2014 Elections and the future of Afghanistan

Hopefully now that I have more time on my hands, I can sit and write more, unless I am feeling lazy, than I need to push myself to write more. Wither these articles attracts a large number of readers or not, is not the concern, but expressing my views of my country’s situation and putting it out to the world is.

My views in this article, or any article I write are my own. I write facts that I have known and have experienced throughout my life. I am an Afghan and do not support tribal and/or ethnic purposes but only the truth. Please do not take my comments to be racist because they are not, they are the harsh reality of Afghanistan, which I hope one day doesn’t remain anymore.

With 2014 elections coming up, and the previous records of the two elections that we have held in the country, it does not look so good, but one can always be hopeful of a miracle shooting out of a donkey’s ass.

But the funny and painful part of the elections in Afghanistan is, that large number of candidates, most of whom aren’t even out of high school turn up to take seats. In 2004 presidential elections, we had 18 presidential candidates. While in 2009, we had 37. Than the parliamentary elections, more than 2000 candidates out of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan signed up to run. That is an average of at least 60 candidates per province. Although in Afghanistan, number of candidates allocated for the particular province is according to the population of that province. This is not democracy, this is mocking-democracy.

The government of Afghanistan, partial from the decision and/or thoughts of it's people, alongside the United States, wants a negotiation of peace with the Taliban while the normal Afghan who has suffered the Taliban regime and have lost family members to the regime, can and will never want Taliban to gain any kind of control over Afghanistan again. Be that as it may, what would it mean for the Taliban to come back? Like Taliban, the Afghan Government also has to put in place demands made in order for the peace process to go through, that is if the peace process is successful and the government of Afghanistan, partial from the US can cut any deal with it's enemy, which until now has not been the case. Afghanistan's peace council, one entity that the GoA seems to put too much importance on, has not achieved any major goal other than attracting some low level Taliban to put down their weapons and join the government. At times, these efforts of peace have resulted in deadly consequences. One major example being the death of the Organization's chief, Burhanuddin Rabbani, by the hands of the same Taliban who disguised to come in for negotiations on 20th September 2011.

Lets say that the Taliban regime and the GoA do start peace talks, and do negotiate with each other, first off, it will be timely and will not effect into anything until the upcoming elections in 2014. Major parts of Afghanistan suffers from insurgency and will not be able to vote because like past elections, the Taliban, true to their threats, at least to the Afghan civilians, will cut off the fingers of those who vote. An example being the 2010 parliamentary elections in the Central Province of Ghazni where Hazara candidates only won because the Pashtoons were too scared to go to the polling stations.

Second, if the Taliban do negotiate a deal with the Afghan Government, what will the terms be? Will ordinary Afghans accept the return of Taliban to power? Not likely. Will they accept the terms Taliban put forth in order for the negotiations to go forward? Not in a million years. But the Afghan Government has always said that they as a representative of the people, will do so and so, so it will not be different from any other time.

Whatever the result, it is the Afghan population that suffers the major backlashes of every political deal made gone wrong. Unfortunately, Afghanistan has a very bad reputation when it comes to governments and ruling parties in the past as well as present. Largely, any Afghan Government since the time of King Babur Shah has failed to govern the people for long periods of time because they have failed to include major parts of the society in the decision making process of it's government. Secondly, Afghan leaders who have been gripping power for so long, be that at the barrel of a gun or use of money, are not willing to give up power. So they either cling to what they have or go against the party in power, in collateral ways that makes the Afghans suffer. The political parties in Afghanistan are young, none of them have background of more than five decades, most of them don't even have one decade. Their understanding of politics, public service, and foreign relations are very little. Most of those who run the country, or want to run the country and already have major public support, do not have the right education and only have the support because of the era of war in Afghanistan.

Recently I visited the office of one of these candidates in Kabul, who thanks to American contracts and the endless fuel of corruption money has enough to elect himself for the presidential elections in 2014. But the guy has little knowledge of anything other than how to tactically remove enemy from his land. That is what he did and that is what he best knows. His son and head of his campaign told me and my friend that money is no issue, if we wants contracts, it is no issue, we just have to build a campaign office in Ghazni and get the support of people and we will get whatever we wanted. Point is, I don't even like the guy, don't like anything about him, so why would I open a campaign office for him just for money? Maybe I am stupid but I will never work for money that has been robbed from the souls of my fellow Afghans.

As much as I don't like to say it, Afghanistan unfortunately still remains a country where tribal affiliation is paramount. Any candidate who wants to win has to have the backing of other tribal leaders in order to win. So it is clear that it is not going to be a run for the best guy with the best talent for the job wins, but the one who has the backing of political leaders in different tribes. There is no real requirement for a presidential candidate, other than his background in the country. A person, who yesterday had no education, today has a fake diploma in something and elects himself as a president.

Major runners for the last elections were Hamid Karzai, Abdullah Abdullah, Ramazan Bashardost, and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai. Two of whom are Pashtoons. Ashraf Ghani, despite his career is still viewed to be very racist. Abdullah Abdullah, like last time will use anyone in his ghostly background pictures to get the votes. But the character that is most interesting in Ramazan Bashardost[1]. Although chances of him winning and becoming the next president are slim, he has shown in the past years that he is someone who cares about the people of Afghanistan. He is the only Afghan MP who lives in a one-room apartment, drinking tea and has a small car covered in Afghan flag, a driver and no bodyguards.

Possible candidates for the 2014 elections are Qayoom Karzai (Hamid Karzai's half brother), Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, Abdullah Abdullah, Dr. Ramazan Bashardost, Governor of the eastern Nangarhar Gul Agha Shirzai, Yonus Qanuni, Fawzia Kofi (only female cadidate so far) Ali Ahmad Jalali, and Atta Mohammad Noor[2]

I don't doubt that there are more candidates, like last time, it might exceed 37 but the listing above is the political heavyweights with high chance of winning.

National Front Afghanistan/ NFA, members of which are non-pashtoons might win this election if the party remains intact. This party is a major threat to other candidates who will not support a non-pashtoon government. Furthermore, if the party bags most votes, it could be a turning point for Afghanistan, since a different tribe, other than Pashtoons has not led Afghanistan for so long, not including the short term presidency of Rabbani. Plus, NFA is major opposition to the Pakistani backed Taliban. Pakistan and Taliban alike will never support a government of that background. Pashtoons who fear the backlash from these tribal elders in the grip of power might do the same. Pakistan wants a government in Afghanistan that it can manipulate. For the past decade, it has manipulated the government from the inside and using insurgency as a tool to put Afghanistan under pressure. Meanwhile India and China are racing towards mining in Afghanistan, which if successful, might bring an economic stability to Afghanistan and pave the way to a better future long awaited for.  

