January

AFGHAN EXAMINERVOL-1 ISSUE-4 JANUARY-2013 www.afghanexaminer.com PH. 510-396-0948FREE

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The Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM) breaks new ground this winter, when leading en-sembles of the institute – the war-torn nation’s sole music academy, founded and directed by Ahmad Sarmast, the first Afghan with a doctorate in music – make their American debut with a U.S. tour (Feb 2–17). Presented by the Ministry of Education of Afghani-stan, of which ANIM is a model school, this land-mark visit will be crowned by performances at the Kennedy Center in Wash-ington, DC (Feb 7) and New York’s Carnegie Hall (Feb 12). These concerts will feature the Afghan Youth Orchestra (AYO) and other ANIM ensembles performing orchestral and chamber music on both Western and traditional in-struments; collaborations with their contemporaries from American youth or-chestras; and guest appear-ances by award-winning Russian violinist Mikhail Simonyan. Additional tour highlights include a resi-dency and concert at Bos-ton’s New England Con-

servatory, master classes, school outreach concerts, and a wealth of further op-portunities for cultural ex-change.

At the upcoming Ken-nedy Center and Carnegie Hall concerts, ANIM will be represented by the AYO, conducted by ANIM violin teacher William Harvey, and three smaller ensem-bles: the Young Afghan Traditional Ensemble, led by ANIM Principal and ghichak teacher Muham-mad Murad Sarkhosh; the Sitar and Sarod En-

semble, led by ANIM sitar/sarod teacher Irfan Mu-hammad Khan; and the Chamber Wind Ensemble, led by ANIM brass teacher James Herzog. Joined by Afghan and expatriate fac-ulty members, including percussion teacher Nor-ma Ferreira, cello teacher Avery Waite, piano/oboe teacher Allegra Boggess, and saxophone teacher Derek Beckvold, the per-formers will be drawn from the institute’s students, who are Afghans between 10 and 21 years of age.

Besides demonstrat-ing their mastery of the orchestral and keyboard instruments of the Western classical tradition, they will draw on their homeland’s own rich musical herit-

age, playing on traditional stringed instruments – the rubab, sitar, sarod, dilruba, tanbur, and ghichak – and the tabla drum. In a char-acteristic example of in-valuable youth exchange, ANIM’s students will play alongside American string players of their own age, from the Maryland Clas-sic Youth Orchestras when they perform at the Ken-nedy Center, and from the Scarsdale High School Or-chestra when they take the stage at Carnegie Hall.

Repertoire will include original arrangements by William Harvey of two favorites of the Western canon – Ravel’s Bolero and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons – alongside examples of Af-ghan traditional and folk music. Mikhail Simonyan joins the students to per-form Lariya for violin, ru-bab and chamber orchestra, Harvey’s arrangement of a traditional rubab piece made famous by the Af-ghan rubab virtuoso Mu-hammad Omar (1905-80).

Funded by the United States Embassy in Kabul, the World Bank, the Car-negie Corporation of New York, and the Ministry of Education of Afghanistan, the tour will showcase the extraordinary success of ANIM. Founded by Ahmad Sarmast, winner of the 2009 David Chow Humanitarian Award for his “brave and selfless” efforts to rebuild and promote music edu-cation in Afghanistan, the remarkable school and its achievements have already attracted international notice. As the New York Times described in a recent feature,

“The Institute teaches some 150 young people, about half orphans and street hawkers. … About 35 of the students are female, important in a country where women face obsta-

cles to education. The young people study both Western and Afghan instruments…and music theory from both cultures. Many of the West-ern instruments are do-nated, and the World Bank provides financial support. Tuition is free.”

In a country where, as the Wall Street Jour-nal notes, “there are some 70,000 street children in Kabul alone and as many as 600,000 across Afghani-stan,” it is of the most pro-found significance that half of ANIM’s students come from such disadvantaged backgrounds. Reuters ob-served:

“At Afghanistan’s sole music academy, students are taught music with the hope it will bring comfort in the face of war and poverty, bringing back cellos and vio-lins to revive a rich musical legacy disrupted by decades of violence and suppression. ‘We are committed to build ruined lives through mu-sic, given its healing power,’ Ahmad Sarmast, head of ANIM, told Reuters.”

The impact of ANIM, which is seen as a model for future Afghan mu-sic schools, can hardly be overestimated. “An effective cultural barometer in the Muslim world,” as the Wall Street Journal put it, “music has the potential to move Af-ghan society away from fun-

It was a long journey from Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghani-stan to San Jose, CA, but if you have good friends and hosts, you can feel at home and be comfortable. During my stay, I managed to explore the city, markets, organiza-tions, restaurants, book stores, librar-ies, parks, shopping centers, and some bordering cities of San Jose, such as: Fremont, Hayward,

Santa Cruz, Carmel, Mon-terey, Oakland, San Fran-cisco, Liver More, Gilroy, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Newark, Milpitas, Santa Clara and Sunnyvale.

It was interesting for some Americans that I was coming from Afghanistan, but the only issue I had in my mind (and still have) is that I am not ashamed to say that Afghanistan is my home country. I believe that in each country there are good and bad people. The current war does not mean that we are not deserved to communicate with inter-

nationals. The questions American friends asked me most often were: “What do you think about 2014? What do you think about the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan? And is there any hope for Afghanistan?” I was try-ing to be positive and used to say that Afghanistan is changing for the better though there are still lots of things do be done to bring security, development, de-mocracy and strong gov-ernment to the country.

