Global Voices » Omid Bidar

“Women Can Change Afghanistan”: Interview with Noorjahan Akbar

Omid Bidar — Wed, 01 May 2013 02:46:47 +0000

Noorjahan Akbar, 22, is an Afghan women's rights activist and a prolific blogger. Although she is now studying in the United States, Noorjahan writes about the issues confronting women in Afghanistan for online magazines and blogs. Global Voices Online has recently interviewed Noorjahan.

Global Voices: Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Noorjahan Akbar: I was born and raised in Kabul, Afghanistan. When the Taliban ruled my country, I lived with my family in Pakistan. I then came to the United States where I graduated from a high school. Now I study sociology at the Dickinson College [in Carlisle, Pennsylvania]. After the graduation, I am planning to go back to my home country -where I travel every summer – to work on women's issues.

I became engaged in efforts to empower women in 2008, when I did research on women's music in northern Afghanistan. That experience shaped how I think about women. It allowed me to talk to women and listen to their songs and stories. I also worked with a youth group dedicated to social reforms, helping them with organizing protests and other events. In 2011, I co-founded the organization Young Women for Change (YWC) and worked with them until September 2012.

Noorjahan Akbar. Photo by Alex Motiuk, used with permission.

GV: Why did you choose to campaign for women's rights?

NA: As a woman, I have frequently experienced injustice and discrimination, and I am aware of the many ways in which women are treated as second-class citizens and are not being recognized as whole human beings. I believe, however, that women have the power to change Afghanistan and help it move towards becoming a modern and developed nation. And I want to work on empowering women to realize that they have this power, as well as to harness and use this power. I hope that my efforts will help change the way people – both men and women – think about women so that we may be recognized as human beings and our rights as human rights.

GV: Campaigning for women's rights in Afghanistan can be quite dangerous.

NA: Yes, but I believe the cause is worth the risk. We have one life only, and I believe in spending this life on something that will create a lasting change. I also know that threats are not the whole story; there are many people standing behind and beside me and supporting me, even if they are unable to say it out loud at the moment.

GV: What do you think about women's rights in Afghanistan over the last decade? Has there been positive change?

NA: Definitely. There has been a lot of change, particularly in how women view themselves. A major part of the force behind that change is media.

GV: In your view, what does the future hold for Afghan women?

NA: I think Afghan women have many challenges ahead. Our rights are being spoken about mainly for political purposes. Our access to justice is minimal. Our numbers in media and public offices have gone down since 2010. Many of us still do not finish high school, and a majority of us are forced to marry, often at an early age.
However, there are also signs of hope. Women around the country learn about their rights, stand up for themselves, and speak up. Women are taking jobs, graduating from universities, and creating businesses. These women will shape the future of the country. They will not be caged again.

GV: What role do women play in Afghan media?

NA: There are many women working in Afghanistan's media. There are also many newspapers, magazines, and websites dedicated to women's issues. Recently, women's magazine Rastan (Awakening) was created to bridge the gap between different groups of women.
However, the number of women working in media has gone down over the last two years. The reason for that is the lack of protection for women who dare to show their faces on TV or raise their voices on radio. Overall, there is very little protection for journalists in Afghanistan. This is something we need to focus on if we want to move towards real freedom of speech and democracy. There needs to be a stronger movement to hold the government accountable for the protection of those who use media to highlight people's voices and concerns.

GV: You are a blogger, too. Which blogs do you write for?

NA: I have my own blog in Farsi, but I also blog for UN Dispatch, Safe World for Women International, Negah-e-Zan [Woman's Vision, in Farsi], Rahe Madaniyat, Afghanistan Express, and Afghanistan Outlook.

GV: In your opinion, how effective is blogging as an avenue for Afghan women to highlight their plight?

NA: Very effective. The number of women who are blogging, reading each other's writings, and sharing them on social media is increasing. This has led to the creation of a dialogue about women's literary powers and women's agency through writing. This is most apparent in the efforts of Afghan Women's Writing Project [AWWP], for example.

GV: What is your message for the women and men in Afghanistan?

NA: It's time to realize that Afghanistan will not reach its full potential without the participation of all of us in the process of rebuilding it. We need to take the ownership of our country and lead it to becoming an independent and stable nation. Women can contribute tremendously in that process. Preventing women from education, employment, or from exercising other basic rights is not only a violation of their human rights but also a betrayal of the land we all share.

Pakistan's Hazara Shias Demand Arrests, Protection After Deadly Bombing

Omid Bidar — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 20:01:25 +0000

In the latest attack against Pakistan's Hazara Shia minority, a bomb ripped through a busy market in the southwestern city of Quetta in Pakistan on February 16, claiming as many as 63 lives and injuring at least 180 others, including many women and children.

The bombing occurred in Hazara Town, a territory home to the Hazara community of Shia Muslims, who were also the target of an attack last month that left 96 people dead. In that incident, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives inside a billiard parlor, killing several people. Shortly afterward, as people rushed to help the victims, a car bomb outside the parlor went off.

The banned militant organization, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), which allegedly has ties to Pakistan's intelligence agency, has claimed responsibility for the bombings.

As the sectarian violence against Pakistan's Hazaras continue unabated, many across the country have accused the government of deadly inaction, demanding that authorities move off the sidelines and step in to halt the mass killings.

Screenshot of video recorded and published by a witness at the blast scene.

Ali Dayan Hasan, the Human Rights Watch director for Pakistan, criticized the government's absence on Twitter:

@AliDayan: What action has been taken since the last massacre of the #Hazara in January to hold the LeJ accountable? Nothing. #Balochistan

Human Rights Watch noted in its World Report 2013 that the LeJ has ties to the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and other intelligence services, writing that ”Pakistan’s government has failed to act against abuses by the security and intelligence agencies, which continued to allow extremist groups to attack religious minorities.” Hasan also asked:

If #Pakistan‘s security agencies are neither incompetent nor complicit in the killing of #Hazara Shias, why do they continue to die.

Arif Hussain Hazara warned that inaction would have tragic consequences:

@Arif_Hazara: #HazaraTownBalst not the first, will not be the last unless#ActionAgainstLeJ is being taken, they r strategic poison not asset.

People gather near the bodies of Hazara victims, who were gunned down by unidentified armed men at the Scrap Market on Sarki Road in a targeted killing in Quetta, Pakistan late last year. Image by PPPIimages. Copyright Demotix

Similarly, columnist Mehr Tarar accused the ruling party, Pakistan People's Party (PPP), of doing nothing to protect the Hazaras:

@MehrTarar: #PPP-led govt was asked last month by the slain #Hazaras‘ families to STOP (whatever that takes) the #LeJ. And what happened? N.O.T.H.I.N.G

Haider Changezi, a Hazara Twitterati, suggested on the same day as the market bombing that Pakistani Twitter users unite against the violence under the hashtag #ActionAgainstLeJ:

@Aushpaz: Dear #Pakistan – can we for once agree on #ActionAgainstLeJ – Pls RT if you agree with the hashtag so #PPP gov knows consensus is there!

Following the attack on Hazara Shias in early January, thousands of Pakistani protesters attended a four-day vigil, demanding an “operation cleanup in Balochistan against serial killings of Hazara people.” They also called for the removal of provincial government officials and a handover of the city to the army. Although the army has not yet been called in, a state of emergency was declared in the province.