Although troop drawdown will occur in 2014, it is still not clear how many will stay back in Afghanistan. The US has requested for at least nine bases in the country, apart from the Special Forces FOB’s that will remain to train the Afghan National Army around the country and assist with missions.

One interesting thing that I saw while traveling in Kashmir, northen India is the heavy presence of Indian troops. Locals think that the troop presence is because of foreign troop pullout from Afghanistan. They think that Indian Military fear Taliban shift interest from Afghanistan to India after 2014. I laughed. Taliban and Pakistan will never shift attention from Afghanistan, they are drawn to Afghanistan like a dog to meat.

These countries, along with Afghanistan neighbors and those who have an interest, will play and back politicians who they can use for their own benefit. Plus, like last elections, there might be major vote loitering to get the votes necessary for Karzai’s backed government, since a) he doesn’t want to go to jail if an opposition government wins and b) he still wants to control the faith of Afghanistan from the backgrounds.

The faith of Afghanistan lies in the hand of those who wins the 2014 elections, it can’t be predicted who wins the upcoming election but Karzai might play his tricks and make his brother win again, which might lead to a major coup from the opposition, or Atta Mohammad Noor will win, which will lead to a new front for Pakistan and Taliban. Whatever the result, Afghans hope and long for a better future for the country.

Major challenges still remain to be fought. A government in Afghanistan who tends to people’s needs instead of robbing them of everything they have got is direly needed, but will Afghans get that Government despite all the power play and corruption is difficult to say.

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[1] "In 1983, Bashardost left Pakistan for France where he spent over 20 years, earning degrees in law and political science. In 1989 he enrolled at Garonable University where he did his Masters in Law. In 1990, he did his Masters in Diplomacy from Paris University. In 1992, he did his Masters in Political Science. In 1995, Bashardost received his Ph.D in Law from France’s Tolos University. He wrote his thesis on the UN’s role against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan."--from his page, see here http://www.ramazanbashardost.com/spip.php?article42

[2] Atta Mohammad Noor is a member of National Front of Afghanistan [NFA], which includes political heavyweights like Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, Hajji Mohammad Mohaqeq, Ahmad Zia Masood and former NDS chief Amrullah Saleh. all of these leaders are non-pashtoons who formed NFA to co-opt and go against the Pashtoon backed Hamid Karzai and any other candidate who might be supported by him. They later elected Atta Mohammad Noor, presently the Governor of Balkh Province to run as a presidential candidate in the 2014 elections. Atta Mohammad Noor is a former Jihadi leader who during the war against the Soviets, served as a military commander for Burhanuddin Rabbani's Jamiat-i Islami. He and Abdul Rashid Dostum were bitter rivals dating back to the Soviet war when he and Dostum fought on opposite sides. but what made Dostum come to the table is the fact that Karzai didn't stand to his promise when he was backed by the General in the 2009 presidential elections. Hajji Mohammad Mohaqeq, a Hazara tribal leader has the same reasons for forming the party.) See Atta's biography here:http://www.afghan-bios.info/index.php?option=com_afghanbios&id=229&task=view&total=2755&start=332&Itemid=2

I am tired

As I sit here in my houseboat in the beautiful Shrinagar, Kashmir [India], far away from Afghanistan and the war, I can’t help but think about my country. Although landing here and going through the town felt like I was in a war zone. Even with scores of Indian Military everywhere to control this part of Kashmir, I can’t help but feel relaxed. There is a sense of calm in the beauty and atmosphere of this place that a person like me, coming from a country like Afghanistan, can’t explain.

Coming to India a second time, 5 months after the first one, in the heat of the summer might not have been a great idea, but my friend and I took the journey anyway.

What transpired for us to choose this option is that we both have been stressed out. Between the new political play, 2014 Elections on the brink of arrival in Afghanistan; the pullout of foreign troops; and the daily, fear of being blown to shreds as a civilian casualty of the war between a government supported by the International community and the Al-Qaeda/Pakistan backed Taliban, the stress has become unbearable.

For normal Afghans whether educated or not, the news of foreign troops pullout has had much the same effect, if not more, than the rest of the world as it is described across the large contingent of foreign and Afghan media. Of course the media carries out a large part of the propaganda, one rushing to get a breaking story faster than the other outlet. Afghan and Foreign media alike in Kabul and across Afghanistan are in a race to get their story out. Whoever has the most input, despite how ridiculous it might sound to the Afghans, or how far it might be from the truth, wins the race. Having said that, it is also important to point out that media has played a very large role in keeping the International Community interested in Afghanistan. Whether that interest might remain after 2014 and the so-called deadline of foreign troop’s pullout is difficult to predict.

On top of that, the Afghan Government and the International Community have largely failed in bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan. Small success stories of one village that ISAF, the Afghan Government, Aid Agencies working in Afghanistan, or for-profit NGO’s may report, is a needle in a haystack. As I have said before, the amount of progress you see is very little considering the $84 billion spent in Afghanistan. But as an Afghan I can see where that money has gone. The houses of Shirpoor in Kabul, the huge cement walls around every Ministry/ ISAF/UN/ NGO/ ANSF/ and/or any other government compound all over the country. The amount of boots we have had in Afghanistan to fight the so-called war against terror, with just American troops is 100,000. Cost of logistics to these troops is very high. I remember when I started working for the American military in the south of Afghanistan, where a bottle of water, from packaging to shipping to getting to the base cost around $5 for a bottle. Not to mention the supplies delivered to them from all over the world. I won’t deny that a select few Afghans have had the privilege of obtaining these contracts and getting abnormally rich, but those are select few are connected to the International troops or the Afghan Government, at times both. Cost of war is high, a war against terror, being fought on the plains of Afghanistan, 1000’s of kilometers from the large contingent of troops present in the country, is emotionally and physically stressful for both Afghan public and the International Military.

Largely, I don’t believe that any of the Afghan allies, fighting the Taliban in the country is doing it for Afghanistan, but for their own interests. This also includes the Taliban. The Taliban is being used as a proxy to carry out operations for the benefit of neighboring Pakistan; however, Pakistan has denied involvement or support to the insurgent group. Neither the Afghan Government, nor the International Community is actually going public and stating that Pakistan is the actual enemy, despite knowing these facts are true.

Afghanistan still has the highest number of refugees and asylum seekers in the world. Although the number of Afghan asylum seekers reduced dramatically in the beginning years of the Karzai regime, it has picked up again since 2008. That alone demonstrates the failure of the Afghan government to provide social security for the Afghan Population alongside the International Community. Although widely ignored, tribal racism is one of the biggest issues, especially in the ranks of the Afghan Government. Employees are not hired because they have the qualifications to do the job, but are hired for their relation to certain chain in the command system of the particular Office.