Historic First U.S. Tour by Ensembles of Afghanistan National Institute of Music

From Mazar-e-Sharif to San JosePerspectives and Understandings

Includes Concerts at Kennedy Center (Feb 7) and Carnegie Hall (Feb 12)

Mohammad Karim Kabuli’s Poetry Book Signing Pictures page

7

By Ahmad Zia Ferozpur01/ 10/2012 – 17/12/2012

www.afghanexaminer.com JANUARY-2013 AFGHAN EXAMINER2

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JANUARY-2013 www.afghanexaminer.comAFGHAN EXAMINER 3

What Would a Post-Karzai Afghanistan Look LikeBy: Dr. G. Rauf Roashan

Abstract: Afghanistan watchers are wondering already what would be in the cards for Afghanistan when Nato and other in-ternational forces leave the country and when Karzai’s second term as president comes to an end in 2014. How would this coun-try that has gained new strategic and economic importance in the region would be administered. What would be the future of democracy in this coun-try when a reactionary insurgency that has not been defeated would either claim or share power in the government. Is peace possible? Eventually in 2014 Afghanistan would emerge from a long lasting rule of its current president whose picture is seemed glued to the post-Taliban Afghanistan history of the country. He was seen into office with great expecta-tions both by the international community as well as the Afghan nation. He was looked upon as a ray of hope for an emerging Afghanistan that would rise from the ashes of a protracted war and a person who would bring in a just and democratic government. He would rule, it was thought, over an Afghanistan where there would be no violence, no violation of human rights, justice would be maintained and economic prosperity like post-World War II Europe would embrace the country. Education and health services would be provided to the masses and world input of billions of dollars as aid would be spend on important and priority projects in a transparent manner and the results of these projects would be tangible and all expenditures would be accounted for. In the past over a decade of Karzai’s rule many things have happened in the country including great achievements side by side with greater failures. In a nutshell the achievements include the writing and promulgation of a constitution, establish-ment of a legislature, elections twice for president and two times for the houses of parliament, training of a national army and a police force and opening and running of hun-dreds of schools including those for girls in the country. A considerable length of roads was also built and an effort was made to implement higher education through a vari-ety of educational institutions and universities.Do these achievements match the expenditures made to realize them and the time span of more than a decade that was spent on them? Many people even the most optimis-tic observers would answer this question with a definitive “No.” However they would go ahead and give reasons for the failures. They would blame continued violence in the country perpetrated by an insurgency that they would claim based on some evidence was aided by self serving neighbors of Afghanistan and especially Pakistan from where Taliban enter the country to commit violence and retreat back to their safe havens across the long border. Others would blame the international community who could but did not plan wisely to change the conditions in the country or to achieve success for its own war on terror. Many would blame the non-existence of a clear cut plan based on priorities of the country and its people and ignoring of the situations on the ground. Yet others would blame warlords and the corruption associated with them and their establishments. Still others would point to con-ditions that bred a situation of a mafia state in the country where supporters of the government within and outside its framework were allowed a free hand in engaging in all sorts of corruption including looting of bank investments, grand embezzlements, and outright stealing in signing of

contracts meant for reconstruction. Many also have found fault with donor country contrac-tors and middlemen.Again in a nutshell the failures include inability of the government to achieve peace and securi-ty for the people, help a true growth of econo-my by boosting production, inability to account for billions of dollars lost for development, marred elections, lack of democratic conduct, abuses of human rights of all kinds, inability of the government to see its writ honored and enforced in the provinces, distance between the people and the ranking members of the ad-ministration in so much that no member of the government can travel in the provinces without a huge escort of military guards and exponen-tial rise in the amount of corruption, bribery and their methods and applications.But does the future look promising? There

could be many scenarios for the future of Afghanistan. The country is rich in mineral resources of all kinds. Copper and iron and other metals for the technological needs of the world plus gold and oil and gas, are among Afghanistan’s riches that are untapped so far with the eyes of energy hungry nations of China and India and beyond fixed on them. These would make this south-central Asian country a new Saudi Arabia for the immediate techno-logical and energy needs of the world. If means of com-munication and transportation and roads and railways are extended in many of the important directions in the country they would, in addition to helping exploitation of its underground resources, help in making it a true hub for commerce between south and central Asia and Europe and Asia on a larger scale truly reviving the silk route of yore. It would seem that all of this would have a role in shaping up of Afghanistan’s future.Certain scenarios come to mind that may include the following:1. A thriving democracy at peace with itself and the

world held in great esteem by the international community for its efforts and sacrifices in the way of realization of the noble goals of peace, justice and prosperity as well as upholding of values of the 21st century with respect to human rights and equality for all.

2. A failed democracy lost in convoluted quagmire of animosity, discord, disunity, doubt, infighting and lost opportunities giving in to reaction, superstition and ignorance.

3. A community that is still trying hard to better itself with the help of democratic values through which it would have elected a wise leader and leadership free of nefarious effects of personal and group greed and influence of warlords and those whose hands are smeared with the blood of the innocent Afghans.

4. A country that is run by a narrow minded leader and a leadership that has come about by means of hatred, discrimination, religious orientation and regional interests with deep affinity to the intentions of self serving neighbors of Afghanistan.

5. A country left open to foreign and regional interfer-ence with no international support where infighting continues, insurgency and reactionary forces are threatening normal lives of the citizens, no economic development plan is underway, disease, poverty and ignorance rule and a government that is busy trying to get its writ honored by the country at large, but is drastically failing because of personal and group interests of a few who are monopolizing wealth and power because they are armed and are being sup-ported by foreign and especially regional powers.

There could be many other scenarios evolving depending on how the Afghans see themselves and how the world looks at them and what everyone expects to get from

Afghanistan. Undoubtedly realistic observers and friends of Afghanistan would prefer scenario number one which at this stage is only a lofty philosophical wish. If that scenario is to be achieved, there must be wholehearted untiring work done to make it a reality. For the sake of Afghanistan and the world at large, preparations must start as of today for the details of the scenario to be writ-ten, for putting in place mechanisms that would bring a leader to fore that would be able to materialize the ideals of the Afghan people and to consider all the problems and hurdles that might come up. All of this is easily said than done. But they must be said in order to be done and in their implementation the following should be considered:1. The most important issue of peace must take prec-

edence. Peace with insurgency and with Taliban. This is a difficult issue and more complicated than it ap-pears. Even the United States seems to be puzzled as to a solution. The recent taking off of the name of the Taliban leader from the list of famed terrorists is but an example of the perplexity in which the US foreign relations are in. Peace talks with a group that does not want to talk would be futile unless there is a guar-antee that the stubborn attitude of the Taliban has changed. The Taliban that the Afghans know, and the world should also, are not a group that would change their attitude easily. For example did they change their attitude towards not blowing up the historical statues of Budha in Bamiyan even under the strong-est world pressure including some of their interna-tional supporters? So what is the solution? War did not yield any positive result. Could it be that a mass information struggle against the reactionary policies of the Taliban would awaken the population to the danger they would pose to the country? In that case the war is softly transferred from the battle ground to the minds of the public and when the public takes up a struggle success can be assured especially if the public has a strong government to back its stand. In this age of communication wonders a public infor-mation project to be carried out by television, video, Internet and print media is feasible and cost effective; it is much cheaper than carrying out a war.

