An economist by education, I am now a full-time mom by occupation.
Latest posts by Musharraf
MDG Consultations Held in Tajikistan
Blogger Teocrat calls [ru] on Tajikistan's young people to contribute to public consultations on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The aim of the consultations is to review progress towards the MDGs and hear from people what they think should come after 2015, the deadline set for achieving the Goals. Many users...
Tajik Official Blocks Facebook and Summons its CEO
The chief of the state-run telecommunications service in Tajikistan has ordered Facebook blocked and asked the social network's CEO to travel to the Central Asian country and meet with him. Tajik internet users now ridicule the official.
Facebook Donations Support Volleyball in Tajikistan
A new Facebook page, Volleyball for Tajikistan, has recently been launched to raise funds for two volleyball teams created in the country's south. Within eight days after the launch, people from across the United States donated enough money to purchase uniforms for 26 young Tajikistani volleyball players, including 13 girls.
Tajikistan: Costly Conscription
Blogger Teocrat writes [ru] that the conscription of young men into the military in Tajikistan puts a heavy financial burden on the conscripts’ families and the state. He also suggests that the better educated and more religious conscripts reduce the incidence of bullying in the army.
Tajikistan: Young People Learn to Blog
Matrix [ru], a Central Asian youth TV project focusing on Internet and new technologies, has produced a video [ru] about bloggers in Tajikistan. While few Tajiks presently run blogs, some local organizations teach young people how to start blogging.
Tajikistan: Blogger Urges Young People to Be Politically Active
Ahead of the 2013 presidential elections in Tajikistan, Post Scriptum suggests [ru] that the country's young people should be more active in articulating their political preferences. “We should not silently nod in agreement when our future and the future of our country is decided [by older people],” writes the blogger.
Tajikistan: Big Brother to Watch Internet Activity in the Country
Authorities in Tajikistan plan to "track down and identify" individuals who publish materials and leave comments deemed insulting to the country's leadership. Netizens respond with a flurry of angry comments.
Tajikistan as Seen by an Ex-pat Blogger
On Nancystan, an ex-pat blogger writes about her adventures in Tajikistan and posts photos from the country. In some recent posts, the blogger shared images of a Tajik town lying on the Afghanistan border high in the Pamir mountains. She also wrote about her visit to a border market where...
Tajikistan: Dushanbe Zoo, from Different Angles
If you ever happen to travel to Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, you might think twice before visiting the city's underfunded zoo. Matthew Askaripour, an American student, posted on Twitter a photo of a ‘basically dead’ camel that he took at the zoo. Shocked by the state of the facility, he...
Tajikistan: Blogger Translates Mobile Games into Tajik
Tajik blogger Khurrshed has translated a number of popular mobile games into Tajik. Khurrshed explains [tj] that he did the translation in order to make mobile gaming accessible to young people who have cell phones but do not speak English or Russian. Another Tajik blogger recently wrote about the importance of the...
Tajikistan: Becoming a Popular Blogger in 11 Steps
In an ironic post, Blog Avestiyca explains [ru] how to become a popular blogger or social media user in Tajikistan. The author recommends an 11-step process which includes raising obvious issues, blaming everything on corrupt officials, using smart words, and criticizing those who dare to disagree with your opinion.
Tajikistan: Using Films to Promote Inter-Ethnic Tolerance
With the government of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan engaged in an ‘undeclared cold war‘ over regional water and energy resources, the conflict also stokes tensions between major ethnic groups in the two countries. A religious group in Tajikistan is using short silent films to teach people about the importance of inter-ethnic...
Uzbekistan: Blogger Makes Skype Accessible to Uzbek Speakers
Uzbek blogger Gulasal Kamalova has translated [ru] Skype software application into Uzbek. Kamalova explains [ru] that she did the translation in order to make Skype – a service that connects millions of users around the world via Internet-based telephony and video – accessible to people who speak no other language but Uzbek.
Tajikistan: After Being Banned, ‘The Dictator’ Movie Goes Viral
After the new spoof blockbuster, 'The Dictator', was banned in Tajikistan, it has become one of the most searched for movies in the country's pirate-DVD shops. Tajik netizens believe that there is a direct link between the ban and the movie's popularity in the country.