The Afghan Government, even with help from its international partners, has failed to provide the basic services that Afghans need. Education, Health, Social Services, Women’s rights, Child labor and anything you can name are sorely lacking Yes, there have been some achievements. Yes we have more students compared to the Taliban regime and 1000 more schools opened, but with the money spent in Afghanistan, shouldn’t this be expected? Women’s rights are one of the serious issues in Afghanistan. Recently, the law to ban violence against women didn’t even get preliminary hearing in the Parliament. The discussion was over before it even started with some religious parliamentarians calling it un-Islamic. Whatever the war or the cause, women have always suffered in Afghanistan. They have been the victims of house arrest, rape, extortion, beating, torture and plain out slavery. But their voices of concern have often gone unheard, because Afghans who see it in their benefit do not like women to grow in the society. They want women to remain the slaves they are, to just give birth, and cook and clean. They don’t have rights to heritage, although in Islam they legally do. They don’t have the right to choose, and they don’t have the right to speak their minds. In the past 11 years, social activists and organizations working for human rights have had huge achievements, but the government has never put a law in play, in action, to give women even the simplest rights that they should have.

I am not someone who plans and has the right education to provide a solution to the Afghan government, however late it might be, to solve the current crisis and lead the country to the right path. Even those who have do not have the ability to speak, for they are muted either by money or by force.

I am tired of fighting like any other Afghan. I am tired of the insecurity I feel when I travel through Kabul every day to work. I am tired of feeling like I have to cage my family in order for them to remain safe and in order for my wife, daughter or son not be blown up or killed in the cross-fire. I am tired of war that is being fought in whatever name it has been; the large contingents of the casualties are my Afghan brothers. I am tired of racism. I am tired of the government telling me what to do while they do the exact opposite thing. I am tired of them stealing the soul of Afghans, I am tired………..

I believe that every Afghan feels like me, they are tired. For the past several months, I could not concentrate on work because every time I sat behind the desk, I felt like I was choking. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I felt like I couldn’t do this anymore because I felt caged. So I left Afghanistan, even if it is just for a little while. I left because I needed to get my head straight before I lost everything, before I basically went crazy.

اقتصاد افغانستان و وابستگی آن به کمک بین المللی

با مصرف ۸۵ میلیارد دالر از اخیر سال ۲۰۰۱ تا کنون-افغانستان هنوز هم بطور چشمگیر نیاز به بازسازی دارد. ناکامی جامعه بین الملل و حکومت فعلی افغانستان در چه بوده است؟ ساختار یک حکومت موفق در چیست؟ 

افغانستان یک کشور جنگ زده بوده که مردمش هیچوقت تصرف این مرزبوم را توسط قوای خارجی تحمل نکرده و نخواهند کرد. تاریخ این کشور به صراحت این را مطلب را بیان میدارد. اما مشکل مردم افغانستان در این است که آنها نتوانسته اند یک حکومت در کل افغانی را ایجاد نمایند تا مورد پسند همه اقشار افغانستان قرار بگیرد. 

از تاریخ گذشته افغانستان بگذریم. بیاییم در مورد کمی و کاستی های ۱۲ سال اخیر صحبت نماییم. 

بلی! دولت افغانستان دستاورد های شاخصی را در بازسازی و حکومت داری داشته است. این مورد را هیچ یک ما نمیتوانیم رد کنیم. اما ناکامی افغانستان و دولت تحت ریاست رییس جمهور کرزی در تامین امنیت برای قشر معمول جامعه افغانی- ایجاد ماحول سرمایه گذاری زیربنایی- ایجاد کار و اشتغال برای مردم افغانستان- و دست داشتن به فساد گسترده میباشد. 

در این شکی نیست که افغانستان دستخوش استفاده سو از اطرافیان و همسایگان خود بوده. اما حقیقت این است که افغان ها در موارد خیلی زیاد این موقعیت را برای انها داده اند. 

دولت افغانستان و همکاران بین المللی آن در فساد گسترده دست دارند. شایسته سالاری که اساس یک دولت را تشکیل میدهد در افغانستان و دولتش وجود ندارد. نیم از قشر جامعه (زنان) بنام این و آن در تاریکی گذاشته شده و مشمول قوای کار نمیباشد. ۸۰ در صد یا بالای این آمار در کابینه دولت را کسانی تشکیل میدهند که در خونریزی های ۳۰ سال جنگ افغانستان دست داشته اند. ماموران دولت بجای گماشتن افراد مسلکی- خویشاوندان و اقارب خود را در اداره کار میدهند و فساد اداری در اوج خود است. 

در همین حال- دولت افغانستان نتوانسته تا از کمک بین المللی ساختار زیربنایی داشته باشد و بیشتر کمک ها به حیف میل ادارات دولتی - غیر دولتی و ارگان های مختلف قرار گرفته است. افغانستان تا هنوز هم بیشترین آمار مهاجرین را در میان کشور های جهان دارد. 

ناتو و جامعه بین الملل یک سرمایه مصنوعی را در افغانستان ایجاد نموده که مورد اصل ترس مردم افغانستان را بعد از سال ۲۰۱۴ و خروج نیروهای بین المللی تشکیل میدهد. آنها با آوردن میلیارد ها دالر در افغانستان و اکمال نیروهای شان یک بازار گرم مصنوعی پول را تشکیل داده اند که بمحض خروج شان از بین خواهد رفت و به صد ها هزار مردم بیکار خواهند شد. 

دولت افغانستان با وجود این همه موقعیت ها در سال های بعد از ۲۰۰۱ نتوانست برای قشر پایین مردم افغانستان کار ایجاد نماید و حالا که کار از کار گذشته میخواهد سرمایه زیرزمینی افغانستان را که همانا معادن افغانستان میباشد به داواطلبی گذاشته که بقول افغانی (از دٌم ماهی گرفتن است). 

افغانستان و دولت کنونی آن مثل دولت های پیشین این کشور ناکام و بینتیجه است که نتوانست برای مردم خویش کار نماید. در کل یک جامعه بیسواد و سنتی بجز از افراط گرایی و یخن گرفتن یکدیگر کاری دیگری از دست شان بر نمی آید. باکوشش فراوان یک قشر آگاه جوانان بازهم این کشور نتوانست خود را از این سیاهی بکشد. من خیلی مایوس و ناامیدم.  

Nobody Can Replace Her

My loving mother died on the 25th of November 2012, leaving after a huge family mourning. Her principles in life were not to live for herself but for others. Her family, and everybody who lived around her, benefited from her kindness and her love.