2. A well organized fight against corruption. This would require courage to stand up against powerful war-lords and individuals and bring criminals to justice. No exceptions should be tolerated in doing so, no family members or friends to be pardoned or excused from punishment and founding of a strong police and judiciary aided by community elders to do so.

3. Working for a treaty of non-interference in the affairs of the country by its neighbors, regional powers and international interests. A treaty to be approved of by the United Nations Security Council would be an ef-fective means for this.

4. Launching of a scientific economic development plan for the country to be implemented jointly by the public and private sectors. The plan should include priorities for boosting agricultural and industrial production engaging a large sector of the population that is unemployed at this time and bearing fruitful results that are tangible and benefit the masses who are presently conducting a painful life under condi-tions of hunger, poverty and disease and where only a very small group of individuals have all the wealth mostly derived from the flow of billions of dollars in aid to the country.

5. A thorough reform of internal and external policies of the government must be undertaken to achieve most of the above.

It is a good time to start preparing for the eventualities with prudence, utilizing the lessons learned in the past at least one decade for the future of Afghanistan.


By Ian Bickerton

There are a lot of ques-tions hanging over the staged withdrawal of Inter-national Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops, includ-ing the Australian contin-gent, from Afghanistan by 2014.

The main publicly stated purpose of the attack on the Taliban and Afghanistan (and indirectly Pakistan) was to destroy the al-Qaeda network responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US. Eleven years lat-er it is still not clear how suc-cessful this war has been.

Several al-Qaeda lead-ers, including Osama bin Laden, have been killed, but al-Qaeda affiliated fighters have moved their militant operations to other coun-tries such as Yemen, Mali and Niger, pursued by US Special Operations forces and drones.

Australia went into Af-ghanistan strong in the be-lief that it was a nation, like Iraq, that would welcome the future possibilities West-ern intervention offered. Af-ghanistan, however, is not Iraq; its population is divided ethnically, religiously, and geographically. The various tribal groups, although they possess a strong — virtu-ally unbreakable — sense of national identity, do not want to be ruled by an externally imposed centralised govern-ment, especially one that is widely regarded as corrupt and inefficient. So when the ISAF forces leave, there will be a vacuum that the allied-trained Afghan National Army, made up primarily of non-Pashtuns, will not be able to fill.

The question is, who will be left behind if the 66,000 US forces and NATO troops leave Afghanistan in 2014 as planned? Will it be a very small force of counter-ter-rorist specialists, or will it be a larger counterinsurgency force of up to 20,000 mem-bers?

The latter seems the more likely. Under this scheme, the US would leave behind a force of at least 10,000 military personnel known as Special Forces, together with an unspecified number of non-American NATO (including Australian) troops located at joint US-Afghan forces bases. They

Afghanistan 2014 no end in sight for foreign powers

NATO soldiers attend a security transition from NATO forces to Afghan forces in Nangarhar, Afghanistan in December. EPA/Abdul Mueed

would probably be the six US bases presently in oper-ation, including Camp Leath-erneck — which currently houses 20,000 marines — and Bagram Air Base in the North. These figures do not include the untold numbers of militarized US contractors who will remain as a integral component of the American presence.

They would be essential-ly nation building — some-thing that former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said the United States does not do. This involves securing the civilian popu-lation, engaging in counter-terrorism activities, build-ing schools, digging village wells, and working with vari-ous tribal leaders and war-lords against the unpopular ethnic-Pashtun Taliban.

What this means, among other things, is that US forc-es will be “partnering” local forces for some years to come, but, if Iraq is anything

to go by, it is unlikely they will leave the safety of their jointly run bases.

President Obama is re-luctant to leave large num-bers of US troops in Af-ghanistan, whose function would not only be to keep the peace but also to protect the country from external interference from potential commercial and financial ri-vals such as Pakistan, China or even Russia. The ongoing presence of troops is expen-sive, and risks more Ameri-can casualties.

On the other hand, the president does not want to abruptly bring home the troops and witness the chaos that ensued when US troops hastily evacuated Iraq. Obama, and his military advisers, much prefer the technological solution; sur-veillance and killer drones operating from bases in Af-ghanistan and neighbouring, friendly nations. The trouble is they, too, are expensive

and do not always strike the desired targets.

The record of the intel-ligence services in this re-spect does not inspire con-fidence. Anti-terrorist tactics, with their tendency to target the wrong people, may well create as many terrorists as they eliminate.

The US is increasing its military presence and capa-bility in surrounding coun-tries; tanks and aircraft to Saudi Arabia, missiles to Qa-tar, Kuwait and Oman, and helicopters to Lebanon. This build-up and expenditure re-flects not only the expected changed nature of the war in Afghanistan after the main ground forces depart, it also indicates Washington’s growing determination to de-ter Iran from expanding its nuclear program.

However, the world, and that includes Austra-lia, should be concerned that we do not know what safeguards are in place to

prevent, diminish or expand the policy of targeted kill-ings by armed drones that the US has in place around the world. Not only have these strikes taken place in several countries, includ-ing, of course, Afghanistan and Pakistan, they are tak-ing place without public authority, public debate, or public accountability. They are taking place in secret. This should be particularly troubling for Australians, as well as Americans, as it is contrary to the principles espoused by nations which are democratic and act un-der law.

