, Corps No 201 Commander Brigadier General Mohamad Rahim Wardak while visiting the Maiwand military base in Char district of Logar province said: "In 2008, the Afghan national army will lead the whole of operations in Afghanistan, with the help of coalition forces." The Afghan National Army seems to have proven itself in a key test last month – retaking the strategic toehold town of Musa Qala (which was turned into a terror university town) from the Taliban. In 2001 at the BON conference the initial goal that was set to train around 70,000 Afghan troops no longer applies to Afghanistan's new realities. Afghanistan's Defense Ministry says the country needs a 200,000-strong National army to stand against external threats and to tackle the insurgency led by the Taliban. The Afghan National Army remains severely under-equipped and under-supported. I asked General Mohammad Rahim Wardak about mil...

------ Hi Nasim, my name is Chiara, I have 11 years hold and I saw the foto of the little girl on the ground with the ice and the snow around her. Franca,Andrea and I will try to help you. Chiara A message to Chiara and her friends in Italy I am sorry to write a bit late to you. You know what? I didn't write on paper nor on my white board to come back and write to you, but every day while opening my blog i remembered your comment. I was looking for a suitable time to write you. I was thinking how much the picture of this little girl, sleeping at the side of the road, in the ice and snow, can touch you and makes you feel close to her. I assume that she is of your age. When I met her I saw her eyes looking at me, asking me for help. She was shivering. I saw lots of people who were crossing her by, without offering to help her or try to understand her little heart. Do you know how much she was suffering? Do you know why she came there, to lay down in the ice and snow? Do you know ...

-------- Looking back to almost seven years after Taliban, the situation of women seems to be improved, but on the contrary, the recent researches and the news published in the 8AM daily paper and several other local newspapers tell that the situation for women is going from worse to worse. The war, conflicts, poverty and unemployment have risen. And in this context the Afghans sell their daughters and force compulsory marriages among Afghan families. Many times, children at the age of 7, 8, and 9 are forced to marry. The conditions are severe and often they are raped. After marriage they can't go to school anymore and are faced with lots of difficulties from the family and husbands. Many of them can't bear this harsh position, and they burn or otherwise kill themselves. Some Afghans believe that equality rights between men and women in Afghanistan is only a motto, and nothing more. But actually the woman have been deceived by this motto, and we are witnessing the in...

------- This photostory was already published in NATO website and you can see this text alongside with the fowling text there. When I was very young I used to write a bit about the world – my world and the world around me. Then, with access to new technology and the Internet, I started to learn about many new things. Soon, I remember hearing the word ‘blog’ being used in my English class. I found the first Farsi blog service. And an old friend of mine showed me his blog. It made a big impression on me. By 2004, I was running my own satire and cartoon magazine. But it was shut down by fundamentalist Islamiists. I couldn't write using my real name anymore. For a few months, I was in trouble and had to keep moving around. But I couldn’t stay silent. I started blogging again. During the first few weeks I received great feedback from people outside Afghanistan reading my blog. They liked it because it was difficult to find independent news from Afghanistan. I was writing in both Farsi a...

------

-------- This was published already in Global Voices Online Nasim Fekrat in Kabul has been a very active blogger for years. He has an English blog , a Dari/Farsi one , and a photo blog . He has also contributed to several citizen media projects such as Afghan Press and Afghan Penlog . He talks with us about challenges and achievements in Afghanistan's media and new projects. Q: Please tell us about Afghan Penlog. When did it start, and what are its objectives? The Afghan Association of Blog Writers (Afghan Penlog) was established in April 2006. The main objective was to build a community to bring Afghan bloggers together from around the world and defend their rights. We have also published several press releases about journalist detentions in the last few years. Recently, I have been offering online workshops for new Afghan Bloggers. In 2008, Afghan Penlog plans to teach blogging more widely in Afghanistan. I personally ran several workshops with individuals, but we wan...