Her compassion for her family, as I believe all mother’s compassion for their families, were amazing.

This is to cherish her memories, remember her for the good that she did throughout her life.

My mother lived a hard life. since she was a kid, just like other Afghan girls, she was thought not to speak, not to do anything out of the culture’s boundaries, with those boundaries being sky high for girls and a short wall of cark for boys.

Girls from a small age here learn to cover their self, learn to bow their heads down, learn not to speak, learn to obey and learn that men, as the more favored creature of god is to rule them and it is to them to take all brutality that men endure on women with silence and thank god that they are being fed.

When my mother got married to my father, she became the farmer of the family. Day after day and year after year, at that small age where girls should be allowed to play learned how to work hard and provide for her family. She would go out during dark night to irrigate the lands while my father was either out of the district or out of the country somewhere trying to earn a living for us. Her fear was not the wolves that might tear her skin or eat her, she would walk out with gusto and with bravery. Her fear was that her kids would not have enough to eat.

Throughout life, at least my life, she was always the admin of the family. She would control all finances going out and coming in. she would not let a penny go to waste and would argue for no matter how long it took to save one.

Once, after several arguments with my father that she was not eating much while going to the city, in Quetta, Pakistan, during the 90’s when I was a kid, and she was getting scarves for women who did embroidery, bought 6 bananas, eating half of one, and bringing 5 and a half for her kids home, not daring to eat the others because she couldn’t bare eating while her children was staying home.

Now I want you all to imagine, a mother, no, a woman, with no education, controlling a family with a tight grip like that. What if she was given the opportunity to study and go after her dreams? What would than become of her? I firmly believe, if with no education, women can control a family, with it, they can control a country while being kindhearted.

We need kindhearted, we need love, we need compassion that only a women can give to her children or her country’s population.

For too long, we men have controlled the faith of this country, with guns, war, hatred, killing each other left and right for nothing. WE DON’T NEED THAT, we need the ideas of the other 50% of the population on the faith of the country or mark my words, our country will NEVER progress and NEVER develop.

IT IS ENOUGH.

LOVE YOU MOM, FOREVER, may your soul rest in peace

My Rage

Well Folks, it has been long, but i come with guns blazing, well, sort of, i wrote some articles for other websites that i am going to share here but this one, is written for here:

In the 21st century where women have widespread involvement in societies of the world, where women are presidents, ministers, law makers, parliament members and generally, work in an environment where they share the same space as men, where they are seen as a critical part of a country, a society, a revolution, a democracy, and progress, there is still a country in the world where it is most dangerous for them to live in. I read a comment recently where a man said, “since women like you refuse to OBEY men, which they are created to, they deserve to be killed because they put in jeopardy the honor of their family and us as Afghans”. What honor? Which reputation? Is your reputation so great in the world that you have progressed above all? Is your honor so great that the world respects you? 

No, in fact, you are the scum of the world, you are the part and the country everybody is trying to fix, you are the brother that never gets it, you are the broken part everybody is trying to fix but since you don’t want to be fixed, nobody can damn well come near you to even try and work on you. You refuse to acknowledge that you are the worst and refuse to fix yourself. This is you; this is YOU, the people of Afghanistan.

You ever wonder why you are so backward? You ever wonder why every country in the world is trying to fix you up? You ever wonder why all the scum of the world is damped in one country? It is because you don’t listen, it is because you have neglected 50% of society their rights, and it is because you have not even considered the other half, HUMAN. This is your fault. Stop pointing fingers at the rest of the world. Stop blaming other people for the way you are. JUST STOP!!!!!

Time to realize that unless you don’t want to fix yourself, unless you don’t bring in all the talent that you have, unless you don’t use all the resources that you have, YOU WILL NEVER GET TO WHERE YOU WANT, I doubt you even have an idea of where you want to go from here. Your government is the most corrupt, they steal money at every chance they get and still have the guts to blame the rest of the world for its mistake. Sometimes you make me laugh at how ignorant you are!!!!!!

Message of a women to all Afghan men

Copied from a comment on “the republic of silence” website. For those of you who know Farsi, here is the link: http://urozgan.org/fa-af/article/2061/

ُThis is a rough Translation, i apologize for any mistakes!

I really don’t know what was written in Ms. Rowshan’s article that got the blood of the “BRAVE” Afghan men boiling. I want to ask the guy who went drinking with Commander Sayaaf at Lake Qargha: when crossing Pul-e Sokhta bridge and seeing 1000’s of men “Hazara men” in piles of crap doing drugs, does your “BRAVERY” strike up? Does your blood start boiling then? Does men who are not able to provide for their family but at the same time does not let his wife go out and work, plus does not stop producing children, are also “BRAVE” men?

Unfortunately in Afghanistan, being a man, instead of translating into being wise, intellectual, and being responsible, translates to showing your physical power “masculinity” to your wife and children.

The most “BRAVE” Afghan men are those who are uneducated, have no sense of hygiene, and have no talent so they could live a normal life. But when the going gets though, they get angry and when they come home, they take it out on their wife and children by cursing at them.

I want to address all “Brave or Non-Brave” Afghan men and say one thing: YOU MEN, have excluded us women from everything, we are as you say it, Partial-minded and weak. Our only duty is to clean the house, give birth and cook. You should do politics, perspicacity, run the country and work on the country’s growth. In one word fight the Afghan rivals and partner up with it’s partners.

Please for once, look at the result of your work and than get angry. The result of your work is that, your country has no water, no electricity, you beg the entire world to give you money, you are ashamed of mentioning your nationality in international airports and your head is always hanging down like a pig, thousands of you are drug addicts, you are introduced to the world as the most uneducated and corrupt country’s in the world.

This is you being a man? is the slums that most of the Afghan population live in, called homes? Do the cities of Afghanistan match to your “Bravery and Mustache”?

 One week does not pass by without new about violence against women. Are Fathers who sell their 15-year-old daughters to an 80-year-old man to eat and dip his snuff for a week, Brave too? Are families who imprison their brides to force them to become prostitutes, Brave too?

But on the other hand, afghan women set themselves of fire. They accept the most gruesome of tortures but refuse to sell their honor and dignity.

Afghan men should be man enough to stop begging the world for money. From the president of Afghanistan to the poorest man in country are all feeding off charity. I suggest the men of Afghanistan, specially the brave ones that, instead of wasting your bravery, go earn some respect. If a Japanese or an American man says or claims something, I accept….. I don’t think an Afghan man has a word to define him.

Apparently these “BRAVE MEN” intend to continue like this by degrading and insulting Afghan girls and women.