After 11 years which have seen the death of thousands of Afghans, the spending of untold billions of dollars, carpet bombing, mentoring of the Afghan Na-tional Army, even courses in gender awareness, we are a long way from seeing a re-gime that is democratic or remotely free of corruption.

Afghanistan remains a country of war lords, drug lords and suicide bombers. A significant number of pro-vincial districts are under the control of Taliban affiliated groups.

American troops will not be withdrawn in 2014, and victory will not be declared. Western leaders, includ-ing our own, allowed them-selves to be seduced yet again by the lure of military power, believing they could transform one of the poor-est, politically fragile, coun-tries in the world into a func-tioning democracy.

It is time that we came to the realisation, as Pentagon lawyer Jeb Johnson is re-ported to have told a British audience, that “war must be regarded as a finite, extraor-dinary and unnatural state of affairs”, not something that is a entered into as a pana-cea capable of solving all problems.


By: Hijratullah Ekhtyar - Afghanistan

Zerawar, 23, has seen three films back to back, although his enjoyment was somewhat reduced by the noise from outside the tent, as young men revved their motorbikes nearby.

“I wish there was a cin-ema hall in Nangarhar province,” Zerawar said. “Our officials are busy loot-ing, and they don’t attend to things like this.”

Back in the 1980s, Jalal-abad had two cinemas, but both are long gone.

The head of the film in-dustry workers’ union in eastern Afghanistan, Naji-bollah Sadeq, said govern-ment inaction meant that plans to build cinemas had never materialised, and shops had appeared on the proposed sites.

Sadeq said his asso-ciation used to rent halls in Nangarhar’s larger hotels to screen films, but the own-

ers had stopped allowing this because of growing se-curity concerns.

As a result, he said, “We have to set up these tents and present our films to the public.”

Mohammad Zarif, who both produced and acted in one of the films now showing, “Upper and Low-er Pashtuns United”, said showing it in a tent was a last resort.

“Filmmakers and actors have made great losses here. They have lost inter-est in it and many have given up the profession,” he said.

After the Taleban gov-ernment was ousted in 2001, Afghanistan experi-enced a boom in all kinds of media. When it came to films, nowhere was more productive than Jalalabad, where over 100 movies have been made in the last decade.

Production values may be basic and some of the acting amateurish, but the

volume and popularity of the output won Jalalabad the nickname “Little Mum-bai”.

It has been an uphill struggle. For a start, none of the female parts are played by locals, because conservative Afghan cus-toms and values make that impossible.

To get round the prob-lem, filmmakers cross into neighbouring Pakistan and hire female actors there, splicing the footage into the sections shot in Nangarhar.

A male actor called Shaan recalled being in scenes of a film in which no women were involved. “When I watched the fin-ished film, I saw an actress running along, and myself chasing after her,” he said.

Such issues reflect the sensitivities of making films in Afghanistan, where TV stations are often under at-tack for showing Bollywood movies deemed too racy for local tastes.

For viewers like Zer-

awar, the Nangarhar-made films in Pashto strike the right tone.

“Foreign movies are harmful to our culture and faith, but Afghan films give us messages of patriotism and humanity,” he said.

But as Sadeq pointed out, filmmakers and male actors are constantly at risk from those with more radi-cal views.

“Every evening when I go home, I check around my house four times. I live in fear,” he said. “People be-lieve that if someone works in cinema, he’s an infidel. And we can’t go outside the city to shoot movies.”

He said many Islamic clerics were happy with the content of locally-made films, but if the Taleban tracked down the filmmak-ers, “they will behead us with a knife”.

Mohammad Asef Ba-hadori sees himself as a founding member of the Pashto film industry here, but says it has proved im-

possible to turn a profit.“I made 12 films in Nan-

garhar at my own cost. I spent a lot of money, but made huge losses, be-cause the films didn’t bring in enough income to cover costs. I’ve given up making films now,” he said. “Since there’s no cinema for peo-ple to come to and pay admission, the films are re-leased on CD even before the final cut. They go on sale in the shops, and that doesn’t pay even five per cent of their cost.”

Mohammad Shah, the representative of the state agency Afghan Film in the provincial government’s culture and information department, said he had raised the matter with more senior officials, to no avail.

“We have nothing in our hands, and there’s noth-ing we can do about it. The government has not been supportive of the Afghan Film Agency. When we talk to officials about this, they nod their heads but do

nothing,” he said.Sadeq remains optimis-

tic despite all the obstacles. He cites two success sto-ries – a film called “Hand-print” won first prize in a national film festival, while a 22-part drama serial called “White Poison” has been taken up by the national television network.

“We cut down on the cost of food for our own children to pay for these films,” he said. “There are no profits to be made in Afghan cinema, but we are driven to make films by our own enthusiasm and by the popular interest in them.”

Hijratullah Ekhtyar is an IWPR-trained reporter in Nangarhar, Afghani-stan.

Afghanistan’s Little BollywoodJalalabad turns out movies by the dozen, despite having no cinemas.

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Mohammad Karim Kabuli, son of Mirza Abdul Razaq khan, son of Mirza Abdul Khaliq Khan was born in Ali Reza Khan District of Kabul, Afghanistan in 1917. He is a descendant of Mir Ali Reza Khan and Abdul Ghafar Khan who distinguished intellectu-als during the reign Ahmad Shah Sadozai. Kabulay entered Sedaqat Elementary school in 1922 during King Amanullah’s period and from 1925 until 1934 he continued his studies at Amani High School. For the following seven years he continued his studies in key subjects of the day namely Arabic, logic, literature, metaphysics, and religious studies.

Afterwards, Kabuli begun his professional service in accounting, German translation, and administra-tion in several German companies namely: Abaak, Unnimak, and Siemens. He immigrated to the United States in 1989 and has been living in the San Fran-cisco Bay Area since that time. During the past two decades given the tumultuous and chaotic condition of his native land, Kabuli begun collecting some of his poems that he had written during youth as well as writing poems on a plethora of interesting topics such ethics, philosophy, metaphysics, logic, social issues, and nature, etc.

