19 Jan 2012 | no comments » people
Another example of an Afghan transportation. Probably, inside the car is packed with other members, maybe 6 or 7 people. In 2007, a research center found this: The 179 out of 500 persons were literate, of which 2.8% have 1-3, 34% have 4-7, and 63.2 % have over 8 family members. However from remained 321 persons 4% have 1-3, 43.8 % have 4-7, and 52.2% have more than 8 family members. I took this picture in spring 2008, on our way back from Nowruz festival in Mazar-e Sharif.
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18 Oct 2011 | no comments » people
Ulama are the most influential figures in Afghan society. They do not have a visible presence in the government nor in the public domain, however, they are a great tool for governments. Recently, the council of ulama issued a fatwa saying that rejecting food and dying from hunger is against Islam. The next day, Afghan police raided the Afghan female politician tent Semin Barakzai, who was in a hunger strike for more than 12 days. Semin Barakzai, a 30-year-old mother of three and one of nine MPs expelled from the national assembly over vote-rigging claims, had refused to eat until she is reinstated to her parliamentary seat or her case is re-investigated.
In Afghanistan, the ulama keep an important position among the mass. Unlike Iranian ulama who were heavily involved in the Tobacco Movement, the 1979 revolution, and many other national political movements, the Afghan ulama have never been a threat to governments and have never opposed the power of Afghan Amirs and kings. They have always been used as a tool when they were needed. They are disorganized and corrupted but they have only one powerful tool: Sharia. They issue fatwas and even sometimes their fatwas do not stem from Quran or Sharia but they are an invisible force in the Afghan public domain.
19 Sep 2011 | no comments » people
The Shrine of Hazrat Ali, the Fourth Caliph of Islam is home to thousands of white pigeons considered to be sacred. The spot is said to be so holy if a gray pigeon should join the flock it will become white in 40 days. Feeding these birds brings good fortune. Afghan families are traveling from different part of the country to go to the Shrine of Hazrat Ali for pilgrimage. This photos is a Grand Prize Winner and was selected as one of the best photographs among other photos in a photo contest called “Why Afghanistan Matters” organized by NATO.
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03 Sep 2011 | no comments » people
In central part of Afghanistan, mainly in high lands, you could find people who are facially very close to people in Mongolia. These type people in Afghanistan are called Hazara, according to scholars the term was first used by Mongol military unite of 1,000. Scholars still have debate that how the word Hazara was chosen for a 1,000 unite by Genghis Khan who had never spoken in Farsi/Dari. The word “Hazara” means “thousand” and it’s derived from “Hazar.” According to Afghan historians and some outside resources, Hazaras have been living even before the Mongol invasion in 13th century. Some of them also refer to some historical facts like the Buddha statues in Bamiyan which were blown up by the Taliban in March 2001. Some Afghan historians say that because of some archaic Mongol words used in Hazaragi (a form of Farsi/Dari dialect) some Hazaras may have been Genghis Khan’s soldiers. Historians also add that in any case once Hazaras have been the rulers of Afghanistan. Anyhow, this article on the National Geographic gives a brief and informative definition of Hazara in Afghanistan. About the picture: I took this picture in the winter of 2008, in Daikundi province while a friend and I were making a documentary. Click Image to Enlarge.
13 Jul 2011 | 2 comments » Herat, people
I met this young man in downtown Herat, the oldest part of the city where the Citadel of Herat or Qal’a-ye Ikhtiyar al-Din is located. I took his photo from a distance that I could zoom in on his face to capture the bitter smile on his face. I can’t forget his strong hand shook my hand while seeing cracks on his back hand and fingers because of tough winter weather. I invited him to a cup of tea, he shared with me his stories from the prison in Iran and showed me the scars and cuts left by beating by prison guards.
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