These “BRAVE MEN” should know that women like Ms. Rowshan are not in few and low numbers now. We will not back down. These “BRAVE MEN” can pop their eyes out and have their blood boiling, we will continue our way, so the “BRAVE MEN” of Afghanistan die one by one because of their bravery.

Rowshan’s will brighten the future of Afghanistan. This day and this comment be witness.

Bellow is the Dari Version

نوشته از خانم روشن تحت عنوان "حمام عمومی زنانه" در وب سایت جمهوری سکوت به نشر رسید ودر قسمت نظرات بعضی آقایان محترم رگ غیرت شان بالازده بودند وکلی توهین ودشنام و... بقدر توان شان به خانم روشن واهالی جمهوری سکوت دادو بودند. در قسمت نظرات، نظری از خانم سوسن در پاسخ به آقایانی که نوشته خانم روشن را اهانت وتوهین تلقی کرده بودند برایم جالب آمد که اینجا برای تان میگذارم.

"من واقعا نمی دانم چه نکته ای در نوشته خانم روشن وجود دارد که این قدر به رگ غیرت مردان"غیرتی" افغان برخورده است. می خواهم از کسی که رفته بود در قرغه با قوماندان سیاف مشروب بخورد. بپرسم، آیا وقتی از پل سوخته می گذری و هزار "مرد " هزاره را در لجنزار اعتیاد غرق شده می بینی هم "رگ غیرتت "بجوش می آید؟ آیا مردانی که قادر نیستند برای زن و بچه شان حد اقل امکانات زندگی را فراهم کنند، زن شان را هم کار کردن نمی مانند زاد ولد پی هم را هم متوقف نمی کنند، از نظر شما مردان با غیرتی هستند؟

متاسفانه در افغانستان، مردانگی، بجای اینکه فرزانه گی باشد، تعقل باشد و مسئولیت پذیری باشد، پنداندن رگ گردن بالای زن و بچه خود است.

با غیرت ترین مردان افغانی کسانی هستند که نه سواد دارند، نه نظافت را رعایت می کنند، نه هنری دارند که با آن زندگی شان را مثل آدم بچرخانند. آنگاه وقتی که روزگار بر آنها فشار آورد عصبانی می شوند و خانه که آمدند، به زن و فرزند شان فحش و نا سزا می دهند.

از همین آدرس می خواهم خطاب به همه مردان افغانستان غیرتی و بی غیرتش یک حرف بزنم و آن حرف این است: شما مردان، ما زنان را که از همه عرصه ها حذف کردید. که ناقص العقل ایم و عاجزه ایم و سیاه سر وظیفه ما شد که بزائیم و خانه را جارو کنیم و بپزیم. و شما باید سیاست کنید، کیاست کنید، مملکت اداره کنید و کشور را به ترقی برسانید. و در یک کلام با سیالان افغانستان سیالی کنید و با شریکایش شریکی.

لطفا یکبار به حاصل کار تان ببینید بعد رگ گردن را بپندانید، حاصل کارتان این است، کشورتان، آب ندارد، برق ندارد، دست گدایی تان در سراسر جهان دراز است. در میدان های هوایی از گفتن نام تان خجالت می کشید و سرتان سر خوگ واری پایان می ماند. هزار هزارتان مبتلا به اعتیاد هستید. بی سواد ترین ملت جهان معرفی شدید فاسد ترین ملت جهان معرفی شدید.

این است مردی شما؟ آیا زاغه نشین هایی را که اکثریت مردم افغانستان در آن زندگی می کنند خانه است؟ شهرهای که این مردم دارند، مطابق شان و غیرت مردان با غیرت و بروتی افغانستان هست؟

هفته ای نیست که خبری از خشونت علیه زنان نباشد. پدرانی که دختران پانزده ساله شان را به مرد هشتاد ساله شوهر می دهند تا از پول فروش فرزندش چند صباحی شوربا بخو رند و نسوار بکشند، هم مرد اند. کسانی که عروس پانزده ساله را به زیر زمین زندانی می کنند تا مجبور به تن فروشی شوند هم مرد اند.

اما از آن طرف زنان افغان، خود را به آتش می کشند حاضر اند تن به بی رحمانه ترین شکنجه ها بدهند اما حیثیت و شرف شان را به فروش نرسانند.

مردان افغان بروند همین قدر مرد شوند که دست گدایی خود را از جیب جهان کوتاه کنند، از رئیس جمهوری تا آخرین فرد مان از نان گدایی زنده ایم. من به مردان افغان بخصوص به غیرتی هایش پیشنهاد می کنم بجای این همه غیرت اضافی، بروید کمی "همت" کمایی کنید. مرد جاپانی اگر چیزی بگوید قبول، مرد آمریکایی اگر ادعایی کند یک چیزی... مرد افغان اما از نظر من کلمه ای برای بیانش نیست.

ظاهرا "مردان غیرتی" قصد دارند با توهین و تحقیر، زنان و دختران، به این وضعیت ادامه دهند. این مردان غیرتی باید بدانند که حالا شما دختران و زنانی که مانند خانم روشن، می دانند و می خوانند و می نویسند یک تا دو تا سه تا نیست. ما دیگر عقب نمی نشینیم. این "غیرتی ها" تا می توانند چشم شان را از حدقه در آرند. و رگ های گردن شان را بپندانند، ما راه مان را خواهیم رفت. تا مردان "غیرتی" دانه دانه دانه، از فرط غیرت بمیرند.

روشن ها، فردای افغانستان را روشن خواهد کرد. این روز و این کامنت نشانی."

سوسن

Freedom or more Punishment?

This Article was written by Noorjahan Akbar, Co-Founder and Member of Young Woman for Change (YWC), she gave me the honor of publishing this on my blog. if you would like to visit YWC's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/YWC.af) and the website is www.youngwomenforchange.org

Thank you Ms. Noorjahan Akbar.

Gulnaz's issue is sensitive and heartbreaking. she is one of the victims of the shortcomings of the Afghan Government.
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In the documentary, In-Justice, the twenty-one year old Gulnaz speaks about how she was savagely raped by her cousin’s husband after he tied her hands and feet and held her mouth shut. She was impregnated and she reported the rape. Instead of being rewarded with justice for being brave enough to speaking about an issue so taboo, she was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment after the rapist’s family paid the prosecutor and the judge. Her sentence was later decreased to three years and included the phrase that she would marry her rapist after her sentence ends. 