Kabuli always admired the famous geniuses such as Hafiz, Saadi, Rumi, Ferdousi, Nezami, Baydel, etc. He had referred to these giants of Persian lit-erature in his poems, however, his love and admi-ration of Hafiz and Saadi is very conspicuous in his poems. Moreover, since Kabulay is fluent in classi-cal Arabic and German he has studied the works of the “Mualaqat” hanging poems in Pre-Islam period in Mecca” and the works of famous German poets such as Goethe and Schiller. In fact, you see him referring to several poems of Goethe’s Faust in his works.

The misery and turmoil that Kabuli’s homeland has suffered has had a deep effect on him. Many po-ems reflect a deep sense of sadness, yet he is still an optimist and believes that tomorrow is another day and hopes thing will eventually improve for people of Afghanistan and other post-conflict nations.

In addition, Kabuli deeply admires the beauty of nature and as such has written numerous poems

about many places that he has visited. For instance, he has a poem about the splendor of India, the Is-land of Tasmania, the Alum Rock Park, etc. However, two of his works in this area namely his masterpiece is a poem about his city of birth Kabul that has 120 verses that explain the historic grandeur of Kabul as well as the destruction and carnage that the city suf-fered from the savagery of the Soviets to the tyranny of the Taliban. The second piece is a pleasant poem written about the beauty of his adopted home, San Jose. The translation of the second poem is present-ed below:

By Dr. Mohammad Humayon Qayoumi

(Our City San Jose)

The heavenly splendor of this land In the eye of the erudite and knowledgeable The air will gives you new life and water pouringA terrain nurturing tulips and jasmine The clouds filled with spring pearlsThe fertile soil bursting with many riches Whether it is Capricorn, Leo, Taurus, or the autumn The spring-like presence is always embraced The seasonal rains, storms, and windsCleanses all ecosphere’s filth and grime The lovely hymns of the singing birds at pre-dawnAll fully engrossed in praising the Almighty A vivacious ecosystem filled with amusement and joyA diverse and congenial sanctuary for all beliefs In its arms protected from maladies and calamities The mind of the worrisome and the heart of the restless The heart of its people free from pain and anxietyIts prominent celebrities filled with humility

The scent of the spring filled perfume aromas A land picturesque, the envy of Chinese miniature art With the grace of the Lord, I had a chance to traverse the

earthMy heart opened as my come across such beauty As I rise at the pre-dawn hours in this blessed land I meditate continually reminded of my creator I affirm my beliefs in such beauty he createdSuch a land of just and bountiful, kind and generousBy. Mohammad Karim Kabuli

Biography of Mohammad Karim Kabulifrom page 1

Book Signing&

Introduction of

Mohammad Karim Kabuli’sPoetry Book

Monday, November 26th, 2012 5 pm to 8 pm

Pacific Room, 39155 Liberty Street, Fremont, CA 94536

Pictures by Azim Azimi


damentalism toward more moderate cultural values.”

Vision of ANIM ANIM is the first and

foremost institution for the education and nurture of gifted young Afghan musicians. Integral to the school’s music program is a high-quality academic education, ensuring that students are able to achieve success at the highest level internationally as musi-cians, music educators, academics and special-ists. The institute, located in Kabul, is committed to providing a dynamic, chal-lenging, and safe learning environment for all stu-dents, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or social circum-stances. ANIM focuses on supporting the most disad-vantaged group in Afghan society – the orphans and street-working children – by helping them attain a vocation that will allow them to reach their full po-tential, while contributing to their emotional health. Through the provision of an internationally accred-ited curriculum, graduates will have the skills, creative

vision and confidence to contribute to the artistic, social, and cultural life of Afghanistan and to the re-vival of Afghan music tra-ditions. ANIM is the model

for future music schools to be built throughout Af-ghanistan.

History of ANIMThe first music school

under the auspices of the Ministry of Education was established in 1973. In

the late 1980s, this school merged with the School of Fine Arts and operated until 1992, when civil war consumed Afghanistan. In 2001, the music depart-

ment within the School of Fine Arts re-opened with many limitations: no re-hearsal rooms, no trained music teachers, and no musical instruments. In 2006, Dr. Ahmad Sarmast, then a Research Fellow at

the Monash Asia Institute in Melbourne, Australia, initiated the Revival of Afghan Music (ROAM) project. ROAM made nine recommendations, includ-

ing the establishment of a music school. In 2007, Dr. Sarmast, with the support of Monash, discussed the establishment of a music institution with the Min-istry of Education of Af-ghanistan; in April 2008, he went to Afghanistan to implement and lead his brainchild, and with the support of the World Bank, the National Association of Music Merchants, and other donors, Dr. Sarmast began the process of es-tablishing the Afghani-stan National Institute of Music (ANIM). A thor-ough renovation equipped an existing building with the facilities of a world-class music school, such as soundproofed rehearsal rooms, a high-quality col-lection of instruments, and an international faculty. An

eleven-year curriculum was introduced.

This initiative received

two prestigious interna-tional awards early on. The International Music Coun-cil (IMC) awarded the project the 2009 Musical Rights Award in recogni-tion of ANIM’s outstand-ing work in promoting and advancing the musical rights of the Afghan peo-ple through the creation of “new national institutions for music education in a country where musical life had been almost obliterat-ed.” In December 2009, Dr. Sarmast received the 2009 David Chow Humanitarian Award in recognition of his “brave and selfless” efforts to rebuild and promote music education in Af-ghanistan. In March 2010, the international faculty be-gan to arrive. As 2010 pro-gressed, ANIM’s resources were augmented by the do-nation of instruments from the Indian Council for Cul-tural Relations and the So-ciety of Music Merchants, as well as instruments pur-chased by the World Bank. On June 20, 2010, ANIM was inaugurated before an audience of invited digni-taries. ANIM ensembles, including the Afghan Youth Orchestra, have frequently performed for President Hamid Karzai, members of the Afghan cabinet, ambas-sadors from many coun-tries, and members of the Afghan community.