Imran Ali of the BBC noted that the government has yet to arrest those responsible for the bombings:

After the last bomb attack in Quetta, and the ensuing protests by the Hazara community, the Pakistan government sacked Baluchistan's chief minister, Nawab Aslam Raisani, but has yet to arrest the culprits behind the attack. This came as no surprise to the Hazara community, who have yet to see the Pakistan government take action against the Sunni extremist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

Yousuf Nazar, a Pakistani author, wrote that joint action by security forces would be the only way to put an end to the violence:

@YousufNazar: A joint army/commando/police operation against TTP/LeJ is the only solution. They don't even spare women & children; U can't talk to animals

Aziz Ali, a Hazara Twitter user, asked why the government hasn't moved against the authors of the killings:

@azizhazara: Why no one come forward from government and announce targetted action [against] the killer and murderer. #ActionAgainstLeJ

Why Death for Distributing Polio Vaccine in Pakistan?

Omid Bidar — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:26:00 +0000

This post is part of our International Relations & Security coverage.

Antipolio worker, Hilal Khan, is honored in Peshawar, Pakistan. By Musarratullah Jan (Dec 20, 2012) © Copyright Demotix

The huge rise in militancy across Pakistan (pdf), is also creating a number of hazards for aid workers. On New Year's Day gunmen on motorbikes ambushed and killed six female aid workers and a doctor in Khayber-Pakhtunkhwa province. It marked the latest in a series of attacks on polio vaccination charity workers.

On December 18, five female aid workers were killed as they were administering polio vaccinations. The following day another polio supervisor was killed along with her driver in the north-western town of Peshawar.

Naseer Memon, the Chief Executive of Strengthening Participatory Organization writes in an op-ed on Dawn:

Political instability, a fragile law and order situation, frail institutions and sociopolitical polarisation make the country a breeding ground for violent elements. These elements find humanitarian workers ‘soft targets’ because of their ubiquitous presence, especially in far-flung areas. A number of high-profile cases of kidnapping and killing of aid workers occurred in Pakistan in recent years, jeopardising the outreach of humanitarian organisations.

Targeting anti-polio efforts in Pakistan

Pakistan along with neighboring Afghanistan and Nigeria are among the few countries where Polio still remains endemic. In response, the United Nations, International Red Cross other humanitarian organizations have been campaigning for anti-polio efforts in various remote districts of Pakistan However, they are often targeted by militant groups and are even subject to conspiracy theories.

For instance, Ehsanullah Ehsan, a spokesperson for the Pakistani Taliban, claimed that in the aftermath of revelations that Shakil Afridi had used a fake vaccination program to gather information that led to the assasination of Osama bin Laden, many Pakistanis suspected anti-polio workers of being US agents.

A Pakistani Foreign Office official also suggested that fears by militants that NGO and health workers could be spies “may be spreading into other realms.” In September last year, Pakistani authorities ordered six aid workers from Save The Children to leave the country, allegedly for helping a spy agency.

Justin Wilder, author of a petition that demands an investigation into the murder of eight aid workers suggests:

Part of the problem is the reaction by religious leaders to the immunization program. Conservative clerics issued an announcement denouncing the UN program that helps administer oral and injected vaccinations to children in high-risk neighborhoods. There have been rumors spread among these communities that the program is a plot to sterilize Muslim children.

Walter Russell, a blogger for The American Interest magazine, blames Pakistani leaders for not doing enough:

As we saw in December, these attacks have been condemned by the public, and numerous Pakistani Muslims have been extremely vocal in their opposition to the evil perpetrated in the name of their religion. But despite the outcry, Pakistan’s leaders have proven completely powerless to stop things like this from happening. It’s a sad tragedy in one of the world’s saddest countries, and far too many Pakistanis will end up paying for it with their lives.

However, many humanitarian organizations are determined to remain in Pakistan despite the attacks. Shaheen Begum, who narrowly survived an attack by militants in mid-December, told the Sunday Telegraph:

Now, our work is becoming more dangerous with every passing day. I am still scared to be part of the campaign, but it would be a sign of cowardice if I withdraw my support, So I have decided to continue vaccinating children till the eradication of poliomyelitis from Pakistan… Though my family is extremely concerned about my safety, they allow me to protect other children from being crippled. Given the determination of the government and the health workers, it is possible that we can eradicate the disease once and for all.

Similarly, Bushra Arian of All Pakistan Lady Health Workers Association told PBS Newshour interview:

We go out door to door and risk our lives to save innocent children from being permanently handicapped.

For what? So that our coming generations turn out to be healthy. We work for our country, and we are being rewarded in the form of death. What kind of justice is this? Why are we targeted and killed?

This post and its translations to Spanish, Arabic and French were commissioned by the International Security Network (ISN) as part of a partnership to seek out citizen voices on international relations and security issues worldwide. This post was first published on the ISN blog, see similar stories here.

“We Are All Hazara” Protests Across Pakistan

Omid Bidar — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 05:55:30 +0000

Thousands across various cities of Pakistan and worldwide are showing solidarity with the Hazara Shia minority as their sit-in enters its second day in the country's southwestern city, Quetta.

In icy rain and out in the open, hundreds of Hazara Shias are gathered at Alamdar Road, along with the coffins of their relatives, the victims of a twin-blast that claimed at least 82 lives on January 10, 2013. They refuse to bury their dead until Quetta is put under army control.

We Are All Hazara

screenshot of Pakistan Twitter trends, #WeAreAllHazara trending second on the list.

Since the Quetta sit-in the hash-tag “#WeAreAllHazara” has been going on and off in Pakistan's Twitter trend list. Pakistani netizens have been showing solidarity with the Shia Hazara minority regardless of their creed or background.

Hundreds of Pakistanis have been protesting peacefully in different cities of Pakistan including, Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore to show support to Shia Hazara community in Quetta, Alamdar Road.

Reactions on Twitter:

Syed Ali Raza Abidi (@abidifactor): I am @ Karachi Press Club in solidarity with our #Hazara brothers – Are you coming? #QuettaSitIn #WeAreAllHazara twitter.com/abidifactor/st…

Ali Rahman (@Baahirezaman): A simple question… at #Karachi Press Club #ShiaGenocide #WeAreAllHazara “Am I Next?” @beenasarwar @anasmallick twitter.com/Baahirezaman/s…

Pakistani journalists shout slogans against the twin bombings in Quetta, during a protest in Hyderabad, Pakistan. Image by Rajput Yasir. Copyright Demotix (11/1/2013)

Adil Shahzeb (@adilshahzeb): The no of Shia-Sunni protesters increasing despite freezing temp outside the Pak High Commission in #London #Shiakillings #WeAllAreHazara

PTI (@PTIofficial): Our hearts weep with Hazaras. Those who can, join them in Sit-In @ Alamdar Road #Quetta #WeAreAllHazara #ShiaGenocide twitter.com/PTIofficial/st…

Syed Jalal Hussain (@jalalhussain): #WeAreAllHazara Protest in Lahore taking place right now. Not a bad turnout. yfrog.com/ocqsytfj

Abdul Nishapuri (@AbdulNishapuri): Replug: Thousands of Shia Muslims in Lucknow India stage rally against #ShiaGenocide in Pakistan shar.es/4wHrG #WeAreAllHazara

Shia Hazaras’ demand

Braving the chilly sub-zero temperature, the participants of the Quetta sit-in have been refusing to bury the dead bodies of their loved ones unless they received assurance that the state would protect them and their demands are considered. The protesters have ‘vowed', they will not leave until authorities agree to put the security and administration of the city under army control.

Islamabad braves the cold overnight to show solidarity with their brothers and sisters at Alamdar Road. Image courtesy Hassan Bilal Zaidi.

A local Shia party official Hashim Mousawi says:

The government machinery has failed, there is no protection for people in Quetta. We will not end our protest until we get an assurance that the Pakistan army will take over security and administrative control in Quetta.

However, a senior administration official Hashim Ghilzai claims that, “We are trying to convince them to end the protest. We cannot offer them something which is not in our control.”

An online survey carried-out by a private news outlet, The Express Tribune, shows that from 1,952 voters 1,702 call for army intervention in the city.

