# Your views (and society's) about Afghanistan.



## Bienvenidos

*When you hear the word Afghanistan, what do you think? What's the first image that comes to mind?
*​
 As an Afghan-American, I've noticed that everyone in the world seems to think they know "everything" about Afghanistan. They look down upon the country, label all Afghans as terrorists and say that Afghanistan has always been a terrible country

   But they're wrong. 

I feel like it's my duty to correct the world's misconceptions about my homeland. People are always shocked when I mention that Afghanistan used to have movie theaters, enormous colleges, libraries, and hospitals. Women were educated and they used to weir mini-skirts and other Western clothing.

The world's terrorists are not from Afghanistan; they are people from other parts of the world who use Afghanistan as a playground, due to the fact that, after the Soviet invasion, the country was very vulnerable. 

   So my question is, what is your society's view on Afghanistan? When you hear the word, "Afghanistan" what do you think? Will the word's perception of Afghanistan ever change? And what is it that you truly think of Afghanistan, and its people.

Please state your complete opinion and don't worry about offending me or anybody else. I want to know what ordinary people think of the country that was once a peaceful, prosperous place.

  Thanks.


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## SaritaSarang

Bienvenidos said:


> I feel like it's my duty to correct the world's misconceptions about my homeland. _*People are always shocked when I mention that Afghanistan used to have movie theaters, enormous colleges, libraries, and hospitals. Women were educated and they used to weir mini-skirts and other Western clothing. *_
> 
> 
> Thanks.



So what happened?  why do these things not exist anymore? 
I wouldn't claim to know about Afghanistan, I know very little.


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## Bienvenidos

Basically, the former Soviet Union wanted to take over Afghanistan and bombarded the place. A lot of institutions were ruined. The Soviets then decided to leave the country and that's when terrorists from other nations came in and established the Taliban. The Taliban removed any Western influence (thus movie theaters, etc.) and that's when the strict restrictions on women's rights  came into play. 

Now, in 2007, things are slowly coming back to how they used to be. But people still think the country is in shambles.

For example, most people think that Afghanistan probably doesn't have regular toilets, stoves, houses, etc. But it did, and those that were not destroyed by rebel forces still exist, and new Western-style buildings are being built.

The sterotypes that are associated with Afghanistan being a "third world nation" are still alive today, in various shapes and forms.


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## SaritaSarang

I'm glad that it is on the path to changing back to how it used to be.
Many people think the same thing about other nations in the middle east, its not just limited to Afghanistan. They associate Afghanistan with terrorism because of all the terrorism that comes out of the Middle East.  There are small minded people who believe that all the middle eastern countries are terrorist countries, which is not true, but there will always be people like that. We cant not change their minds, we can educate them on the truths, but ultimately it has to be THEM who changes their mind.


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## CrazyArcher

Excuse my ignorance, but when did Afghanistan have movie theaters, hospitals and women in mini-skirts? Before the Soviet war?
Every time I hear Afghanistan, my immediate mental image is "Soviet-Afghani war, burnt village in the mountains, and Soviet soldiers coming home in coffins"...


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## Ana Raquel

I know very few things and some may be not really accurate.
I have the idea that many Afghans are blonde, I have heard the national anthem and I like it very much, I have seen a few photos of the mountains, I think the nature, the scenery is impressive, people share pastho language with Pakistani people, I have the idea followers of Osama Bin Laden hide in the mountains and that those people are protected by Pakistanis that live near. I have watched Kandahar, beautiful movie made there. I have watched another afghan movie, I don't remember the title now, it was about women and family there. I have read The bookseller of Kabul...


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## Bienvenidos

CrazyArcher said:


> Excuse my ignorance, but when did Afghanistan have movie theaters, hospitals and women in mini-skirts?



Hi CrazyArcher,
   Your question is very legitimate and I find many people asking it.  Afghanistan was very, very modern (due to some British interest in the nation) and my family always used to comment on how popular American movies were in Afghanistan. This era was when the Shah (king) ruled, before the Soviet invasion.


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## Kajjo

Bienvenidos said:


> When you hear the word Afghanistan, what do you think? What's the first image that comes to mind?