The European Union commissioned the production of In-Justice, but later decided to not allow its screenings supposedly because of the security of the subjects. However a EU official sent out an email to the filmmakers that contained a suggestion that there was real fear that publicizing the movie could create problems with the Afghan government. In the documentary, clearly understanding the need to break the silence, Gulnaz says, “ I am happy if the documentary is on TV. I want the government to see it. I want the entire Afghan people to see it.” The Afghan judicial officials violated Gulnaz’s right to justice and her wish to be heard was ignored by the European Union.

The documentary was silenced but a group of activists followed up with Gulnaz’s case. A petition was created and signed by 5,000 people in a matter of a week demanding the freedom of Gulnaz. President Karzai called a high-level judiciary meeting to discuss Gulnaz’s case. There were high hopes that the meeting would lead to the freedom and safety of Gulnaz, however what followed was acutely disappointing.

President Karzai “pardoned” Gulnaz for committing no crime, for being raped and imprisoned, for being humiliated and threatened and for raising her voice for justice. He also declared, after the meeting, that Gulnaz had the right to make the decision to stay in jail or not, and hence indirectly made it clear that she was safe only in prison and if she exited, it would be her decision and she would suffer the consequences. In addition to that, he asked the Minister of Justice to meet with Gulnaz and the rapist to figure out whether she wants to marry him to legitimize her daughter. This is while Gulnaz fears her rapist’s family and relative. The rapist’s wife has already threatened Gulnaz that she will kill Gulnaz and her daughter and his family has made it clear that they will never forgive her and her daughter for the so-called dishonor she has brought them. Through the arrangement by the President, Gulnaz was given two choices, to marry her rapist or stay in prison with her daughter.

Although the pardon did not officially include her marriage, but the president's action and their push for the marriage, made it part of the pardon unofficially.

Pressured by her rapist’s family to preserve their son’s so-called honor and now the President and Minister of Justice, Gulnaz has agreed to marry her rapist, but the real question is how much of this is really a choice. The rapist's family went as far as giving their daughter to Gulnaz's brother to make sure she will marry their son and come to their house. One more victim of the Rapist’s crime, the sister did not commit a crime nor was part of it but has to now be sacrificed for the crime her brother committed. If she is not legitimized, Gulnaz’s daughter will be ostracized by the society, she will not be able to get a national ID because the national ID requires the father’s background, and hence she will never be able to get a credible high school education or a diploma and she will never be able to work legitimately at any governmental organization, but her legitimization comes with a price to her mother. Gulnaz will wake up beside the man who raped her, caused her imprisonment and threatened to kill her and destroy her body if she spoke about the rape if she is not killed after being freed from prison. In either case, the rapist will still be free and have a wife and a life, and his crimes will be left unpunished. However, if Gulnaz marries him, he will be rewarded for raping a woman. 

Gulnaz’s story points out to several greave problems with the Government of Afghanistan and the judiciary system. Starting with the corruption that lead to her imprisonment and ending with her being married to the man who raped her are all examples of how the government is not much better than the tribal courts that ordered for Aisha’s nose to be cut of. Gulnaz is not losing her ears or nose, but she is losing her freedom forever by being married to her rapist, if she is not killed when she arrives her probably-future-husband’s house. If she is murdered, her case will be forgotten like the poet, Nadia Anjuman, and hundreds of other women’s who have been killed for an ambiguous and male-oriented “honor” and she will be blamed for it because she was given a “choice” to stay in prison, to be “safe.” There is little doubt that the same man will not rape her again if she is married to him and at his disposal. Also, who knows if her daughter will be safe from the man?

There are alternatives to this injustice, alternatives that the President and the Minister of Justice apparently doesn’t see. There are several shelters in Kabul, which contradictory to the lies and rumors spread about them, provide safety to women like Gulnaz. For example, Sabera, 18, is now living in a shelter in Kabul after she fled a forced marriage to a 52-year-old abusive man. There are hundreds of women like Sabera who are learning to read and write and make crafts in a hidden shelter somewhere in Afghanistan. They are being re-integrated into the society slowly and given means of economic stability. Gulnaz could have been given this alternative, rather than the choices of remaining in prison or marrying the man who raped her. If for some reason none of the shelters, were deemed as safe as her rapist’s house for Gulnaz by the President, he could easily arrange for her to seek asylum out of the country.

The big picture of Gulnaz’s case is that if she is married to her rapist, in addition to the fact that her freedom and safety will be gone, her case will reaffirm and legitimize the backwards and misogynist practice of marrying women to their rapists in Afghanistan and perpetuate the unjust belief that rape is not about the violation of a woman’s rights and dignity, but a matter of family honor and to preserve the family honor, one better do what the President and many others in the country suggest.

If Gulnaz is married to her rapist, if she consents to it because she is provided no other alternative, it will be a message to other violators of women’s rights and rapists. The clear message is: “Rape. The President will make sure you will marry the woman after she is impregnated and imprisoned. It will even save you a lot of money given you won’t have to pay for marriage costs!”

Noorjahan Akbar

The Cold-blooded murder of an Innocent women once again!

In a country where woman have no say at all in what happens and are constantly harassed, stoned, beaten, abused, basically not considered as humans and are there just for the slave work of her husband’s and his family’s household.

Masooma Haidari (i apologize for getting the name wrong), a 19-year-old girl who was teaching at Sayeed-ush Shuhada high school in Qala-e Muhib area, Dasht-e barchi, district 13 of Kabul city, was walking back from Katib University, located in Dasht-e Barchi towards her home after 07:30pm on the night of 23^rd November 2011, when men (number unknown) attacked her. They tackled her, beat her and than when she finally didn’t let up, they stabbed her in the back. Her books were scattered, bag thrown, and glasses broken. She staggered all the way home; the place of incident from her home is not more than 700 meters away. Taken to the hospital and died there.

She lived with her 3 brothers and her mother. Her father died long ago. When he died, she clung to her mother, cried and begged for her not to leave them behind (not to die too). Her mother today was shocked, so shocked that she could not even cry. She was looking at her daughter while other woman were washing her (an Islamic ritual done to every individual before they are put to grave) and saying “look, she took the promise from me that I will never leave but instead she left me”.

The murder was reported to the district 13 police, they have told the family and the Wakil (representative and in-charge of the area) of the area that they will look into capturing the murderers. But I have little faith in the Police forces of Afghanistan. They do not care about this or any other cases that are stacked in their offices. All the Afghan Government and their Police forces do care about is how to rob people, how to take bribes and how to fill their own pockets with money.

If they cared about the society and the Afghan population and the slogans of “woman’s rights”, they would do something about it.

Certain people in Afghanistan who are the children of powerful warlords of yesterday and so-called leaders of today, are going shopping in Dubai and EU countries spending the nations money while people in Afghanistan die of poverty, lack of health services and insecurity.