Similarly, Hazara Democratic Party also took out a protest rally in Quetta against terrorist activities in the city, on Jan, 12. The rally took various roads and routes and concluded near the office of Inspector General Balochistan Police. The party chairman, Abdul Khaliq Hazara, has been on a hunger strike since last night that will continue for 3 days.

Hazara Democratic Party members in the hunger strike camp. via HDP official Facebook page.

Negotiations aimed by Balochistan Governer Nawab Zulfiqar Magsi and Federal Minister Syed Khursheed Shah to convince the Hazara Shia protesters to call off their sit-in ended inconclusively on January 12.

Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Imran Khan has announced that he will be joining the Quetta sit-in on 13, Jan.

Marvi Sirmed(@marvisirmed): Thanks IK. Respects. @imrankhanpti. RT @raoo512: imran khan protesting at lahore against hazara kiling right now.going queta tomorrow:

Since 2001, Hazara Shia Muslims from Quetta — have routinely been targeted by militant groups.

Suggested hash-tags to follow the sit-ins on Twitter: #WeAreAllHazara #ShiaGenocide #Quetta and #ImranAaRahaHai [urdu] (Imran Khan is Coming).

Most Corrupt Country Award Goes to Afghanistan

Omid Bidar — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 17:21:38 +0000

Afghanistan is considered the world's most corrupt country, ranking roughly on par with North Korea and Somalia in an annual survey of 176 nations published on December 5 by Transparency International (TI). TI is a Berlin-based global corruption watchdog that compiles annual corruption rankings. In the last year's survey, Afghanistan was slightly above North Korea and Somalia, tying with Myanmar in 180th place.

“Most Corrupt Country Cup”

Afghan civil society groups used the opportunity provided by the release of the survey to organize anti-corruption rallies. Such rallies were held in eights out of the country's 34 provinces. The goal of the events was to “[promote] national unity, eliminate corruption, and bring peace and stability to the country”.

On December 8, civil society activists in Bamyan (aka Bamiyan) province awarded [fa] an effigy of Afghan President Hamid Karzai with the ‘Most Corrupt Country Cup'.

An effigy of Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, with the ‘Most Corrupt Country Cup’ in Bamyan. Image provided by Mahdy Mehareen.

An elderly laborer from hands the cup to Karzai's effigy. Image provided by Mahdy Mehareen.

Dawood Wasl, one of the organizers of the event, said [fa] in a BBC interview [fa]:

شما شاهد این واقعیت تلخ هستید که در۲۰۰ متری من، مردمی هستند که درقرن ۲۱ درمغاره هایی زندگی می کنند که ۲۰۰۰ سال قبل ساخته شده اند و وزیران کابینه سفرهای میلیون دلاری می‌کنند و خرج یک شب شان برابر با اعمار سرپناه برای مغاره نشینان می شود

You see a harsh reality that within 200 yards [of me], some people live in caves dug 2,000 years ago, while Cabinet Ministers travel abroad on trips that cost millions of dollars. One night of their stay [in luxurious foreign hotels] costs as much as it would cost to provide shelter for those who still live in caves.

Corruption has been among the main challenges faced by Afghanistan over the last decade, hitting the poor segment of the population the hardest, according to the country's anti-corruption authorities.

Foreign countries have provided Afghanistan with billions of dollars in aid. Yet many Afghans believe [fa, pdf] that most of the aid money ends up in the pockets of high-ranking government officials. Chairperson of Transparency International has suggested that “As much as $1 billion of the $8 billion donated [to Afghanistan] in the past eight years has been lost to corruption”.

A banner hanging from “The Lantern”, a symbolic sign indicating that the residents of Bamyan province still do not have electricity. Image provided by Mahdy Mehareen.

Netizens’ reactions

Afghanistan's place in the global corruption rankings has also angered the country's netizens.

Humayoun Behzad tweeted:

@behzadjee: 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index — Bravo Afghanistan you score highest!!

Kawoon Khamosh wrote:

@kwnmk: Upset: Afghanistan is the darkest country in corruption among 174 countries :(

And Rohullah Yakobi tweeted:

@kohandeh: It is official, Afghanistan is the most corrupted nation on earth. Well done to Mr Kazai & all who supported him

Daily Outlook Afghanistan explained why corruption persists:

[C]orruption has cracked Afghanistan from within. This is because there has been no consistent effort to curb it in the last eleven years. Those who are involved in embezzlement of billions of dollars roam freely inside and outside Afghanistan as their affiliation with certain strong political figures turns out to be heavier than Afghan laws.

While the Afghanistan National Reconciliation group on Facebook proposed a radical solution to corruption:

No doubt Afghanistan falls in that [bottom] category, but what can be done to clean Afghanistan from corruption? The answer is; Afghanistan should have a non-corrupt leader who can hang a couple of corrupt individuals and that will be the end of corruption in Afghanistan.

Effigy of Afghan president, with pictures alleging corruption on his behalf. Image provided by Mahdy Mehareen.

Editor's note: Besides Mongolia which ties with seven other countries in 94th place, all other countries in Central Asia are among the 50 most corrupt nations in the latest TI rankings. Kazakhstan is 133rd in the list of 176 countries, sharing the place with Russia and four other nations. Kyrgyzstan ties with Guinea in 154th place. Tajikistan is 157th, together with another two countries. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan tie in the 170th place, just slightly above Afghanistan.

Afghanistan Post-2014: Will the Dark Days Return?

Omid Bidar — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 12:38:44 +0000

This post is part of our International Relations & Security coverage.

Afghan National Army (ANA). Photograph by Lt Sally Armstrong, RN / MOD via Helmand Blog on Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

October 7, 2012 marked the 11th anniversary of the United States-led war in Afghanistan. International combat forces are due to leave the country at the end of 2014, yet the war has remained “mission unaccomplished“. After years of conflict, NATO forces are set to handover responsibility for securing the country to the Afghan armed forces. However, it remains to be seen whether the Afghan’s will be able maintain order and stability after the withdrawal of foreign troops?

In the aftermath of 9/11, the United States and its NATO allies invaded Afghanistan in order to dismantle the Taliban regime and the core leadership of al Qaeda. After several weeks of conflict, NATO troops successfully ousted the Taliban from various cities and helped to establish a new democratic country — the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

As a result, the Taliban regime remains a bitter memory for most Afghans, who never want to see them come to power again.

Naseer, a Kabul resident writes [fa]:

زمان طالبان،‌یک زمان تاریک در تاریخ کشور ماست. در زمان طالبان مردم ما هیچ امیدی برای زندگی کردن نداشتند. چون هرچه که داشتند توسط طالبان یا سوزانده شد یا هم خراب شد[...] دوره طالبان دوره سیاهی است که هیچ شهروند افغان خاطرات آن را از یاد نمی‌برند.

The Taliban regime is a dark period of our country's history. During the Taliban regime our people had no hope to live. For, had they anything, it was either burned or destroyed [...] The Taliban regime was a dark period that any Afghan citizen would never forget.

And while many Afghans suffered during the Taliban regime in various ways, it was females who suffered the most.

Tahmina Barakzay, a female teacher based in Kabul, writes [fa]:

«در زمان طالبان ما مجبور بودیم که در خانه باشیم. در بیرون از خانه کارکرده نمی‌توانستیم. اگر بیرون می‌برآمدیم حتما چادری می‌پوشیدیم. اگر چه من منحیث زن مسلمان پیش از زمان طالبان هم چادر به سرداشتم و حجاب اسلامی را مراعات می‌کردم اما در زمان طالبان اگر چادری نمی‌داشتیم، توسط طالبان کیبل می‌خوردیم [...] ما از طالبان خاطره خوش نداریم. طالبان بدبختی‌های مردم ما را زیاد کردند و نمی‌خواهیم که این‌ها بار دیگر سر قدرت بیایند.