In December 2010, ANIM launched the first annual Afghanistan Win-ter Music Academy, the country’s first music fes-tival combining perfor-mance and education. The Academy, which provides a variety of educational op-portunities to its students, attracted 18 internationally acclaimed guest educators and performers from all over the world in its inau-gural year. It has become an annual winter festival, and it is funded by the Embas-sies of the US, Denmark, Canada, and Finland, and by the Goethe Institute.

Other initiatives of ANIM include a Student Association whose mem-bers are elected in a com-pletely democratic pro-cess and have a significant role in the daily life of the school. ANIM is proud to

be a pioneer in the devel-opment of the Afghan stu-dent government process, which empowers students in the decision-making processes of their schools. Recently, ANIM began a partnership with the Ka-bul Blind School; ANIM introduces, develops, and nurtures the inherent mu-sical skills of many of the school’s students, as well as assisting with their general educational and vocational development and reform. ANIM is also proud to have a student football club (FC ANIM), reflecting its promotion of health and physical fitness. ANIM is regularly featured in the local, national, and inter-national media, including such outlets as the Associ-ated Press, Al Jazeera, ABC (Australia), ABC (Amer-ica), BBC, NBC, CNN, Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, among others. ANIM continues to expand its programs with the construction of a prac-tice building, a concert hall, a dormitory, and a national conservatory. ANIM stu-dents recently toured Ger-many, Denmark, and Uz-bekistan, and further local and international tours are planned.

ANIM founder Dr. Ah-mad Naser Sarmast is a native of Afghanistan and a son of the late well-known Afghan composer, conduc-tor, and musician Ustad Salim Sarmast. Dr. Sarmast received his PhD in music from Monash University, Australia in 2005; he re-ceived his MA in musicol-ogy/ethnomusicology from the Moscow State Con-servatorium in 1993, and his Bachelor Degree in per-formance and music educa-tion from the same school. He has conducted research on music of Afghanistan since 1993, resulting in the landmark book A Survey of the History of Music in Afghanistan. He is a Re-search Fellow of the School of Music-Conservatorium and Monash Asia Institute of Monash University and an Honorary Fellow of the National College of Music, London. His research ar-eas also include music of North India, Central Asia, and Iran. His publications include “The naghma-ye chartuk of Afghanistan: a new perspective on the ori-

Cont. Historic article from page 1


gin of a solo instrumental genre” and “Ustad Moham-mad Salim Sarmast: a 20th-century composer, and the first symphonic score of Afghanistan.” Dr. Sarmast is a member of the Musico-logical Society of Australia and Union of Artists’ Asso-ciation of Afghanistan. His report Music in Afghani-stan Today provided the framework upon which the Revival of Afghan Music Project (ROAM) was devel-oped; ROAM become the basis for ANIM.

American violinist, conductor, and composer William Harvey has ap-peared as violin soloist at Carnegie Hall with the New York Youth Symphony and has performed concertos with orchestras in the Phil-ippines, Mexico, and the USA. Since March 2010, he has served as the violin and viola teacher at ANIM. He is a founding conductor of the Afghan Youth Orches-tra, for which he arranges all repertoire and which he has conducted six times for President Hamid Karzai and on the 2012 season fi-nale of Afghan Star. He has

served as concertmaster of the Spokane Symphony and as a fellow of The Academy, a program of Carnegie Hall, the Juilliard School, and the Weill Music Institute in partnership with the New York City Department of Education. As a conduc-tor, he has led youth or-chestras in Qatar, Mexico, Tunisia, the Philippines, and the USA. Harvey’s compositions have received more than a hundred per-formances. He earned his Master of Music from the Juilliard School and his Bachelor of Music from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. In 2005, Harvey founded Cultures in Harmony (CiH), an NGO that promotes cultural un-derstanding through music. In 2010, CiH was named a Best Practice in Interna-tional Cultural Engagement (along with the Kennedy Center & Library of Con-gress) by the US Center for Citizen Diplomacy. CiH workshops in Pakistan, Qa-tar, Egypt, Tunisia, Zimba-bwe, and Mexico have ben-efited thousands of young musicians.

Ustad Irfan Muhammad Khan is the sarod and sitar teacher at ANIM. A mas-ter performer of the sarod, one of the most celebrated stringed instruments of North India, Khan repre-sents the Lucknow-Shahja-hanpur gharana, which has produced eminent sarod players since the 1790s. Us. Irfan was tutored by his fa-ther, the famous sarod play-er Us. Umar Khan, and his uncle Us. Ilyas Khan. Be-sides belonging to a tradi-tional family of musicians – his predecessor Basat Khan was a direct descendent of Mia Tansen from the male line – Irfan holds a Sangeet Visharad (Bachelor of Mu-sic) and Sangeet Praveen (Master of Music). He also holds a B.A. in History from Kanpur University. Us. Irfan was chosen by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and External Af-fairs Ministry of India and sent on a delegation to Ka-bul, where he served as a sarod and sitar teacher for three years in the 1980s.

James Herzog is the in-structor of trumpet, French horn, and trombone at

ANIM, where he founded and directs the wind en-semble. He has performed frequently around Kabul as part of various groups and fusion ensembles. Hail-ing from the United States, Herzog holds degrees from Indiana University and Rowan University, and has completed most of his doc-torate studies at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. He has performed with the Colo-rado Symphony, the Sym-phony in C, the New Jersey State Opera, the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, the Garden State Philharmon-ic, and Seiji Ozawa’s New Japan Philharmonic in To-kyo, Japan, as well as tour-ing Spain and Mexico with the Atlantic Symphony Or-chestra.

Muhammad Murad Sarkhosh is the Principal of ANIM and its ghichak teacher, as well as the di-rector of the Afghan Tradi-tional Ensemble. Originally from the Shughnan district of Badakhshan province, Ustad Murad brings his expertise of this region to ANIM as well as his innova-

tive technical knowledge of the ghichak, often crafting the students’ instruments by hand to meet their indi-vidual needs.