Honest answer: Taliban, islamistic terror training camps, absence of women's rights

Of course, we know that probably most women and very many men are against the Taliban and in favor of "back to the future", i.e. to return to modern society. But for people in democratic countries it is difficult to comprehend why the government does not succeed in terminating the influence of religious leaders, tribe-based relations and corruption. People want prosperity not poverty, want education not religious fanatism, but... why not do it?

I wish your country that it succeeds in once more opening towards modern times and in leaving islamistic and anachronistical influences behind it. 

Kajjo


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## Whodunit

I have never had anything against any country. I can't understand why people look down upon a nation, just because something bad happened there once or is happening. Germany had been the Nazi's nation for a long time, but it isn't anymore. Those who judge Germans (and I know that some Americans still do it!) as Nazis or associate us with the Sho'a as if it were still present, are highly ignorant, in my opinion.

My parents and many of my relatives don't like people from the Arab countries or Russia, because of different reasons: They don't like the Arab region in general, since the news on TV shows us only the negative sides of it. Of course, we don't receive sunny pictures of the beautiful beaches in Iran or Turkmenistan. No one would pay for such a trip, because so many Germans are prejudiced against the Middle East.

However, I must admit that, whenever my friends speak racially about Poland, Afghanistan, or the United States, I can't abstain from the conversation and I have to join such a pointless discussion where everyone is against those countries - reluctantly.


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## jonquiliser

Bienvenidos said:


> So my question is, what is your society's view on Afghanistan? When you hear the word, "Afghanistan" what do you think? Will the word's perception of Afghanistan ever change? And what is it that you truly think of Afghanistan, and its people.



When I hear the word Afghanistan, I think of mountains and arid conditions. These are the first things that come to my mind, and are, admittedly, not of the most profound sort of knowledge of a country... I believe I have these ideas mainly because what I've heard about Afghanistan in times recent enough to be in my active memory, are news reports (often dealing with supposed terrorism...) and the mountainous regions are always mentioned. That I don't make the other (more intended) connection with terrorism, is, I think, because I am very sceptical of media coverage in this respect. It is often blatantly obvious what perspectives and motives and interests are involved in the portraying of some countries or some groups (such as moslems) as "evil" or "the enemy" and the like. But even if there had been terrorists in Afghanistan or of Afghan descendence, I don't think that is something that can be held against the rest of the Afghan population (and anyway, as a side track, I believe the West to be no less responsible for terrorism, than certain other countries from where terrorists are said to have emerged).  I also think of poverty, and the plight of women (though here is a risk of thinking that "we" don't have problems, and "you" ("they") do. Which I don't believe.

For the rest, I know shamefully little about Afghanistan culture - it is an unfortunate feature of so much of Western culture, that we to such a large extent come into contact with only some parts of the world - films, music, literature etc. that is consumed, is to a great extent of North American or "WEst European" origin - perhaps with some amount of "East European" or "Asian" pieces thrown in for good measure and "cultivated" flavour (after all, many "classics" are Russian or Czech etc. What is better for intellectualism?). These are grave generalisations, of course, but I'm afraid there is at least something to them. (Or maybe they just say something of my history and what I see around me around here...) Don't know if I am making sense... Anyway, my thoughts I thought I'd share.



> Women ere educated and they used to weir mini-skirts and other Western clothing.



On this, however, I have to say, "Western culture" (is there such a thing? Or is it something we just like to imagine, because we attach values like "modernity", "advance", "wealth" etc to the term?) isn't unambiguously and necessarily "better". Than women can wear miniskirts - well, of course one should have the right. But why is it that women are so objectivised in "our" culture? There is one dress code, or another; women seem to have especially harsh demands on them, in any culture.

Regards,
j


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## .   1

Bienvenidos said:


> *When you hear the word Afghanistan, what do you think? What's the first image that comes to mind?*


*A small country with resources that it can not defend from a huge country.*






Bienvenidos said:


> As an Afghan-American, I've noticed that everyone in the world seems to think they know "everything" about Afghanistan. They look down upon the country, label all Afghans as terrorists and say that Afghanistan has always been a terrible country


Not around here. There is a huge soft spot for Afgani people because of the incredible assistance thay gave by way of camels and camel drivers in the recent exploration of Australia.




