Arts & Culture

So don't worry and feel good about what you're doing!

Considering again the average life expectancy of 40 years, 2 or 3 generations mean 20 - 30 years and 10 years already gone mean 2 generations or 20 years max!  That's what is going to take whether or not anyone has any patience for it! 

Everything is sacred

I agree

that theoretically and in the long run 2-3 generation is not that bad, but practically - in a world that looks for quick solutions to problems - it is very bad. Solving the problems of Afghanistan requires a lot of wisdom and even more patience. I doubt the International community has either.

And as you correctly mention the neighbours and Saudi Arabia, would do all they can to keep Afghanistan the way it is, until it begins to threathen their own existense.

2 or 3 generations is not that bad!

I'm not suggesting the foreign troops to leave Afghanistan as is so that the Taliban can fill the vacuum.  Left on their own and Taliban they would not have changed anything and there was no strong foundation for people to ever mount an uprising, albeit a successful overthrow of Taliban.

Left to their own Bin Laden became the financier and the GDP and federal budget for Afghanistan!  They need to find an economy for Afghanistan.  I don't think the problem is Afghanistan themselves it is those who do NOT want Afghanistan to ever change.

The people who are supplying the arms to Taliban (Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran) have a vested interest to keep Afghanistan as is.  It's not just the Afghan "culture" of violence.   

Everything is sacred

violence

When violence becomes such an acceptable component of a culture and society, starting from the playground, moving onto sports and leisure activities, excersiced by families, neighbours, and governments to varying degrees, I am afraid it will take no less than 2-3 generations to achieve any change of culture towards a peaceful exsitance based on respect for the life of a human being.

I completely agree that the Western troops are doing more harm than good in this country, but leaving it to the Afghans will not lead to a change of culture and a move away from suppression and violence by a sector of the society towards another - be it along religious lines, ethnic lines, gender lines, you name it.

It's just the security, feel good security.

What Taliban "provides" to their followers is a false sense of "security".  The gun slingers who roam the areas and threaten people while at the same time providing water and bread is to show people they're the one providing for them, not the Americans.  Americans bring bombs while Taliban bring bread and security.

Of course the Taliban have nothing better to do.  No other skills.  No other education, just war and guns.

10 years is nothing considering the life expectancy in Afghanistan is just 40 years old and 2/3 of women are widows.  I think by and large Afghanistan is better than the good old days.  For one thing executing women in soccer stadiums is illegal.  There is more accountability. 

Hopefully 10 years from now, if Taliban don't come back to power, there is a better direction.  Afghanistan is not going to get rich any time soon.  The best they can do is rid themselves of the disparity and violence. 

Everything is sacred

Esfand jaan

You might think that I am exaggerating, but I have slowly come to the realisation that almost every Afghan man is a Talib. Almost 10 years have passed since the "liberation" of this contry from the fangs of the Taliban, but still you hardly see any women on most streets, and if your do, almost 90 are still wearing the Burkha. I wonder why that is.

As the Afghan protagonist in one of Makhmalbaf's films (Ghandehar) says, the Taliban did not come to Afghanistan to force theri idealogy and mentality on the people of Afghanistan. They came here, because here they found a good match with their own culture and mentality. You have no idea, how shocking it is to hear victims of Taliban, romantecise and be nostalgic about the good old days of the Taliban.

Princess jaan there was no occupation during Taliban.

After Soviets left Afghanistan the occupation ended for years, yet the ruthless behavior only strenghtened.  Occupation is inherently not "peaceful".  One can only hope that a generation can come of age without the rule of Taliban and alike so at least they can grow to see the difference between Taliban and others.  

Everything is sacred

As someone once said,

There are places where a lot of men prefer war, and the looting and raping and domineering that go with it, to any sort of peacetime occupation. One such place is Afghanistan.

Unfortunately, the longer I spend here, the more I come to agree with the above statement. Extremely sad...

SO SAD

I could not watch more than three and half minutes of it ........... 

Thanks MG but I have to pass on watching the whole thing on the you tube ....... it is just too painful to watch  and extremely depressing :( 

A reality that makes me want to shoot myself ......

what can be done?  How did ignorance find its sneaky way through the lives of so many people in that region of the world? ....... 

This is an amazing movie

you could see the whole movie (without subtitles, the local accent is a bit thick!) on youtube. I heard the original title-was " How our young anarcho-feminist gavea big FU to all her nemisis and had a nice day!"

This movie should be nominated for every possible catagory in every festival available. It should recieve, and it certainly deserves, as many awards as possible. A few Oscars would be nice; best international movie, best children's movie, cimenatography, director, supporting cast,..

Tis Makhmalbaf dynasty getting better and better all the time. Both sisters have a preoccupation with education. Samira also has a movie about a school in Kurdestan. Per Mahmoud himself, apparently his entire evolution began by watching "The Wings of Desire."

Anoher ace for Iranian (Realist/Surrealist/Feminist...) Cinema.

Yes, they are probably Hazara

Bamian province is heavily populated with the Hazara.  As you know, Hazara are the direct descendents of the Mongol hordes that swept through modern day Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq. 

Stop Demonizing this people

Absurd and stupid .What do you get out of it?

As it is they burn their Qu'ran they get bombed daily.No food no water no jobs...Back off and make your career out of someone else

Shah Hossein

Makhmalbafs find the worse.

Hana's older sister Samira made a movie about making an Afghan boy as "rich" boy's "2 legged horse".  You'd be hard pressed to sit through the end of the movie. 

Everything is sacred

Heartbreaking...

نساج روزگار، درین پهن بارگاه

از بهر ما، قماشی ازین خوبتر نداشت

..........

Wow! Little kids got brain-washed by Talibans and turned into bullies and abusers of girls..........super sad and heart-breaking.......women are definitely at the bottom of the society.

The little boys mentioned "God" in every sentence, but their actions were absolutely repulsive!

The little girl looks Asian to me. Is she Hazara?

vahshatnaak

so disturbing... my goodness... so sad... incredibly powerful story -- the tragic story of our part of the world.