Mikhail Simonyan, from Novosibirsk, Russia, began to study the violin at age five. In 1999, at age 13, he made his New York de-but performing Szymanow-ski’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with the American Russian Young Artists Orchestra at Lincoln Center. In October 2009, he opened the New World Symphony’s concert season, performing Glazu-nov’s Violin Concerto un-der Michael Tilson Thomas. Other recent and upcoming highlights include his debut at the Vienna Musikverein and debuts with the New York Philharmonic with Bramwell Tovey, NHK Symphony Orchestra with Neville Marriner, the Dres-den Philharmonic with Ra-fael Frühbeck de Burgos, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and the Vancou-ver, Aarhus (Denmark), Iceland, and West Austral-ian symphony orchestras. In 2009, Simonyan released his debut recording of the

Prokofiev Sonatas for Vio-lin and Piano and he made his Lincoln Center recital debut. In March 2010, he made his Paris recital de-but at the Louvre museum and in February he was the featured soloist with London’s Philharmonia Orchestra in a private con-cert at Windsor Castle, with HRH Prince Charles in at-tendance. Simonyan has recently signed a multi-CD exclusive recording con-tract with Deutsche Gram-mophon.

Feb 7 at 6pm; Washing-ton, DC; Kennedy Center

Feb 12 at 8pm; New York, NY; Carnegie Hall (Stern Auditorium)

Details of the ANIM ensembles’ two major U.S. appearances and additional information is available at www.afghanistannational-instituteofmusic.org


Afghan Senior Association of Bay Area meets Afghan Professor Sayed Yahya Hazin from Herat University and Ahmad Zia Ferozpur from Balkh University

Afghan Senior Association of Bay Area meets Mr. Omara Masoudi Director of National Musem of Afghanistan.

Afghan Collation Meets with Mr. Omara Masoudi Director of National Musem of Afghanistan.

Pictures by Habib Zargi


Mr. Omara Masoudi

Director

National Museum of Afghanistan

Brayton Wilbur, Jr. Fellowship in Asian Art

November 26 – December 7, 2012

Mr. Omara Masoudi, Director of the National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul (http://www.nationalmuseum.af ) will participate in a two-week professional affiliation at the Asian Art Museum from November 26 – December 7, 2012. A seventh recipient of the fellowship, he will examine museum policies and practices in preparation for the construction of a new museum to replace the current building in Kabul. He is especially interested in museum security and registration of artifacts. Mr. Masoudi will also visit other arts institutions in the San Francisco Bay Area to explore these concerns.

Director of the National Museum since 2002, Mr. Masoudi has been affiliated with the Museum for more than three decades. He has seen through a tumultuous period that bore witness to the Soviet occupation, the Mujahideen civil war, and the Taliban regime, when irreplace-able collections were relocated for safekeeping, damaged, or destroyed. Mr. Masoudi has traveled around the world, informing the inter-national community about Afghanistan’s art and culture, and its efforts in restoring and reconstructing its artifacts and artistic legacy. A graduate of the Kabul University, he is the recipient of several awards, including the Medal from Parliament of Afghanistan and the Abu Ali Sina Balkhi Medal from UNESCO.

Established in 2008 by the Asia Foundation Trustee and San Francisco Asian Art Commissioner Judith Wilbur, the fellowship honors the memory of her late husband, Brayton Wilbur Jr., a long-time Foundation Trustee and patron of the arts. The fellowship funds an exchange of curatorial specialists in Asian art at the Asian Art Museum (AAM) of San Francisco. The Asia Foundation’s Asian American Exchange unit administers the Fellowship, while the Asian Art Museum identifies and collaborates with participants on program content.

Asia Foundation and the Brayton Wilbur, Jr. Fellowship www.asiafoundation.org


Proposals to the Minister of Public work of Afghanistan,Engineer Najib Aujan

August, 25 2012

By: Farid Younos

Editor’s note: Mr Aujan visited the Afghan Coalition in Fre-mont, California in August 2012, and met with Afghan com-munity figures and representatives of Afghan organizations in the San Francisco-Bay Area. Dr Younos was not present at the meeting due to a prescheduled commitment, but submit-ted the following proposals through Ms. Rona Popal, execu-tive director of Afghan Coalition. The original text was in Farsi.

Welcome to the United States of America. I hope your trip in this country is productive and fruitful for my mother-land in which I have not visited for 33 years. In the past, I had submitted some proposals for the reconstruction of Afghanistan to the United Nations via our representative of Afghanistan. After ten years, it is my privilege as a Mus-lim to submit the cultural reconstruction and to fulfil my responsibility toward my people and my place of birth.

1. From an economic and vitally important perspective, the construction of the Salang pass was a mistake. Alongside repairing the current tunnel, we have to engage in the reconstruction of a new tunnel under the mountain. The new tunnel will prevent numerous

1. Learning is mandatory for all men and women2. Seek knowledge even in China3. From the cradle to grave seek knowledge4. The difference of opinion is a blessing of my ummah5. Faith is in two half. Half is patience and the half is to be

thankful5. Faith and application of faith (action) are close to each other.

Neither one is correct without the other.6. Faith is thankfulness and forgiveness7. Beneficence is the one that you worship Allah in such a way

that you see Him and thinking that if you do not see Him, He sees you.

8. Three signs reveal the hypocrite: When he talks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he does not keep it; when he is loaned something, he does not return it.

9. War is a deceptive error10. He that becomes a slave to money, to luxurious clothes, to

sumptuous gowns, who is happy when he receives and is in pain when he does not receive, will go to ruin.

annual deaths caused by accidents, annual avalanches that make the current tunnel very costly, save us millions of dollars in cleaning and maintenance, and usage of vehicles to climb the high mountain. This matter needs to be discussed with Germany.

2. In reconstructing our highways, we have to build rest areas that fit our cultural needs. For example a covered place facing the direction of prayer. This should have space for a bus that carries 80 passen-gers. The rest area should have toilet where ablution can be performed. It should have trees and bushes so passengers can rest in a pleasant environment.