Bienvenidos said:


> But they're wrong.


As are all bigots.




Bienvenidos said:


> I feel like it's my duty to correct the world's misconceptions about my homeland. People are always shocked when I mention that Afghanistan used to have movie theaters, enormous colleges, libraries, and hospitals. Women were educated and they used to weir mini-skirts and other Western clothing.


And then some fundamentalist arseholes stole power by lying about their god. Why does this sound familiar?




Bienvenidos said:


> The world's terrorists are not from Afghanistan; they are people from other parts of the world who use Afghanistan as a playground, due to the fact that, after the Soviet invasion, the country was very vulnerable.


Afganistan can't afford to fund organised terrorism. Organised terrorism is a myth. A boogy man thrown up by geeky little potiticians. 





Bienvenidos said:


> So my question is, what is your society's view on Afghanistan? When you hear the word, "Afghanistan" what do you think? Will the word's perception of Afghanistan ever change? And what is it that you truly think of Afghanistan, and its people.


The sooner they are allowed to be Afganistanis and not psuedoWesterners the better the better for all concerned.




Bienvenidos said:


> Please state your complete opinion and don't worry about offending me or anybody else. I want to know what ordinary people think of the country that was once a peaceful, prosperous place.


Unutterably sad.

.,,


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## I.C.

Bienvenidos said:


> What's the first image that comes to mind?


Apricot and almond trees, snow-capped mountains in the background. An old man appears, he has a white beard and is wearing a pakul, he moves without hurry. With him he leads a donkey. (“Pakul” I had to look up and as I was at it, I also looked up some of the English  spellings of the names to follow). 


> When you hear the word Afghanistan, what do you think?


I've only heard little, but still too much to mention. Warfare certainly features, the great game, Soviet occupation, Shah Massoud, Dosthum, Hekmatyar, the shelling of Kabul, the rise of the Taliban, the siege of the Panjshir valley. Then Poppy. Dust. Buzkashi. The picture of a Pashtun girl on the cover of the National Geographic.
I know a few Afghans, very nice and well-mannered people. What I mentioned I had picked up before I met them. 
Negative public perception? Not that I know of. I wish Afghans and Afghanistan well.


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## Etcetera

When I hear about Afghanistan, I think about the Soviet invasion. There are a lot of things about Communists that make me blush; and the Afghanistan case is one of them. 
I can't recall when I first heard about Afghanistan (anyway, I was only three when the Soviet army left it), but it was when I was a child. Possibly, I read about it in am encyclopedia on modern history (published in mid-1990s, it expressed very critical views on the Soviet policy). 
Quite frankly, I didn't pay much attention to the Afghan issue before I saw a documentary made by the famous journalist Eugeny Kiselyov (he used to work in Middle East). What struck me most of all was the sight of a child running out from a ruined house, looking on the journalists with camera and then running away. Only then did I think about what damage the Soviet Union has made to Afghanistan. And I'm very, very sorry for that. I can't do anything about that, but I'm just sorry. 
Another thing I remember from this movie is one of the rebel commanders' (his name was Gada or Hada, I don't know exactly how it's written in Latin letters) words: he said that after the Russians left Afghanistan, he and his people no longr consider them their enemies. 
One of the main figures in the documentary was Ahmad Shah Massoud, and I was just fascinated by this man. I was really upset when I heard on TV about his death. 
As for Taliban and all that, I only think about it in second turn.


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## maxiogee

When I hear of Afghanistan I always think of Arthur Conolly's expression - brought to a wider public by Rudyard Kipling ..... The Great Game. It sums up for me the secret world of diplomacy and intelligence gathering which has gone on the region ever since whereby people's lives are used and abused as the 'powers' vie for supremacy in the region. Powers which couldn't care tuppence for the lives they play games with. Games which have been going on for centuries, with ever-changing players and pieces, but which change nothing and which no-one ever wins.

In short when I hear of Afghanistan I think of a land blighted by its 'strategic location'.