They don’t care because in their little bubble of security they feel the safest and have the best lives.

10 years into the process and no work has been done for the betterment of woman’s lives in this country. We do have a symbolic Ministry of Woman’s Affair, but they don’t do anything at all.

Women burn themselves for so many reasons in Afghanistan. They do not trust the Afghan Government Justice system because the system has done nothing for them in the past and will do nothing for them in the future if it goes on like this. Burning and/or killing themselves is the last straw they use to get out of this miserable life because they have no other choice. They know if they escape, they will be caught and sent back to the same village to only be either beaten or stoned to death.

Honestly I don’t have a conclusion for this because the conclusion was her death. If the Afghan Police does not arrest the individuals responsible for this brutal act of murder, there soon will be more and more woman have to suffer because men in Afghanistan think they are superior and they can get away with anything they do.

Civil rights organizations in Afghanistan are active, but there is little they can do. Warlords and power hungry leaders of Afghanistan do not let them do anything.

One of these Organizations, which I have been privileged to be a volunteer member of for a while now, brings in new hope.

Young Woman for Change (YWC) is an Afghan feminist Organization fighting for woman’s rights in a society where little has been done.

YWC since its establishment in early 2011 has done a lot. They have organized protests against street harassment of woman in Kabul. They have organized lectures and conferences of awareness against abuse, and harassment at work place.

I now as a volunteer for a woman’s rights organization can proudly say that we are fighting to bring the other %50 of the Population to the table. Make people realize that unless we share the ground with them, work with them for improving this country and give them a place of existence in this society, we will never be a developed country and we will never have a hope for the future.

We are fighting to stop other Masooma's from getting killed just because they expressed their existence in the society!   

Don't the Parliament of Afghanistan have more shit to worry about than Scaring kids?

It has been more than a year since the Parliamentarians have been seated into the house but due to accusations of fraud, out of the 62 Parliamentarians who were outed from their posts only 8 were replaced by new members. these 8 were seated into the house by presence of heavy police around the house not to let in the 8 members of the parliament banded from the house by the special commission which was formed out of the Afghan High court with orders from Mr. Karzai, the President of Afghanistan.
The Alliance to support Law, a newly formed alliance by members of Parliament to oppose Karzai's decision are still not appearing at the Parliament in protest to Karzai's decision for what they call illegal act by Karzai.

It is important to know that the new Parliament has been seated into the house for more than a year and they have done nothing at all to change the law, help the people who risked their life to elect them. No! instead they have to scare kids who live in Orphanages of Kabul. these orphanages are funded and run by volunteers who risk their life to come to Afghanistan and change a life. the politicians who scream slogans of Democracy, human rights have not done anything to help these kids at all, though they have the money to do so. palaces in Dubai and mansions in Kabul suits them more with their armored cars and bodyguards all around them than helping the same children they probably orphaned.

Email bellow is an account of one of these brutalities the Parliamentarians committed against the children. i recieved it from a friend and want to share it with the few readers that i have.

I also want to thank Andesha Organization for helping these kids with shelter, and education. i request the readers of this post to do whatever in their means to help these kids.
AFCECO (Afghan Child Education and Care Organization)
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Dear friends and supporters of AFCECO,



We feel it our obligation to inform you of an incident that warrants all our awareness, and perhaps for us all to work together in whatever manner at our disposal to help prevent this kind of incident from occurring again.



On Tuesday morning, September 20th, AFCECO was once again the target of inexplicable animosity, not from enemies among Taliban insurgents, but from elements of authority within our very own civil society. Several Members of Parliament along with armed guards stormed through the gates of our New Learning Center just as the doors were opening for a car to leave. These intruders came without warning, full of threats and accusations and commands, brandishing their rifles. The intimidation level was one step short of an operation to apprehend Al Qaeda operatives in the middle of the night. The only ones to field this intrusion were our young female staff members responsible for reception and library duties at the center.



The Members of Parliament entered expecting to see nothing short of a brothel where westerners come to seek favors, or a place where missionaries were actively converting children to Christianity, and so on. (These were their literal accusations). All of this was incited primarily by a female Parliamentarian Razia Sadat Mangal, a neighbor who based her accusations solely upon sightings of westerners coming and going to and from the NLC. These so-called “criminals” from the West in actuality included a few volunteers teaching English, journalists and representatives of USAID, The Asia Foundation and emissaries from the U.S. and British Embassies. It should be mentioned that Ms. Mangal had attempted entering the NLC herself, unannounced the week before, accompanied by her personal armed guards, but our guards had no authority to allow them in without permission. Instead the MP was invited to arrange a tour of the AFCECO programs. “There is nothing to hide here,” the guard had said. Without accepting this invitation Ms. Mangal responded by building up her accusations, recruiting other MPs and proceeding with this plan to simply march through the gates.



We cannot express the degree to which the intruding malefactors intimidated and frightened our staff. Other MPs joining this group included Najia Orgonwal and the particularly assaultive Kamal Nasir Osuli. Of course by the end of their thorough investigation (as if they had a warrant for our operations director’s arrest, which they did announce they initially intended to do) and found only schoolbooks, computers, musical instruments and white boards, the only accusations remaining were, “Why do you teach music?” and “Why so much money spent on these children?” Then these people demanded to see one of the orphanages. This armed party re-enacted their assault at Mehan orphanage, this time terrifying the children. One of our girls was interrogated and reduced to tears. It is important to understand the fashion in which this supposed “review committee” executed its “duties”. Imagine a sudden rushing in of armed guards, shouted commands and insults. In the end, this assault party could only walk away uttering threats that they intend to force me to answer to Parliament about AFCECO activities. Our staff reported that a few of those who had been incited to join this interrogation (not the named MPs above) went away visibly embarrassed.



There are several issues involved here, but the primary question is why, with so many problems in Afghanistan are Members of Parliament spending time, energy and resources battling orphans whose only crime is enjoying security, healthcare and education and one another’s love and friendship? We surmise this in part has to do with certain people trying to create something sensational to place as a feather in their cap, to rise in certain echelons within the government. We also see that the primary social battle still in Afghanistan is the acceptance that girls deserve equal education to boys, and that they be allowed to learn something as universal as how to play a piano.



AFCECO, an Afghan licensed NGO has enough on our plate maintaining the orphanages, tending to the children and raising the funds necessary to do this, without having to fight for legitimization. What we do is simple and uncontroversial and involves no ideological agenda. We could not say it better than Brian Williams of NBC News once said, that AFCECO orphanage is a “safe haven” for the most destitute children.