During the Taliban regime we were compelled to stay at home. [We] couldn't work outdoors. If we went outside we had to wear a burka. As a Muslim woman before the Taliban regime I still wore a veil and followed Islamic rules regarding the hijab, however, during the Taliban if we didn’t wear a burka we were whipped [...] We have an ill-fated memory of the Taliban. [They] increased the miseries of our people and we don’t want them to come to power ever again.

Should they stay or should they go?

Zmaray Zalmay, a 30-year-old aid worker in Kabul says:

The Americans should not leave Afghanistan until 2020. We have the experience of 1992 [the year the Soviet-backed communist government fell in Afghanistan sparking a civil war]. We have Russia, China and Pakistan to worry about. We need America.

Not all Afghans share the same views. Many are unconvinced about the presence of NATO forces in the country. For instance, Ghulam Habib, a member of a local district council in Takhar Province claims:

For the past 10 years, with the Americans here, the situation has turned from bad to worse. The presence of the Taliban and Al Qaeda has increased day by day, which shows the US strategy cannot bring security. So they can go.

A recent report by The International Crisis Group (ICG) warned that the Afghan government could collapse after the troop withdrawal. And some also predict ethnic clashes in the country.

In response to the report, an Afghan government statement said:

Our nation was not born in 2002. We have a history of 5,000 years. We have fought against superpowers in the past. Our national police and army are ready to defend the country's soul and sovereignty.

The United Nations envoy, Jan Kubis, has also dismissed predictions that Afghanistan is heading for collapse after 2014. Kubis said:

The international community is ready to do everything possible to support Afghanistan and frankly, to keep Afghanistan from lapsing into these kind of doom-and-gloom scenarios that are coming from different places

Frogh Wazhma, an Afghan gender and development specialist and human rights activist, criticized on Twitter:

@FroghWazhma: Reports over Reports predicting Afghanistan's descent into chaos. Why are the experts so excitingly promoting & predicting failure??

Afghans Show Restraint Over Anti-Islam Film

Omid Bidar — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 09:00:34 +0000

This post is part of our International Relations & Security coverage.

Afghanistan blocked access to YouTube for the first time on September 12, 2012 after the trailer for the highly-controversial film the Innocence of Muslims was disseminated online.

The film was allegedly produced by Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, an Egyptian-American Coptic Christian and portrays the Prophet Mohammed as a philanderer and a religious fake. This sparked protests in many Islamic countries and led to the killing of a US ambassador and three other American diplomats in Libya.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said that the filmmakers had engaged in a ”devilish act” and that insulting Islam is not permitted by freedom of speech. Aimal Marjan, the general director of Information Technology at the Ministry of Communications told Reuters that they had been asked to block YouTube until the film was removed.

Youtube error, “You are attempting to access a website the content of which is in violation of and in contradiction with the laws and regulation of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan set by the Ministry of Information and Culture.” Screenshot by Ali M Latifi. (used with permission)

In spite of evidence to the contrary, Aimal Faizi, the Afghan president's spokesperson denied that YouTube had been blocked, saying on Twitter:

Afghanistan has not banned YouTube Website. MoIC had asked MoC to ban the video insulting the Prophet Mohammad in YouTube, not YouTube.

The Afghanistan National-Reconciliation Facebook page commented:

We profoundly denounce the barbaric killing of the U.S. diplomat in Benghazi, Libya and approving Karzai government banning U-Tube [YouTube] for precautionary measure of possible uncontrollable uprisings in Afghanistan.

The Taliban has also published a statement condemning the film and has asked the ‘Mujahideen’ to avenge the act, which they claim was perpetrated by the US government:

The Islamic Emirate also calls on all its Mujahideen to stand firm against all the violations against our heavenly book (Quran), Prophet and other sanctums perpetrated by the invading America. The Mujahideen in Afghanistan should avenge these actions of the American government by dealing a heavy blow to its invading troops on the battlefield. Similarly, the Islamic Emirate calls on all of the religious scholars of the country to fully inform the masses about such barbaric acts of America in their sermons and to prepare them for a lengthy struggle.

Some Afghan netizens, also shared similar views to the Taliban. For instance, Shabnam Samay Rakeen commented on Facebook:

I just love that these people make these movies to get a reaction out of Muslims, and we never fail to react in a violent way. As someone else said, a prophet of God does NOT need to be defended.

Many fear more protests against the film in Afghanistan, especially since earlier protests against ‘blasphemy’ have ended in violence and killings.

In February 2012 copies of the Koran were disposed of by US troops at Bagram base. The burning of the Koran burning sparked protests across Afghanistan, resulting in the deaths of 30 people – including 4 Americans – and over 200 wounded.

NATO has also warned of possible violent protests across Afghanistan whereas Barack Obama and Hamid Karzai vowed to prevent a flare-up of anti-American violence after the killing of US diplomats in Libya.President Karzai also postponed a diplomatic trip to Norway reportedly because of riot fears. And on Thursday, 13 September, religious leaders gathered in Kandahar to call for calm and peaceful protests over the film.

On the U.S Embassy Facebook page, under a link to a statement by the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, James B. Cunningham, Harris Najib wrote:

I think that responding violently to the movie made by an ignorant fool will fuel the already incorrect stereotypes about Muslims around the world. In the past violent responses to these kind of nonsense videos, innocent people have died on streets. I hope my fellow Afghans will show restraint and engage in civil and peaceful protests.

Sakhidad Hatif, an Afghan blogger, having seen the previous ‘blasphemy’ cases was surprised that this time the Afghan protests did not turn violent:

من دیشب با این امید به خواب رفتم که فردا که خبرها را ببینم حد اقل بیست نفر افغان به خاطر این فیلم شکم های همدیگر را دریده باشند. امروز صبح دیدم که هیچ خبری نشده.

Last night I went to sleep with the expectation that tomorrow when I watch the news, at least twenty Afghans have ripped each other apart due to the film. But in the morning I heard nothing.

However, protests inevitably reached Afghanistan. On 14 September, Afghans held a rally in the eastern city of Jalalabad. Some of the protesters chanted “Death to America” and set fire to an effigy of Barack Obama.

Photo of protesters in eastern Nengarhar province – demo on anti-islam movie. Photo by: Ehsan Amiri. (used with permission)

Protests were also expected in Kabul and other cities of Afghanistan on 14 September. But, they didn't happen that day.

Atia Abawi, an NBC news reporter tweeted that she was proud of Kabul’s residents.

So proud of Kabul and its people right now. Came back from driving the streets, no protests or angry crowds.

However, the movie nevertheless sparked protests in other Afghan cities and on university campuses. Students in Kabul and Herat staged demonstrations against the film on 16 September.

Afghan Hackers also attacked the website of the Church of God in North Georgia, a move that only reinforces the widespread condemnation of the Innocence of Muslims.

Screenshot of Church of God, North Georgia, website hacked by Afghan Hackers.

Afghanistan: When Bronze Means More than Gold

Omid Bidar — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 18:47:42 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.

Afghan Taekwondo fighter Rohullah Nikpai won bronze in the men's under-68-kg category at the 2012 Summer Olympic in London. The 25-year-old athlete matched his achievement at the Beijing Games four years ago, where he also won bronze. The two bronzes claimed by the fighter are Afghanistan's first ever Olympic medals, turning Nikpai into a national hero in the war-torn country.

Nikpai's Olympic success has been quite unexpected because of his background. The New York Times reports that the athlete lived in a refugee camp in Iran, and returned to Kabul four years before the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Even after his return, Nikpai could train only in the early morning and late evening because he had to work as a barber to make ends meet. According to The Guardian, Nikpai comes from the Hazara ethnic minority, which has long been discriminated against by other groups in Afghanistan.