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## tvdxer

Bienvenidos said:


> *When you hear the word Afghanistan, what do you think? What's the first image that comes to mind?
> *​
> As an Afghan-American, I've noticed that everyone in the world seems to think they know "everything" about Afghanistan. They look down upon the country, label all Afghans as terrorists and say that Afghanistan has always been a terrible country
> 
> But they're wrong.
> 
> I feel like it's my duty to correct the world's misconceptions about my homeland. People are always shocked when I mention that Afghanistan used to have movie theaters, enormous colleges, libraries, and hospitals. Women were educated and they used to weir mini-skirts and other Western clothing.
> 
> The world's terrorists are not from Afghanistan; they are people from other parts of the world who use Afghanistan as a playground, due to the fact that, after the Soviet invasion, the country was very vulnerable.
> 
> So my question is, what is your society's view on Afghanistan? When you hear the word, "Afghanistan" what do you think? Will the word's perception of Afghanistan ever change? And what is it that you truly think of Afghanistan, and its people.
> 
> Please state your complete opinion and don't worry about offending me or anybody else. I want to know what ordinary people think of the country that was once a peaceful, prosperous place.
> 
> Thanks.



I don't think of Afghans as terrorists.  Not at all.  Rather they were invaded by a bunch of thugs who might be construed as terrorists in some definitions, and there was plenty of terroristic activity.  But that doesn't make normal Afghans terrorists.

Rather I think of Afghans as a very poor people, suffering from extreme poverty.  They speak languages related to Persian, watch Bollywood movies, eat naan, and in many parts of the country live in a tribal sort of organization.  There are a lot of very high mountains there.  Because of the wrecked state of the economy, a big part of peoples' vitality there is the drug trade.


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## badgrammar

When I think of Afghanistan now, I think of all the amazing images that the book "The Kite Runner" put into my head - beautiful homes and gardens and fruit trees, family days in the park, weekend drives to the mountains, men gathering in their salons to talk and drink tea, everybody heading to the movie theater for the latest film release, beautiful kites flying high during the yearly kite battles....  The language....  

And then the cruelty of the soviet invasion, people losing their homes, cars, and livelihoods, not to mention their lives.  Kalishnikovs.  The destruction of beautiful towns, the dissapearance of wide avenues planted with beautiful trees and markets full to the brim with fresh produce, meats...  

And then the Taliban, backed by the US, and perhaps even crueller and mor sadistic than the Russians towards their fellow countrymen.  A man and a woman buried up to their heads in the dirt of a stadium during the half-time of a game, so they could be stoned to death for adultery as the crowd cheered on (spectators who did anything else might just have been shot on the spot).

I think it was a very modern and foreward thinking country before the Russian invasion and the Taliban, backed by the US as part of the cold-war strategy.  It is but a shadow of what it once was.  I so hope the country will recover and people there will find a peaceful life again.  And it is not the US that can "liberate" the country and save it from terrorists.


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## mirx

I knew nothing about Afghanistan until some three years ago with the American invasion, or rescue, as some would call it.

Before that I saw it much the same way I see middle eastern countries. Camels, sand, men in tunics, desserts, wind. And people whom I had nothing to do with. Bad people? Good poeple? Perhaps a little bit of the two, but still people. 

I do not think of Afghanistan as a terrorist country, rather a terrorized country, same with Irak and some others.


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## badgrammar

It is in a way sad that for so many, middle eastern countries are so very stereotyped...  When in fact the history of many of these countries is ancient, rich, steeped not only in religious tradition but also in science, engineering, and a rich literary past and present.  Not just camels, tunics and sand and wind.  I'm definitely not picking on you, Mirx , these are very common impressions to have.  

Pick up "The Kite Runner", it's such a very enthralling book that will open your eyes to the history of Kaboul and the lives of the Afghani people before and after the Russians came along - there was a lot of wealth in the country and a lot of intellectuals.


