Feb 12, 2011
Feb 11, 2011
Feb 8, 2011
Dec 4, 2010
Explanation of Pedophilia in Afghanistan
In the previous post I wrote about a piece that discussed pedophilia in Afghanistan. That piece made me research about this phenomenon and the result is a paper you can read here. I would like to call it "A Study In-Progress" since I do not regard it as complete.
Nov 14, 2010
Afghanistan's Little, But Neither Dirty Nor Secret
We read in class a piece from San Francisco Chronicle, titled "Afghanistan's dirty little secret," by Joel Brinkley. It was a sociology class, and we were discussing sex and gender. The piece talks about bashabazi (pedophilia) in Afghanistan. The writer assumes having revealed a "dirty secret" from Afghan culture. However, I must say, as an Afghan and I would be able to assert that many other Afghans believe so, that pedophilia in Afghanistan is not a secret, but everybody knows about it. In addition, it is not considered "dirty." I do not say it is believed to be a good thing, however, the people, who does that, do not hide themselves and their tendency from public; the others, well, don't do it and don't like it either. Brinkley in this piece however does not want to open a sociocultural phenomenon while having a relativist, neutral, scientific manner. He talks about pedophilia with all hatred and disgust, as it is obvious from his title. He also says,
"So, why are American and NATO forces fighting and dying to defend tens of thousands of proud pedophiles..."
It's very insulting. Is Afghanistan the only country on the Earth that some people have pedophilic tendencies?
Oct 20, 2010
Some sketches for a piece
Is Cultivation of Narcotics in Afghanistan Ethical?
“Yes” might be the answer by many who argue that by letting Afghan farmers cultivate narcotics, we will provide them with a livelihood without which they would be left with the risk of death, out of poverty. Since, almost there is no other effective means of livelihood, by letting the poor farmers to grow poppy, at least for a few years, and then stopping the cultivation when they are financially strong, they would be able to stand on their feet.
On the opposite side, some argue that, if we let people to cultivate opium poppy, we would help the smugglers, warlords, criminals, and the Taliban to find sources of financing. In addition, it is unethical since narcotics are harmful for societies and people all around the world.
Imagining yourself in a government position with the authority, would you consider it ethical banning or letting free the poor farmers to grow poppy?
“Yes” might be the answer by many who argue that by letting Afghan farmers cultivate narcotics, we will provide them with a livelihood without which they would be left with the risk of death, out of poverty. Since, almost there is no other effective means of livelihood, by letting the poor farmers to grow poppy, at least for a few years, and then stopping the cultivation when they are financially strong, they would be able to stand on their feet.
On the opposite side, some argue that, if we let people to cultivate opium poppy, we would help the smugglers, warlords, criminals, and the Taliban to find sources of financing. In addition, it is unethical since narcotics are harmful for societies and people all around the world.
Imagining yourself in a government position with the authority, would you consider it ethical banning or letting free the poor farmers to grow poppy?
Oct 3, 2010
The Buddha collapsed out of shame
Sitting under the empty place of the Buddha: It quietly appeared in front of me but it still burned a fire in my heart. I was looking up at it from time to time, but immediately looking down again, shamefully. I imagined where the empty place must have been filled with the Buddha's huge body. Even though, the Buddha’s place was empty, it was as if it was talking to me quietly, though, with a voice louder and heavier than two thousand years. Indeed, the Buddha was a real picture of the two thousand years of our lives, our breaths, and smiles; and, two thousand years of our love. Indeed, even the Buddha could endure being a real picture of our hatred; but too kind to bear this one. It fell.
Watching the documentary film, “the Lost Treasures of Afghanistan”, and the archeologist Dr. Tarzi’s enthusiasm and passion to restore what we have lost and his feelings inevitably turned on the flame of fire in me; like the one I felt when I was sitting right under the huge, quiet, empty place of the Buddha. And, what was that? Was that our, the Afghans’, collective memory?
Undoubtedly, if not the most, collective memory is one of the most important elements of any culture in any society. It is “The experiences shared and recalled by significant numbers of people.” The means by which a collective memory is revived, preserved, and passed through generations are stories, holidays, rituals, and monuments. In a way, it helps the individuals in a society enculturate. Without collective memories, there would be no interests and no commonalities, or in other word, there would be no culture, for individuals to create a group, an organization, or a nation.
It might sound very fearful; the fear that has probably motivated Dr. Tarzi to cautiously dig centimeter by centimeter of the Bamyan’s Valley to find something of a collective memory for his nation. Dr. Tarzi, along with a group of French archaeology students, has left France to come to Bamyan; the most mountainous and impassable, and one of the most deprived provinces of Afghanistan. Not of course in the past. The Buddha itself talked of a prosperous past, where once, Buddhists, from all over the world, came here to pray. Located at the crossroad of the Silk Road, there was a time that Bamyan was one of the religious centers of the world. And, Dr. Tarzi is looking for that past, without which, he would find himself with no identity. Like a kid with dried drops of tear on his face, kneeling down, he is carefully looking to find what he has lost. Based on historical documents and stories, apparently, there is another larger Buddha, sleeping right between the two Buddhas. And, this is a great hope for Dr. Tarzi to search the site foot by foot, and find a trace of this Sleeping Buddha.
There are also some people that are willing to reconstruct the two destroyed Buddhas. But, whether they will succeed in it, or whether Dr. Tarzi will find his legendary Buddha, for me nothing would change the past. I would still sit right under the Buddha’s empty place, and say nothing.
Sep 23, 2010
There is no chance to restore the past; but maybe to compensate it!
A couple of weeks ago, the idea of a group weblog came to my mind. I wanted to create a place where everyone, from students and even faculties, can write there about Afghanistan. Initially, I wanted to name it something like AUAF Student Review or AUAF Student Commentary, however, when I talked to some people about the idea, although, they welcomed the idea of such a group weblog, but they advised me not to pick a name with AUAF... abbreviation. Because, we would thus go under the authority of the university and have to adhere to their policies because our blogs might have somehow represented the university. I didn't want that. So, I picked another name that does not have such an implication.
In one of my courses, in this semester, we watched a documentary film named, "Lost Treasures of Afghanistan." It was about Dr. Tarzi, an Afghan-French Archeologist, who have come to Bamyan to find the Sleeping Buddha, that exist somewhere between the two destroyed Buddha, according to some historical documents. That part did not, though, interest me. The way Dr. Tarzi was expressing his emotions about the two destroyed Buddha and the gravity of the disaster, inspired me. Dr. Tarzi, as an educated and informed Afghan, can well understand what we have lost, and like a kid with dried drops of tear on his face, kneeling down, is searching and digging the ground to find a trace of the Sleeping Buddha. He knows well he can't restore the past, but he hopes he can compensate the past.
This movie made me to name the group weblog, "The Buddha's Empty Place," as a horrible past in front of us, the Afghans, to always remember and keep in mind the disastrous consequences of our radicalism. The Buddha's empty place is indeed representing the three decades in the history of Afghanistan. By choosing such a name for this weblog, I want to go for the "hope," Dr. Tarzi believes in. I want to create an environment Afghan students (another "hope") can, far from hatred, resentment, and tumult, can sit and think.
Sep 21, 2010
Aug 1, 2010
To know more...
After the presentation program by Mariam A. Nawabi, on last Wednesday, at AUAF, I found myself very interested in knowing more about the international community's military and non-military participation in Afghanistan after 9/11. I want to have a survey of all the activities and assistance that the foreign countries have been doing in Afghanistan. For start, I have found and read these two reports. You might also want to take a look at them.
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