Taekwondo fighter Rohullah Nikpai claimed two bronze medals for Afghanistan at 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. Screenshot from video “Afghan taekwondo star aims high” uploaded on YouTube by AFP on July 13, 2012.

Nikpai's 2012 Olympic bronze was met with an explosion of excitement in social media.

Ashraf Jawadi wrote on Facebook [fa]:

چقدر احساس غرور نمودم با اشک شادی نیکپاه من هم گریستم. دیشب تا آخرین لحظه ها پای تلویزیون نشستم… اما نشستنم نتیجه داد و قهرمان عزیزما همه ی ما را مفتخر گردایند. نیکپاه عزیز ما بتو ارج می نهیم. تو پرچمدار غرور از دست رفته ای این مردمان هستی…

I felt so proud. I wept too when Nikpai cried blissfully [after the win]. Last night I woke up and watched him on television till the very last minute… But it is alright that I was awake, our dearest hero made us all proud. Dear Nikpah [Nikpai] we applaud you. You are the proud flag-bearer of the [Afghan] people…

Raymond Leong commented on Twitter:

Rohullah Nikpah is an inspiration to many. He won Afghanistan`s first Olympic medal in Beijing and he repeated it again in London!

Afghans around the world believed that Nikpai's bronze was more valuable than the many gold or silver medals won by other countries.

Fariba Nawa, an Afghan-American journalist and author, wrote in New Media America:

In a year filled with suicide bombings, school poisonings and kidnappings, the bronze for Afghanistan was more than gold.

Nesar Ahmad Bahawi, another Afghan Taekwondo fighter, failed to beat his Italian rival Mauro Sarmiento in the repechage match for a bronze medal in men's under-80-kg category, finishing a step away from a medal. The 28-year-old athlete who was Afghanistan's flag-bearer during the opening ceremony of the London Olympics, suffered a leg injury during the fight.

Taekwondo fighter Nesar Ahmad Bahawi was a step away from bringing Afghanistan another Olympic medal in London. Screenshot from video “Afghan taekwondo star aims high” uploaded on YouTube by AFP on July 13, 2012.

Nesar Ahmad Bahawi carrying Afghanistan's flag at the opening ceremony of London Olympics. Screenshot from video “Afghanistan at the London 2012 Olympic Ceremony” uploaded August 9, 2012, by YouTube user aseman1994.

Sven T. Rebbin wrote on Twitter:

Nesar Ahmad Bahawi deserves great respect for having gone through Taekwondo battle after battle at these Olympics with a heavy injury…

Ahmad Farzad Lami, an Afghan Journalist and blogger tweeted:

Nesar Ahmad Bahawi is much more beloved today than he was yesterday. We're proud of you.

Afghans around the world were proud of the six athletes representing Afghanistan at the London Olympics. The participation of these athletes in the top international competition has been seen as beneficial for the country's sports. Currently, athletes in Afghanistan lack modern facilities, equipment, and the support needed to master in their sports. Engaging in sports is particularly difficult for the country's girls and women.

One of the athletes representing Afghanistan at the Games was 23-year-old female runner Tahmina Kohistani. In a post published in the Telegraph, she wrote about her Olympic experience:

Getting medals from the Olympic Games is very difficult for every athlete and for my country and me, it is even harder. The training facilities are much worse than most other countries so we cannot prepare as well. But I knew I was not going to win a medal when I came here; I am here to begin a new era for the women of Afghanistan to show people that we can do the same things that people from other countries can do. There is no difference between us.

Perhaps the most important outcome of the Afghan athletes’ participation in London Olympics and Nikpai's bronze is a sense of unity that has emerged as hundreds of thousands of Afghans from different ethnic, regional, and religious backgrounds came together to watch the country's athletes compete in London on TV.

Lina Rozbih-Haidari, an Afghan journalist, wrote on her Facebook page [fa]:

تجربه اتحاد میان تمام مردم افغانستان را در طول مسابقات المپیک خارق العاده بود، آنقدر حس خوبی بود که به گفته تعدادی آرزو میکنم که سیصد و شصت و پنج روز سال المپیک باشد و ملت افغانستان متحد با هم به دری و پشتو و هزاره گی و ازبکی….شعار داده و از یک افغان خود حمایت و پشتیبانی کنند، ایا میتوان این اتحاد را در میان ملتی که همه انها مساویانه از جنگ صدمه دیده اند زنده نگه داشت…به چند روز المپیک فکر کنید که چقدر بدور از تبعیض و تنفر با یکدیگر یکجا بودید، به حس خوبی که این اتحاد در میان یک ملت دارد، به شادی که در پیروزی همه با هم داشتیم، به اندوهی که در شکست با هم تجربه کردیم…افغانستان را تنها همین اتحاد میان شما نجات خواهد داد و نه چیز بیشتر…..

The feeling of unity among the Afghan people during Olympic games was extraordinary. It was so sensational that some wished that the 365 days of the year were Olympic and the Afghanistan nation jointly supported one Afghan [athlete] in Dari, Pashto, Hazaragi, Uzbek [languages]. This would have also made possible the unity among other nations affected by war… Think of Olympic days and remember without spitefulness and discrimination that you were together. [Remember] the sense of unity of the nation, the joy we felt after each victory [of our athletes], the sadness we experienced after [their] defeats… Nothing but this unity can rescue Afghanistan.

Kabul residents watch Rohullah Nikpai facing an Iranian rival at the London Olympics. Image by Kawoon Khamoosh, used with permission.

This post is part of our special coverage London 2012 Olympics.

Afghanistan: Girl's Murder Sparks Anger and Protests

Omid Bidar — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 20:51:36 +0000

On July 31, dozens of academics and women's rights activists took to the streets of Kabul to protest the delay in government investigation into the case of Shakila, a 16-year-old girl who had been reportedly raped and murdered [fa] last year in Afghanistan's Bamyan Province.

The alleged crime took place in the house of Wahidi Beheshti, a member of the provincial council, some six months ago. Beheshti and his powerful supporters maintain that Shakila took her own life. Yet, many people accuse the politician of murdering the girl and suggest that he is now using his power and connections to delay or mislead the investigation.

For instance, Rahim Ghaffori, an Afghan civil society member, has said [fa]:

به جان شکیلا تجاوز صورت گرفته و فیری هم که شده از پشت سر بوده، دوسیه وی از طرف طب عدلی به سارنوالی فرستاده شده ، متاسفانه سارنوالی یکی از دوستان اقای واحدی بهشتی است که در این قسمت توجه نکرده.

Shakila was sexually abused, and the bullet was fired at her from behind [which indicates that she did not commit suicide]; the forensics experts sent the case to the prosecutor; unfortunately, the prosecutor is one of Wahidi Beheshti's friends; accordingly, he has not considered the case.

Afghan women marching in Kabul and calling attention to the case of Shakila. Image by Ferdous Samim, used with permission.

The protesters in Kabul marched past the office of the Afghan independent human rights commission (AIHRC) towards the country's parliament. They held Shakila's photos and chanted, “Shame on Bamyan attorney. Shakila did not commit suicide.” The protesters also shouted, “Ministry of Justice! Justice! Justice!” and “Human rights! Seriousness! Seriousness!”.

(Video from the event by RFE/RL Radio Free Afghanistan can be watched here. More photos from the protest can be accessed here).

Following the event, Young Women for Change, an Afghan non-governmental organization that co-organized the protest, posted on its Facebook page:

The main slogan for today's walk was “let's not allow for more Shakilas to get murdered,” which points [out to the fact] that this walk was not only to demand justice for Shakila, but to point out all the injustices towards all women in the light of her case.