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## Lugubert

maxiogee said:


> When I hear of Afghanistan I always think of Arthur Conolly's expression - brought to a wider public by Rudyard Kipling ..... The Great Game. It sums up for me the secret world of diplomacy and intelligence gathering which has gone on the region ever since whereby people's lives are used and abused as the 'powers' vie for supremacy in the region. Powers which couldn't care tuppence for the lives they play games with. Games which have been going on for centuries, with ever-changing players and pieces, but which change nothing and which no-one ever wins.
> 
> In short when I hear of Afghanistan I think of a land blighted by its 'strategic location'.





			
				R. Kipling in Kim said:
			
		

> Trust a Brahmin before a snake, and a snake before a harlot, and a harlot before an Afghan, Mahbub Ali.


That was of course before Kim found out that Mahbub the whole time was acting in the boy's very best interests.

My impression when I first read Kim, more than fifty years ago, was that the Afghans were a proud lot, and superb (and willing) fighters, and that everybody in everybody's best interest should leave Afghanistan for its own people to manage.


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## Outsider

I remember hearing about Afghanistan in the eighties because of the war with the U.S.S.R., but I think it's inevitable that most people's perceptions of Afghanistan in the West today are colored by current the War on Terror. I don't see that as a reason to stereotype Afghanis as terrorists. I don't think any of the men who perpetrated the WTC attacks were Afghanis. Bin Laden is not an Afghani.

Afghanistan is one of those misfortunate countries which have been used as pawns in the international chess game for far too long, and suffered terribly for it. The Taliban were a shameful episode in the country's history, but they didn't stay in power for long.

Although the occupation doesn't seem to be going well for the Coallition, and the war itself was quite destructive, as near as I can tell there is hope for Afghanistan. Maybe this time the Afghanis will be allowed a chance to rebuild their country in liberty at last. I hope they take it.


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## jlc246

Bienvenidos said:


> *When you hear the word Afghanistan, what do you think? What's the first image that comes to mind?*​


 

I think of The Kite Runner, including images which were mentioned in an earlier post, such as the mountains and the kite contest. There are very painful parts of the story, some of which could and do happen in many countries including mine (like the way that a group of kids bullied and abused another kid, the fights for power, the hunger and fear of people who have lost their homes and work) and others of which are about the history of Afghanistan (including the ruin of once beautiful neighborhoods.) However, the overall feeling I had was that it was a beautiful, moving story about characters that seemed very real -- very true to life as far as I could tell -- so that I feel almost as though I knew them. I think of the wounding of the human spirit paired with the hope and goodness that the characters manage to find in spite of the struggle. I think of the family that gave up food when the kids were hungry so that guests could eat, of the cultured, educated, influential father recreating his life in a very different way in a new country so that his son could eat and succeed, of the tight-knit community in exile, and of the courage and integrity of the main character going back to find the child. The story left me with a feeling of hope.

I have very mixed feelings about the part my homeland played in the story. I'm so sad and sorry that more bombs were dropped by my government (even though I didn't vote for that attitude), largely (in my opinion) because of anger over September 11. I was angry too, but I think violence is rarely the best/only way to handle aggression and that we could improve a lot by trying to understand how we appear to others. On the other hand, I don't think it was a simple situation before the US actions, and I hope that something good is coming and will come from the result for the people of Afghanistan and the country. I feel good that the characters in the story found a new home and opportunity in the US, but I wish there were more understanding of immigration/immigrant communities, less talk and more positive help. (This is also influenced by my friend from Mexico.)

I could talk/write more, but I need to go. Thank you for starting this thread and giving us all a chance to learn more. Lorna


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## winklepicker

Bienvenidos said:


> When you hear the word Afghanistan, what do you think? What's the first image that comes to mind?


Mahwash & Ensemble Kaboul. Wonderful music (the link has mp3 samples).


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## Chaska Ñawi

We in Canada hear about Afghanistan every day on the morning news, especially the Kandahar area, because we have troops stationed there.  While many Canadians are opposed to our presence, especially since this time our troops are in combat instead of a peacekeeping role, the support for them is nevertheless very strong.

The general Canadian perception is of a people who've put up with crap for decades and have had enough .... who were cautiously grateful for security and step by step return of infrastructure .... but who see too little support from these troops and from the outside world; are uncertain that any support will be longterm; and who are well aware that the taliban are still very much a force to be reckoned with.  We also imagine a beautiful, wild country which suffered first the Soviet invasion and scourge of landmines, and then turned to devour itself.