------ The Afghan Penlog will launch its first blogging workshop in Kabul very soon. Cultural developments and increasing digital media are the goals of this workshop. The first blogging workshop will take place for students and bloggers in Kabul. Afghan Penlog also decided to launch its workshops to other provinces like Jalalabad, Kandahar, Heart, Ghazni and other parts of the country will be the next steps. Afghan Pen Log is calling all cultural activists and friends for making donations to reach the goal of blogs development because this Afghan Penlog does not get any financial support from anywhere. We are calling our friends in abroad or in Afghanistan to join us for this important matter with making their donations. Pen Blog will publish the donor's names on its website and will give them the whole details of its activities and costs. Buying a generator and paying the cost of Internet is the most prominent need for us now. We don't have money to pay the rent of com...

-------- I was informed by Reporters Without Border by e-mail that Basir Ahang is safe and he is in Italy right now. I have also contacted people who know Basir, through his friends I found his family who are living in the west part of Kabul. Today I called to his parents and asked them about their son Basir, they assured me that Basir is safe and living in Italy. Basir Ahang was working as freelance correspondent for a local channel Radio "Farda" and at the same time he was working as freelance journalist with the weekly "Namah" and the La Repubblica. “Basir was severely depressed and he was always feeling fears when he returned back to his country from Iran. My son was received several threats from unknown addresses” his father said. "Before he come to work in media he was working with the US special forces in Kandahar in the southern region. He stopped working when his colleagues have been killed by Taliban and he came to continue his studying. In the mean...

------ Basir Ahang, 27 –year-old, is an independent young journalist who was directly involved in the release of Gabriele Torsello , the Italian journalist of La Repubblica, who was kidnapped by Taliban in Helmand province. Mr. Basir was working on Torsello release under the supervision of Renato Caprile, antother La Journalist. At one point Basir achieved confidential reports by contacting the Taliban authorities who detained Gabriele Torsello. He, thus, got to know the names of the kidnappers. Basir kept receiving calls from the kidnappers which would inform him about the health status of Torsello. Basir never discovered how Gabriele Torsello was released. However, after the release Basir started receiving unknown phone calls and finally left the country. After a short period he got back to Kabul. He started working with a local channel Radio "Farda" and at the same time he was working as freelance journalist with the weekly "Namah" and the La Repubblica. Basi...

-------- I can’t remember the exact time but, it was around midnight, may be one o’clock. We were three people walking in darkness with a very harsh temperature. The cold wind slapping on our face with cruelty, we kept laughing and joking. A poor man police on the corner looked at us and thought we were drunken, but he didn’t know that we (a few friends) are always happy like that, especially me. We kept walking towards the Pol-e Sorkh square; on the way I saw the sign of muddy body of a cat on the ground. I became very sad and silent for a while. I breathed the words in hushed tones; I felt sorry for the poor cat and said why human beings are so cruel? Why are we killing animals and why this cat was killed here? How cruel are human beings. For a moment, I thought it is useless to think about it because when Afghans have been killing each others during the last three decades. I asked my friends how careless we are with animal’s life. The cat also has the right to live, to have freedom,...

------ Afghan addict inside destroyed building of Russian Cultural Place in Kabul. The number of opium addicts in Kabul alone was more than 30,000 in estimation in 2004 but three years after, this number doubled. For the last years the most of the beggars were among people left from civil war, children, widows and homeless people but recently the drug users took the place. Opium users regularly have financial difficulties they are begging to streets; in many cases they are commit crime. In Kabul, where the medical services are primitive, massively overstretched and entirely unprepared for dealing with addicts, the Nejat centre offers a unique, residential treatment program . The problem of addiction exists in all layers of society. Both men and women are affected. Local residents and returning refugees from Iran and Pakistan use opium mainly to alleviate medical conditions such as tuberculosis, colds and asthma. It is also reported that young children receive opium as a painkil...

------- Mullah Mohammad Omar, the leader of Taliban in a message to International forces in Afghanistan has warned that they should expect more attack by Taliban because the Taliban will continue their attacks in the winter. He has said this message on the days of Eid al-Adha and added that the Taliban fighters are still in outskirts of Musa Qala city, they might come back very soon. The district of Musa Qala was already controlled by Taliban and had turned to a city of terror. In 10th of December, Afghanistan National Army with the supports of US troops and British troops entered to the central of Musa Qala just after heavy combats with Taliban. The Taliban leader has been also asking from Islamic countries to help for withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. For the lasts years, the Taliban was the only group in which has taken the responsibilities of the most suicide attacks and civilian deaths in Afghanistan. On the other hand, President Hamid Karzai in his return ...