Zohal, one of the protesters, suggested [fa]

.قاتل شکیلا آزادانه گشت و گذار می کند و دولت هیچ اقدامی برای دستگیری اش نمی کند و پارلمان ازمتهمین پشتیبانی می کند. ما ازدولت میخواهیم که جداً موضوع را پیگیری کرده و عاملین تجاوز و قتل شکیلا را دستگیرو محاکمه کند

Shakila's murderer is free and the government does nothing to arrest him; the Parliament is backing the defendants. We call on the government to investigate the case seriously and bring to justice the person who raped and killed Shakila.

Not an isolated event

The protest in Kabul was not an isolated event. On July 25, dozens of people took to the streets of Bamyan to call attention to Shakila's case.

The protest in Bamyan. Image by Abdulwahid Danishyar, used with permission.

Besides, many activists and netizens have used social media to demand justice and make sure that Shakila's murderer does not go unpunished. The case is closely followed by Afghan Facebook users who have set up the page “Shakila” and two open groups, “Our Shakila” and “Group of Martyr Shakila's Supporters“.

Asad Buda, an Afghan writer, wrote [fa]:

تنها کسی زبانِ شکیلا را می‌فهمد که با زبانِ تاریخ آشناست: شکیلا بیان و یاد کسانی است که کشندگانِ آنان هرگز مجرم شناخته نمی‌شوند.

Only those who understand the language of history can understand Shakila's language: Shakila is the expression of those whose murderers have not been identified as criminals.

Ali Amiri added [fa]:

یک تفاوت اساسی میان مرگ شکیلا و صدها همانند او که پیش از این طعمه غارت و تارج و تجاوز شدند وجود دارد. مرگ او را همه فریاد کردند. خون سرخش را همه دیدند… اینک در رگ هر رسانه خود او رسیده و جاری شده است. هر شاعری اورا فریاد می کند. اینک این حجله سرخ شکیلا است که خواب سیاه همه را به کابوس بدل کرده است.

There is a fundamental difference between Shakila's [rape] and the plight of hundreds of similar victims. Everyone cried her death. Everyone saw her red blood. She is now all over the media. Every poet [writes about] her. Now, it is Shakila's red [bloody] bridal chamber which has turned our dark dreams into a nightmare.

Afghanistan: Adultery Execution Video Sparks Outrage

Omid Bidar — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 05:58:03 +0000

In early July, an Afghan woman was executed publicly in a small village in the Parwan province, about an hour's drive from the capital Kabul. The 22-year-old woman was reportedly killed after two local Taliban strongmen – both claiming that they had had some kind of relationship with her – accused her of adultery. An amateur video [Warning: Graphic] of the execution, obtained by Reuters, shows an old turban-clad man reciting verses from the Koran and declaring: “We cannot forgive her, God tells us to finish her. Juma Khan, her husband, has the right to kill her.” The burqa-clad woman is then shot dead at a point-blank range, while some 150 bearded men present at the execution cheer her death and shout, “God is great,” “Long live mujahideen” [a term the Taliban call themselves].

Najiba, a 22-year-old Afghan woman, is executed by her husband. Screenshot from video, ‘Afghanistan execution sparks outrage', uploaded July 9, 2012, by Youtube user CNN.

About 150 men were present at the execution, cheering the woman's death. Screenshot from video, ‘Afghanistan execution sparks outrage', uploaded July 9, 2012, by Youtube user CNN.

Afghan government officials have blamed the Taliban for the execution. When the fundamentalist movement was in power from 1996-2001, public executions of adulterers were common in the country. The Taliban, however, has denied its involvement in the killing.

The woman's execution has sparked an international outcry. In Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai has condemned the killing as “un-Islamic and inhuman,” and ordered police to find the culprits and bring them to justice. Fawzia Koofi, an Afghan female parliamentarian, said after watching the video:

After 10 years (of foreign intervention), and only a few kilometres from Kabul… how could this happen in front of all these people? It is really very much a sharp turn, and a huge backward (step).

Frogh Wazhma, an Afghan gender and development specialist and human rights activist, tweeted [fa] on July 9:

وقت اینست که ما زنان نیز به تهدیدی مسلحانه تبدیل شویم.حادثه پروان نشانه دیگر از منافقت اجتماعی ماست -کسی در آن جمع در مقابل ظلم ایستاده نشد

It is time for us, women, to become an armed threat. Parwan incident is another symptom of our social hypocrisy. No one [witnesses of the incident] stood up against injustice.

The outrage caused by the execution has put spotlight on the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan. On Daily Outlook Afghanistan, Dilawar Sherzai explains:

The Afghan social structure has been vehemently dominated by religious extremism and tribal nepotism. Though these factors have affected almost everyone, women have been intensely influenced as they belong to the weaker strata of the society. Most of the self-designed religious doctrines and tribal norms are against the women and discriminate their basic rights. Unfortunately, these norms and doctrines have even gone to the extent of violence and have tortured women physically – mostly in the public. They, in the name of dignity of women, have in fact degraded them. The concept of so-called tribal honor and dignity has not been able to provide safety and respect to Afghan women.

Outside Afghanistan, the video angered many people. Laurent Joncas, a Canadian, wrote in a letter to the National Post on July 10:

I am a 65-year-old man and I cried like a baby when I read about the execution of a young woman in Afghanistan. The thought of her lonely and fearful death will haunt me forever. I am sad that the world could do nothing for her. I’m not sure that giving $250-million dollars in aid to Afghanistan will stop this. My wish is that Muslims from around the world cry out for justice against the Taliban. What is just is that this young women is in now in Heaven and that her murderers will suffer eternity in Hell, along with the 150 or so who men who cheered this on. How is it possible that this was the will of Allah, as he is all merciful, and loving?

The video of the killing has also led dozens of Afghan women and some men to take to the streets of Kabul on July 11. Condemning the execution and calling on the government to do more to protect women's rights in the country, the protesters also chanted “Death to the men who killed our sister!”

Afghan women protest in Kabul after the execution. Image by Frogh Wazhma, used with permission.

The protest was led by Mumtaz Bibi, a 16-year-old Afghan woman who had survived a callous acid attack. She marched alongside Sahar Gul, a 15-year-old woman whose case caused worldwide outrage after had been rescued from her husband and his relatives who starved and tortured the girl to force her to enter into prostitution. Sima Samar, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and head of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, has also joined the protest in Kabul.

Sahar Gul and Mumtaz Bibi among the protesters in Kabul. Image by Courtney Body, used with permission.

Some people have used the execution as an opportunity to criticize Western nations for their inability to solve Afghanistan's many problems despite intervening in the country in 2001. Euronews correspondent Mustafa Bag tweeted on July 12:

Public execution of an Afghan woman shows how little the civilized Europe has achieved during 10 years of the occupation of Afghanistan. ‬

Afghanistan: High School Student Discovers Math Formula

Omid Bidar — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 20:20:00 +0000

If you are not used to reading success stories about education in Afghanistan, this one is for a change. On 30 June, 2012 the Center of Science in Kabul announced that Khalilullah Yaqubi, a high school student from Ghazni province, had independently discovered a mathematical formula that can be used to solve ‘second-degree quadratic equations with one unknown'. Khalilullah is an eleventh-grade student at the Al-Beruni High School in Nawabad, on the outskirts of the city of Ghazni.

Speaking about the formula, Khalilullah says:

I have not seen this formula before in any book. Neither I have used any source, nor cheated from Internet. This is all my efforts. Through this formula we can solve the problems of degree of equations (sic).

Some Twitter users have welcomed the news as an indication of improvements in the Afghan education sector. Mulex, for example, has tweeted:

Wow! Amazing news from Afghanistan. Sign of progress in their education system.