I just started reading a novel called The Breadwinner to my class - the story of a young girl who has to disguise herself as a boy to keep her family alive.  It was written in 2000.  Because the father of a student was stationed in Afghanistan, the class is intensely interested.  Their images were formed by "Canadian troops protecting innocent Afghanis against terrorism", and now they are seeing the human face.


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## Nanon

Many images come to my mind. Both true and false. Some are ridiculous misconceptions. Here are some of them.

Mountains.
Beautiful landscapes.
The Soviet invasion.
"The Horsemen" by Joseph Kessel. Great book.
Fundamentalists.
Men with a great sense of honour. And women, too. And they are beautiful.
Ruins.
A part of the Persian civilisation and language, shared with Iran.
Heroes and freedom fighters.
War.
The American invasion.
The disappeared buddhas of Bamyan.
Our fashion commentarists declaring that President Karzai is one of the best dressed men in the world.
Jewellery! An Iranian friend gave me an Afghani silver bracelet as a present.
Poverty.
Burqas.
Poppies.

I agree that this juxtaposition of images is mostly a _cliché_. I know very little about Afghanistan. Undoubtedly Afghanistan is a difficult country to live in, but there is certainly more to know about it.


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## ernest_

Bienvenidos said:


> *When you hear the word Afghanistan, what do you think? What's the first image that comes to mind?
> *​



In my mind's eye, I see fields of opium poppies, old men wandering around, young women with gorgeous, mysterious gazes. I see Mullah Omar fleeing to the desert on a noisy, rusty motorcycle that looks like from World War Two times, his hair waving in the wind, leaving a trail of dust behind. I see a country full of bandits that remind me of Hassan-I-Sabbah and his mates. Challenge and danger. Overall, a fascinating country.

Well I know that reality is much cruder, but you asked for images coming to my mind, didn't you?


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## Cicerón

Some time ago, I saw a film about a girl who had to disguise as a boy in order to get some food. It was quite sad, and the country looked like if it was very poor. Unfortunately when I heard 'Afghanistan' I think about poor, frightened people living in a country with Talibans and foreign soldiers.


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## Heba

Unfortunately,I do not know much about Afghanistan, I do not watch the news anymore. When I hear of Afghanistan, I think of caves and tall dark mountains. 

About two weeks ago, a friend gave me a novel written by an Afghan about the changes the country went through during the Soviet invasion and then the rule of Taliban. It's called the Kite Runner. The picture the novel gave me about Afghanistan is very dark and depressing...the country is no more than a battle filed.. 

Unfortunately, it seems that Afghanis do not take as much pride in their own culture as in the effect other cultures had on theirs. What I looked for in this novel was a detailed description of the very Afghani culture, but what the novelist gave me was not enough. He talked more about the effect of Iranian and American cinema on Afghani life more than he talked about Afghani music, education, etc. The colonialist Rudyard Kipling gave me a more detailed description about Indian culture than what Khaled Hussein gave me about his own culture.

Excuse me if I sound rude.... I do not know if my remark about the Afghanis is off-topic...but I thought it was a good opportunity to ask you about the Afghan's attitude towards their own culture.


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## jlc246

It's interesting that the same book can give different people very different impressions.  There are several previous posts about The Kite Runner (including one from me).


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## Bienvenidos

jonquiliser said:


> On this, however, I have to say, "Western culture" (is there such a thing? Or is it something we just like to imagine, because we attach values like "modernity", "advance", "wealth" etc to the term?) isn't unambiguously and necessarily "better". Than women can wear miniskirts - well, of course one should have the right. But why is it that women are so objectivised in "our" culture? There is one dress code, or another; women seem to have especially harsh demands on them, in any culture.
> 
> Regards,
> j



Hi jonquiliser,

   Thank you for the incredibly insightful comment; as for the question you posed, I can only suppose that the thought process between labeling "Western" as "wealth" is the same one behind calling Afghanistan "poor." It's just public perception, that's all, and we all know how hard it is to change that perception.