The children are tired of this kind of assault. We have faced it in other ways through the years, such as insulting and brutal interrogations of our representatives by intelligence agents and smear campaigns by privately owned media. But this time the malfeasants invaded our home and frightened the children directly. We will not stand for this and require that in the name of decency and democracy those responsible be held accountable. Most of all, we feel an apology directly given to the children would go great lengths in making amends.



We inform you of this incident because we are one big family. We do not expect you have any particular power to respond, but if you do, whatever pressures you can bring to bear in whatever fashion you deem constructive would be dearly appreciated.



Thanks in advance for your support and sympathy.



Andeisha


-------------------------------------------------------
Andeisha Farid
Founder and Executive Director
AFCECO
www.afceco.org
andeisha@afceco.org
Tel: 0093-(0)798-809-007

The Truth! what Afghans are afraid to say

I might die for writing something like this but I can’t stand this anymore.

I want to thank my friend Kim Asher who helped me by editing and correcting my non-perfect English.

On Sep 13, 2011 the Haqqani network, which, having planned a high profile attack in Kabul, carried it out to the letter. The group of either 6 or 7 insurgents took over an unfinished 14-story building west of Abdul Haq Circle that overlooks the U.S embassy, ISAF HQ, and NDS HQ. The gun battle started around 01:30 in the afternoon and continued on until late the next morning. The total length of the gun battle was over 21 hours, during which all the insurgents, 4 police and 9 civilians were killed and 8 police and 11 civilians were injured. I do not need to talk about the details of the fight because the media has already covered it.

What I want to know, and am sure a lot of Afghan civilians do too, is how did they get in? How did they manage to carry that many weapons and that much ammunition all the way to the top floor with nobody seeing it? Forget that, how did they get into Kabul? Does anybody beside me think that officials in the ranks of ANSF and the Afghan Government were involved in helping the insurgents carry out their operation? I mean the attacks on the Ministry of Defense on the 18th of April 2011 and the Intercontinental on 28th of June 2011 were planned attacks that were probably researched, drawn-up and planned months in advance. None of those attacks could have happened without the help of officials from within the ranks of the Afghan government. This comes after the Transition in which ISAF gave the responsibility of Kabul and other provinces and cities, to ANSF. An ISAF spokesman, after the attack in Kabul on the 14th of September, said that the force believes ANSF are capable of carrying out the Transition and that there will be no going back. It is like giving a black hawk helicopter to a kid and saying "you can fly this."

Then on the 20th of September yet another attack in Kabul, against the head of the peace council. In that attack, the head of Afghanistan peace council and former president of Afghanistan of the Jihad era, before the Taliban, was killed alongside 4 others. This clearly tells you the capability of ANSF against the threats that face Afghanistan and specially Kabul everyday. One of my friends wrote an article “Afghan ex-leader’s death threatens peace” link http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/war/afghanistan-war/110920/afghan-leader-president-burhanuddin-rabbani-hamid-karzai-taliban-attack-kabul. Really? What peace?! We don’t have peace. We never had peace and until these warmongers are alive we will never have peace.

Remember that these are the same warlords of yesterday who were the cause of 10,000 rocket shells being fired on Kabul city each day, the cause of more than 2 million deaths throughout Afghanistan, the cause of more than 5 million civilians fleeing the country, the cause of unmatched war and mayhem in Afghanistan.

But nobody is brave enough to talk about it. Do we stand against them and say “you need to be prosecuted and hanged for the crimes you have committed against the Afghan population”? No. Instead, yesterday’s war and massacre of the Afghan people is called “Jihad wa Muqawimat” which translates as “holy war and resistance”. Really? Holy war & Resistance against whom? What factions of the infidels were you fighting against at that moment? Russians? They left! Americans? They left too. 

No. You were fighting for power and who gets what. When the Russians left, instead of caring about the nation and deciding to elect whoever can run the country and do the job best, you started fighting each other and killing hundreds of thousands of people in the process, leaving the country in turmoil.

When somebody stands up and is brave enough to say that you are a criminal and a murderer - which is the truth - you declare them a communist; an infidel that needs to be killed. 

On 17 September 2003, Malalai Joya, a brave Afghan female Parliamentarian from Farah province, stood up at the Grand Assembly to tell the truth and request that leaders present at the assembly, who were mostly war criminals, be prosecuted for their crimes against humanity instead of representing Afghan people in the assembly. War criminals, who destroyed Afghanistan, declared her to be an infidel and a communist and removed her from the assembly because she refused to apologize for the truth she had presented.

Warlords have used religion to justify everything, including every crime they have committed for decades, and still do. Anybody who stands against them will be killed. 

When Karzai lead the transition in 2001, he said that all war criminals will be prosecuted, but not only did that not happen, his entire cabinet is made of war criminals and thugs who are thirsty for the blood of Afghan people. 

Billions of dollars have been literally dumped into Afghanistan but at least 80% of that money has either been stolen by these so-called leaders or been used in areas of their interest. I know that by now the world is tired of having carried Afghanistan for so long; they have spent billions of dollars and they see no progress being made because Afghan officials are corrupt and all the aid money being dumped into this country goes into the pockets of dirty politicians who have done nothing but destroy this country in decades past and will do for decades in the future if they see benefits for them in it.

Afghanistan has trillions of dollars in natural resources, but little or no work has been done to use those resources to build the country. 

I am sure 99% of the leaders of Afghanistan do not think past today and only of how to rob the people of Afghanistan of whatever they still have left. 

Message to Mr. Karzai: Forming special commissions to get rid of corruption in government bodies will not resolve anything if the lead man (you) and the people close to him (Khalili, Fahim, Sayaaf, Mujjaddadi, etc) are up to their necks in corruption.

50% of the population (women) in Afghanistan are not even considered human, let alone equal, and nothing has been done to help them participate in society.

Women in this society do not have a voice or any rights. Every filthy, disgusting, crazy moron on the street, who has no right to do so, harasses woman like it is their birthright and leaders who speak about democracy and equal rights have done nothing but provoke people to continue with such despicable behavior. The very forces that are here to defend the rights of citizens (men and women) harass woman, so what hope is there for this country and its future?

Know this, you insecure idiots: unless you give that 50% their birthright to not just live, but also participate fully in this society, you and this country will NEVER make it.

Government seats are given to tribes, according to their percentage of the population, for the balance of power. THAT IS NEVER and WILL NEVER BE THE SOLUTION. 

The best man or woman for the job should be elected according to their abilities, NOT allocated seats because of their gender, ethnicity, tribe or religion, but no one in the grip of power seems to understand this or they just simply ignore it. 

Religion and Politics cannot work together. If we (Afghans) want our country to be peaceful, developed and united, we need to forget what race, tribe, religion, background, gender we are and work as one (AFGHAN).