Another Twitter user, Jasur Ashurov (‘A settled nomad from Central Asia'), wrote:

You don't always get positive news from #Afghanistan. This why I've been so happy to read this.

Rephrasing a Russian scientist and poet, he added [ru]:

…и может собственных Ньютонов и быстрых разумом Платонов земля афганская рожать…

…the Afghan land can give birth to its own Newtons and smart Platos…

The student's success particularly stands out against the background of the difficult situation confronting the school sector in Ghazni province. Members and sympathizers of the Taliban had closed many schools in the province. Recently, however, around 400 residents of one of the province's districts turned against the fundamentalist group and succeeded in reopening 81 out of the 83 schools in the area.

Overall, there have been improvements in Afghanistan's education sector since the ousting of the Taliban in 2001. Some 5,000 schools have been built (pdf) across the country since 2003. Yet, many of these schools still lack modern teaching facilities and face a shortage of qualified teachers. Besides, many schools for girls have recently been attacked by fundamentalists who oppose education for females in the country.

On the Outlook Afghanistan, Dilawar Sherzai describes the education system in Afghanistan as follows:

Our country Afghanistan is one of the countries where proper attention has not been paid to education sector. One of the basic reasons has been the continuous instability overwhelming the society. The wars and conflicts – national, regional and international – that have been using Afghan land as their theater have made the development in social and educational fields suffocate to a large extent. Starting from Soviet invasion in 1979, one can count myriads of tussles and disturbances hampering the establishment of satisfactory education system. The problems, more basic in nature, have been the focal point of people's concentration rather than the education system.

Despite all these difficulties, many Afghans succeed in becoming educated, sometimes even self-educated. In December 2011, another talented resident of Ghazni, without any special training or tools, flew an aircraft he had built from bits of rickshaw and a secondhand Toyota car in his garden.

Alexander Sodiqov has contributed to this post.

Sharing Photos of the Afghanistan You Never See

Omid Bidar — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 01:03:04 +0000

The decades of war and terrorism have placed Afghanistan among the world's most dangerous countries. Despite the progress made by the country since the ousting of the Taliban in 2001, most media writing about Afghanistan focus stubbornly on negative issues such as bomb blasts, suicide attacks, and casualties. Reports in such media feature terrifying pictures that lead most people to never want to visit the war-torn but very beautiful country.

This is why the work of Antony Loveless, a freelance British journalist and photographer, makes so much difference. Since March 2012, Loveless has been posting photos from his trips to Afghanistan on Twitter, using the hashtag he invented, #TheAfghanistanYouNeverSee.

Speaking to Global Voices about the hashtag, Loveless said:

I have a portfolio of over 2,000 images shot on three trips to Afghanistan in recent years and to keep track of them, I conceived of the rather unwieldy hashtag [#TheAfghanistanYouNeverSee].

The Girl in the Lake. Taking a dip to stay cool under the unforgiving midday sun. Image by Antony Loveless, used with permission.

Afghanistan's 'green zone', a stretch of fertile, cultivated ground along the Helmand River Valley. Image by Antony Loveless, used with permission.

The stunning beauty of Kajaki Lake in southern Afghanistan, seen from a Royal Air Force Chinook. Image by Antony Loveless, used with permission.

Loveless’ hashtag was picked up by the Royal Air Force (RAF) Sergeant Alex Ford, who spent six months in 2011 in Afghanistan's Hilmand Province.

Sharing his views about the hashtag, Ford writes in Warfare Magazine:

We have been involved in Afghanistan for almost 11 years now, and it has become commonplace to see images of the war back here. But generally those images tend to be more about the negative side of the conflict there. Pictures of flag-draped coffins driving through Wootton Bassett or out of Brize Norton… a picture of a soldier smiling, but the caption underneath giving the date he died. Sadly, the majority of the British population that supports the lads and lasses on the ground have no real insight into the story of the war out there; the story that is Afghanistan.

Local children ready to chat to Paras leaving the Helicopter Landing Site. Image by Alex Ford, used with permission.

Afghan kids with UNICEF-donated books and pens in a classroom. Image by Alex Ford, used with permission.

The hashtag has become a popular photo tag for those who travel to Afghanistan to share the images that people outside of the country rarely see in conventional media.

An Afghan child seems ready to be on camera. Image by Steve Blake, used with permission.

Lately, Iqbal Ahmad Oruzgani, a photographer from Afghanistan has also begun posting photos under the hashtag to show Afghanistan from a different perspective.

Collective wedding organized for tens of couples in Daikundi, central Afghanistan. Collective weddings have becoming very popular in the country because they help lessen the cost of wedding for each individual family. Image by Iqbal Ahmad Oruzgani, used with permission.

Young Afghan girls reading a school book in front of a closed shop. Image by Iqbal Ahmad Oruzgani, used with permission.

Winter in Behsud District of Maidan Wardak Province. Image by Iqbal Ahmad Oruzgani, used with permission.

Every photo shared under this hashtag is retweeted by hundreds of Twitter users, giving the photographers a very wide audience.

Speaking to Global Voices, Antony Loveless says:

Countless tweeters have said it’s the best use of a hashtag on twitter, ever, and I am currently in talks to produce a book based on the hashtag after countless people expressed an interest in buying one.

Pakistan: RIP Ghazal Legend Mehdi Hassan

Omid Bidar — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 22:19:45 +0000

Mehdi Hassan Khan also famously known as the ‘King of Ghazal’ passed away on Wednesday, 13, June, 2012 after a protracted illness, in a local hospital in Karachi city of Pakistan. The 84 years old Ghazal Singer was suffering from illness for the past 12 years.

After his death ‘#MehdiHassan’ had been trending on Twitter across Pakistan and India. Hundreds of his fan including popular singers, famous celebrities and politicians shared their condolences and tribute to the legendary singer. His fans are also sharing his hit Ghazals in social networks.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (@PMOIndia) writes in Twitter sharing his deep grief:

@PMOIndia: The influence of his passion for Urdu poetry and early grooming in Dhrupad tradition earned for him a special place in the world of music.

Popular Indain actor Shahrukh Khan (@imsrk) tweets about his memories from the famous Gahzal singer:

@imsrk: memories of my mom cooking in a grimy kitchen as it rained outside, while mehdi hassan floated out of a Beltek 2 in 1 (cassette player).

Screenshot from the video : Roz kehta hoon bhool jaon by KhurramDBG

Singer Lata Mangeshkar offered her condolence to Mehdi Hassan's family talking to the media and said that his demise is a great loss to music industry.

Asif Noorani in Dawn blog says:

Mehdi Hassan is dead, but I am not sad. Don’t curse me when I say I am relieved, for death has brought an end to his decade-long suffering. Watching him lie helpless and speechless, afflicted by so many ailments, not to speak of bedsores, was a heart-wrenching experience.

Adil Omar (@Adil_Omar) tweets:

@Adil_Omar:I won't pretend that I listened to his music, but I was well aware of his status and impact. RIP Mehdi Hassan

Singer Talat Aziz, who was trained by Mehdi Hassan describes how he feels:

I feel a tremendous personal sense of loss. I was his ‘shagird’ (apprentice), I spent a lot of time with him. For me he was a star. I don't have words to describe his loss. He was a great asset to the world of Ghazal. Though he was not singing for quite sometime, but he will be missed. There will never be another Mehdi Hassan.

Please check out Fawad's tribute to Mehdi Hassan, whom he terms as one of the greatest sub-continental singers of the post-partition era.