Thanks again for your thoughtful comments


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## Bienvenidos

tvdxer said:


> I don't think of Afghans as terrorists.  Not at all.  Rather they were invaded by a bunch of thugs who might be construed as terrorists in some definitions, and there was plenty of terroristic activity.



That's exactly it! All of the terrorists invaded when the government was weak after the Soviet invasion. I'm trying to think of other examples in history where that's happened, but I'm coming up short. Nevertheless, a minority group has affected the world's view of the Afghan majority.

Thanks for your comments, tvdxer.


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## Bienvenidos

badgrammar said:


> It is in a way sad that for so many, middle eastern countries are so very stereotyped...



Yes, Middle Eastern countries are extremely stereotyped, but of course Afghanistan is not in the Middle East. Still, it receives the same type of negative perception as other countries due.



badgrammar said:


> Pick up "The Kite Runner", it's such a very enthralling book that will open your eyes to the history of Kaboul and the lives of the Afghani people before and after the Russians came along - there was a lot of wealth in the country and a lot of intellectuals.



I did enjoy the book a lot.


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## Bienvenidos

Outsider said:


> I don't think any of the men who perpetrated the WTC attacks were Afghanis. Bin Laden is not an Afghani.



Exactly!


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## Bienvenidos

Chaska Ñawi said:


> The general Canadian perception is of a people who've put up with crap for decades and have had enough .... who were cautiously grateful for security and step by step return of infrastructure .... but who see too little support from these troops and from the outside world; are uncertain that any support will be longterm; and who are well aware that the taliban are still very much a force to be reckoned with.  We also imagine a beautiful, wild country which suffered first the Soviet invasion and scourge of landmines, and then turned to devour itself.



Vivid description, Chaska. That's basically it; Afghanistan has been the victim of the twentieth century's bullies, unfortunately.

Thank you for the extremely pensive, insightful comments.


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## Bienvenidos

Heba said:


> Unfortunately, it seems that Afghanis do not take as much pride in their own culture as in the effect other cultures had on theirs.



Hi Heba,

   I think that's specific to _The Kite Runner_. Granted, it could be more descriptive of Afghan culture, but I think a nonfiction history book is a great way to learn about cultures, too.
   I think that a lot of Afghans who have emigrated to other countries may not  be comfortable with showing off their culture due to fear of discrimination. People's opinions change once you utter those words, "I'm from Afghanistan." I've noticed it even with close friends; some are proud, some begin to pity me.
   This summer I met a Bulgarian woman at a supermarket, she began talking to me and asked me if I was from Mexico. I said no, that I was from Afghanistan. And she said,  "Woah, you better not say that out loud!"

    I am extremely proud that I'm from Afghanistan; Afghanistan is so different from other countries surrounding it. It has its own unique culture; I try to be the force to educate people about the Afghan culture. People use their "sterotypes" to assume that Afghan culture is the same as Pakistani culture, but they definitely are not, and I've never seen a Pakistani that even closely resembles an Afghan. 

Thanks for your comments, Heba!   I appreciate it.


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## Chaska Ñawi

I had to return to my first post here to throw in the quotation marks ... I suddenly realized that I wasn't doing "sardonic" properly.

Another note about The Breadwinner - the students hadn't realized before the extent to which the day-to-day minutiae of family life could be dictated.  The clean-shaven father growing a beard for the first time, the books being hidden away, having to sell possessions that every family takes for granted as the parents lose their livelihood (the mother loses her job, of course, as the taliban take over), dress being dictated by a central group .... it's generated a lot of discussion.

They don't have a visual image of Afghanistan (yet - I'm working on it), but they certainly are able to discuss the impact of life under the taliban now.

Funny that nobody's mentioned James Mitchener's book Caravans .... the only novel I've read besides Kim that was set in Afghanistan.  It's been a few years, but it seems to me that it poked at the romantic images westerners had at that time. The other book that gave me a vivid image of early days was Dervla Murphy's inimitable Full Tile - From Ireland to India on a Bicycle, about a cycling trip in 1963 where she fell in love with the country.


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