------- Christmas Eve in the Afghan capital. Kabul’s famous flower street market does roaring trade in Christmas trees. I wish you all a great Christmas. Let 2008 be the year of peace and security. The year 2007 was bloody year for Afghan people, suicide attacks and several explosions in central of the cities. Lots of people died. Don't forget Afghanistan, don't forget its children, women and homeless people. By the way don't forget me as well. I need your help but can't write here unfortunately. Love and peace

------- Note that this article was first published in the Pajamasmedia ( direct link of this articale )and if you reproduce this article you must retain this notice In 2005 the UN warned of the risk of AIDS to Afghanistan . There is great concern over the virus being spread by growing numbers of drug users injecting and sharing needles. At the time there were no reliable figures on the incidence of AIDS in that country. The figures available at the time suggested the problem was not great. The only definite figures available on HIV/AIDS in Afghanistan would suggest that there is not too much to worry about. There are just 35 HIV-positive cases identified by Kabul ’s blood bank. More definite figures are now available. Abdul Sami Wahib, the director for the AIDS program in the Afghan Ministry of Health, says the research shows that over 3% of drug-addicts who use injections are infected, and that if nothing happens to prevent drug addiction in the country within the next fo...

------ Today hundreds of these children are in the streets to work and earn money to feed herself and her family. Lots of these children are coming from poor family who lost their parents in the time of war and today they have to afford harsh works to survive. This child is one of them who supports his family by polishing the boots on the streets. She is at the age of 9 who deprived from going to school. As she looks to horizon, we can imagine, she looks her next day which comes the same as yesterday, she is dreaming the horizon of her future live. But her world doesn’t' exceed further than herself and the place surrounded her; the slipper she holds and the tools for polishing she is carrying.

--------- Note that this article was first published in the Pajamasmedia ( direct link of this articale )and if you reproduce this article you must retain this notice. The spokesman for the Afghan ministry of defense, Zahir Azimi, recently said that Musa Qala , located in the Helmand district is a center for foreign terrorists who receive training and instructions for attacks against international forces. In his speech, Azimi said the terrorists, mostly Al Qaeda members who cross the Afghan-Pakistan border come from a variety of countries and regions. The open and porous border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is one of the most important reasons Helmand became a center for terrorism was the, according to a report by Abdulwahid Karezwal, member of the Afghan senate representing the Helmand region. He also charged that local authorities and influential figures actively helped permit terrorists start their activities. The Karzai government has, with the help of British troops , only fiv...

-------

-------- 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,...

----- 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.

-------- Click over the flash and listen to Podcast powered by ODEO Download this Podcast from this link... September11 is an important event in the world especially for Afghanistan . If September 11 wouldn’t happened today Afghanistan was in control of wildest and brutal regime of Taliban. Almost 90% percent of the country was under their control. Today many Afghan says God bless Osama Bin Landin who attacked the twin tower and drove the world to look at our country which was in burning and also they say God bless America that saved our live and brought democracy, freedom and security. I am not talking about how the NATO troops and international forces fulfilled their tasks and how much they are successful. I am talking about the importance of September 11 for Afghanistan and its people. Many Afghans says it is not important for us how many people have been killed in September 11 in twin tower in New York and Pentagon outside Washington but it is important that US saved our live...

------ Podcast1 powered by ODEO You can also download the file directly from here 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 ...

------ 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 kidnapp...

-------

------- A few days ago I was invited by a friend of mine to have dinner together in one of the foreign Restaurants in Kabul. He met a German and an Afghan-German friend there. We installed ourselves at the table. After a while, my friend ordered two beers but unexpectedly a muscle-man appeared in front of us in a harsh tone and asked me for my passport. I told him that I am Afghan, precisely the land he is now in. He started talking strictly to me: You are not allowed to drink alcohol in this restaurant! Why? I asked him Because we are not allowed to serve you alcoholic drinks. On my left hand, the Afghan-German, a doctor, had also been asked for his passport. He was angry about it. For a few seconds he quarreled with his German counterpart. As I understood it he was telling him: 'this is my land, this is my land, no one has the right to ask me as an Afghan how I should behave about this.' They finished quarreling, but I got tense. How is it possible that in your own count...