Afghanistan's First Computer-Animated Movie

Omid Bidar — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 03:00:06 +0000

Leaving the three decades of war and destruction behind, Afghans are making use of modern technology and media to rebuild the country and raise new generations with a brighter vision for the future. ‘Buz-e-Chini‘ (Goat) is the country's first ever 3D computer-animated short film in Hazaragi, a dialect of Farsi spoken by the Hazara people in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The animated movie is based on a folk tale about a goat and its three kids being cheated by a cunning wolf. It is set in Bamyan, a province in central Afghanistan, against the backdrop of the sixth-century monumental statues of standing buddhas that the Taliban destroyed in 2001.

‘Buz-e-Chini’ was directed by Abbas Ali, a Hazara graphic designer who had been born in Afghanistan but left the country after the Taliban took over. Abbas Ali found refuge in Pakistan where he studied animation and began producing the movie. After the Taliban was toppled in Afghanistan, he returned to the country and finished the production of ‘Buz-e-Chini'.

Explaining his interest in animated films, Abbas Ali says [fa]:

از زمانی که کودک بودم عشق عجیبی به فلم های کارتونی داشتم که از تلویزیون پخش می شد. بسیار وقت ها از مکتب می گریختم تا برنامه کارتونی دلخواهم را در تلویزیون تماشا کنم و گاهی به خاطر این کار لت هم می خوردم. این علاقه باعث شد که از بسیار خردسالی به طراحی و نقاشی شروع کنم و در نهایت به مدرسه هنر راه بیابم

As a child, I was a huge fan of cartoons that were shown on television. I often used to ditch classes at school to watch my favorite cartoons on TV; sometimes, I was even beaten up for that. This interest led me to start drawing and designing, and later I entered a graphic design institute.

'Buz-e-Chini': Official movie poster

In a recent interview with NATOchannel.tv, the film's director said ‘Buz-e-Chini’ was produced to get through the ‘message of peace’ and prevent the Taliban from ‘erasing the Afghan culture'.

‘Buz-e-Chini’ was initially distributed illegally on DVDs and video cassettes. One of the first legal showings of the film was organized in a cave in Bamyan.

Children from Bamyan watch 'Buz-e-Chini' on a screen mounted in a cave. Photo by Tahira Bakhshi (Republic of Silence), used with permission.

Ali Karimi writes [fa] in The Republic of Silence:

اهمیت این فلم در اینجاست که نشان می دهد هنرمندان افغان به مرحله یی رسیده اند که می توانند کودکان کشور را با قصه های افغانی سرگرم کنند. بدون شک، پس از سال ها تماشای «تام و جری» آمریکایی، دیدن «بز چینی» بامیانی برای هر طفل افغان تجربه ی لذت بخشی است که هیچ گاه فراموش نخواهند کرد.

This movie, ‘Buz-e-Chini,’ shows that Afghan artists are now able to entertain children with Afghan cartoons. Without doubt, after watching American-made ‘Tom and Jerry’ for years, the Bamiyan-made ‘Buz-e-Chini’ will be a fun experience for Afghan children, an experience they will never forget.

Mohammad Amin Wahidi a blogger and Founder of ‘Deedenow Cinema Production Afghanistan’ writes:

Although since 2004 there are animators who make short animations in Afghanistan, however [sic] the quality and the graphic style of “Buz e Chini” short animation is compared to the products of Pixar…

Alessandro Pavone, a video journalist based in Afghanistan, comments on the movie on his Twitter:

Is it the new #Pixar's movie? No, it's the first Afghan 3D animation movie! “#Buz-e-Chini”

Commenting on ‘Buz-e-Chini’ video uploaded on YouTube, Eftakharchangezi says:

Mind Blowing Graphics – It is as professionally done as any Hollywood 3D movie. [T]hanks for such professionally accomplishment. Desperate to look forward for more efforts like this…

Afghanistan: Girls Poisoned for Attending School

Omid Bidar — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 00:00:02 +0000

On June 3, 2012, about 65 girls were rushed to hospital [fa] after being poisoned at their school in the northeastern Afghan province of Takhar. The incident was the latest in a series of attacks against schools for girls in the province. On May 29, some 160 girls ended up in hospitals after a gas attack at their school. Earlier this spring, more than 270 girls were poisoned in anti-school attacks in two different locations. Overall, hundreds of girls throughout the country suffered in similar attacks last year.

Officials have blamed the Taliban for these incidents. Between 1996 and 2001, when the fundamentalist movement controlled most of the country, females were banned from going to school. Although millions of girls have enrolled in school since the ousting of the Taliban, the movement's fighters and their sympathizers continue punishing female students for seeking education.

Young schoolgirls lie unconscious on the lawn of a hospital in the capital city of the northern Takhar province after being poisoned at their school. Image by Pajhwok Afghan News, copyright Demotix (18/04/2012)

Because females continue facing abuse and violent attacks for seeking education, it takes a lot of bravery to be a schoolgirl in Afghanistan. Image by Teresa Nabais, copyright Demotix (03/07/2009)

The Taliban has denied its involvement in the anti-school attacks. Yet, they can hardly convince anybody.

Ericka M. Johnson, a blogger from the United States, writes:

Attacking girl’s schools and students has become a common tactic for the Taliban. It’s not enough for them to be treated as property. They must also punish [girls] for wanting to learn. They deny involvement in these attacks, but their own history — in which many girls were not even allowed to go to school during Taliban rule from 1996-2001 — suggests that educated women go against the Taliban’s interests.

Responding to Erica, another American blogger, Katherine Lorraine, explains:

Educating women is the quickest and easiest way for true equality among the sexes – so naturally the all-boys’ club of the Taliban wants nothing more than to hold women down and force them to live at the lowest rungs of society.

Judy Molland, an award winning writer, announces:

Anyone who can hate children enough to poison them has clearly lost touch with his own humanity. For the sake of these girls, the Afghan government must make the safety of its students a priority.

Afghan blogger Hussain Ibrahimi writes [fa]:

حال دشمنان افغانستان از ابزار دیگری برای پیروزی شان در جنگ و مخالفت با دولت افغانستان استفاده می کنند و این ابزار چیزی نیست جز مسموم کردن شاگردان مدرسه ها و بسته شدن این نهادهای تعلیمی و آموزشی در ولایت های مختلف افغانستان که نگرانی ها را روز به روز افزایش می دهد و این خود می تواند ضربه بزرگ باشد برای دست آوردهای ده ساله افغانستان که باز شدن نهادی های تعلیمی و آموزشی بعد از سرنگونی رژیم طالبان خود یکی از بزرگترین دستآوردهای این دهه اخیر است.

The enemies of Afghanistan are now resorting to a new tactic in their war against the government [of the country]. This tactic consists of poisoning schoolgirls, aiming to close down educational institutions in different provinces… This can seriously compromise a decade of achievements such as the opening of new schools after the fall of the Taliban regime

For some people, reports of anti-school attacks in Afghanistan are a reason to reconsider their attitude towards education. Dineeta Kubhar tweets:

@WordsOfDineeta: Taliban poisoning the water females drink at school in Afghanistan to stop them from an education.. And I'm complaining about studying smh.

Netizens fear that after the NATO-led foreign troops pull out of the country in 2014, the Taliban and other fundamentalists will become even more tenacious in scaring girls off education.

Chloe Logan, a Yahoo News Contributor, writes:

As these attacks continue while NATO forces are still in Afghanistan, we wonder if girls will remain brave enough to continue their education once that protection is gone. We know that their futures depend on the education they lack.

Another blogger, Jan, speculates:

Sadly, once the last of the U.S. military presence is “officially” removed from Afghanistan, you know, and I know, and we all know, what will happen to any Afghani girl who dares to go to school, and to any Afghani female who wants to teach, or nurse in a hospital, or work as a secretary, or be a clerk in a grocery store, or try out for an Olympic running team, or play badminton or chess, or learn how to read and write…