3. I am sure the issue if sewage canalization has been discussed, and needs to be taken very seriously in all cities.

4. The new buildings in the cities must have access for the disabled such as parking, bathrooms and equipped with wide doors.

5. In case a city development such as residential areas are being contracted with private developers, they should build it completely as a little town consist-ing of a post office, a mosque, a public park, playing ground for children, and depending on the popula-tion, a gym and emergency services.

6. In the past, micro-rayons were built without eleva-tors. Also, Afghan and Islamic cultural values were not taken into consideration. For example, in the bathrooms, ablution was hard to perform. Families did not have their total privacy. It was a model after the Soviet Union of that time. We should not under-estimate the role and value of Afghan culture in this

reconstruction. Modernization should not de-cultur-ize us.

7. Having said the above, in all reconstructions, Afghan-Islamic culture should be taken into consid-eration. For example bathrooms should not face the direction of prayer. In the past, colonialism opened the door to de-culturization and exploitation. Exploi-tation occurs when a nation is first de-culturized.

8. In every city based upon the population, we should build funeral homes with all the necessities. Current-ly, people keep their corpses at home. This is neither sanitary for the household nor soothing psychologi-cally for the family.

9. All towns and new city streets should be named upon reconstruction. A cooperation between the munici-pality and the post office is needed for this task of coordinating names.

10. As I have written in the past, we need to use century-old technology. We have to rely on mud, and hay for building single family homes in the suburbs and villages. This method keeps the hut cold in the sum-mer and warm in the winter. We have to very cost effective as well as efficient.

With best wishes and hope of your successful achievement.

Maxims of the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh)

Edited by

Farid Younos


By Abuzar Royesh

Two weeks ago, I was standing among a throng of students in Hotung Café at Tufts University a crowd burning in anticipation to learn the outcome of the presidential election.

I had left my quiet dorm room just ten minutes before with a friend of mine, after finishing my assignments, to witness this historic moment.

The area was packed; I could only cram into the room by jostling and shoving other students aside. The predictions for most of the eastern and southern states had already been announced; Governor Romney had a marginal lead over President Obama. After a while, the emcee announced that CNN’s prediction for Ohio, one of the key swing states, was out. Breaths were held, dead silence prevailed, and all eyes were fixed on the two TV screens.

In my mind I was transported back to the Afghan presidential elections in 2009.

The number of candidates was 22 times the number running in the American elections – 44 candidates – yet the thrill of the election was barely noticeable. In fact, I don’t even recall following the news about it. No matter how many candidates there were to choose from, there was little faith that any of them could or would bring much change.

Unlike in the U.S., the dominant political system in Afghanistan is one based on religious ideas and ethnic politics. This situation hinders even the most astute politicians from making much progress without bringing a complete revolution, an agenda that I believed none of the candidates promoted.

The U.S. presidential election had sparked many debates on campus over the issues of foreign and domestic policies. Many Tufts friends — both Republican and Democrat — constantly debated the varying issues. I too enjoyed enthusiastically engaging in discussions on American policies towards Middle East, China, or different regions in the world. At times I even dared to comment on the domestic policies of the two candidates. Passions on campus ran high.

In contrast, in 2009 most Afghans didn’t think their voices or votes mattered. The estimated voter turnout was a mere 30 to 35 percent.

Many people in the rural areas were utterly oblivious to the elections, partly due to lack of media access and partly because the Afghan government plays no tangible role in their lives. Afghanistan may have been a “democracy” in structure, but due to the illiteracy and isolation of millions, a true democracy would be hard to establish.

“The 18 electoral votes from Ohio go to President Obama.”

The whole room exploded in exhilaration. “Obama, Obama, Obama,” the crowd roared, “Four more years, four more years, four more years.” I found that I also was standing there beside my American and international friends cheering for Obama.

I too was excited, but not because I truly embraced or even understood many of his domestic or international policies, or because I was against Governor Romney’s proposed strategies. I didn’t even agree with all of President Obama’s policies in the Middle East or Afghanistan. The reason was something more intimate.

The hope I felt was that one day I could be standing in a similar room in Afghanistan among the thunderous roar of people. People who were as equally excited about their own future.

America’s elections aren’t perfect, nor were its candidates. But I felt hope that one day Afghanistan could have candidates as capable and motivated as both President Obama and Governor Romney. I had hope for a leader who was not chosen due to ethnicity or religious sect, or who he was related to, but because of the potential he had for holding the office. I had hope that one day we too would have a free and fair election.

Afghanistan may have a long road ahead to tackle the issues of corruption and Taliban control, and to create the capacity for an authentic democracy, but for that one brief moment Obama’s victory rekindled my belief that anything was possible.

His victory speech wasn’t just to the American people, but to me and other Afghans of my generation.

When Obama challenged us to cherish “the spirit that has triumphed over war and depression; the spirit that has lifted this country from the depths of despair to the great heights of hope,” he gave me inspiration

that we too could move forward. I identified with Obama’s messages, as they were the mottos I wished my countrymen held: hope, change, and moving forward.

Our hopes need not remain buried under the ruins of war by Kalashnikovs, tanks, and bomb

explosions. We, too, could move forward. If we only believe we could.

Finding Inspiration for Afghanistan in America’s Election


One of the questions that came to my mind was what to bring home from the USA. Gifts? Medicine? Books? Photos? Clothes? None of them worth very much compared to my ex-periences, contacts and memories of friends.

Although the course I participated in, was a short-term course, it was a wake-up call for me -- a wake up to study more, read more, listen more, watch more, research more and do more and more.

I learnt from Americans

how to study hard and gain more knowledge and com-plete your understanding. This stay brought some changes to my mind, such as: changes in my way of thinking, way of teaching, and way of working as a journalist. This stay also mentally enabled me to pay respect to the people and love them despite of their ideology, color, sex, culture, religions, ethnicity, and lan-guage and beauty.

What I liked about the

US election was the sys-tem. It was fast, transpar-ent, easy and professional. The debates were interest-ing; President Obama and

Governor Romney were fighting with words against each other. I like one of Obama’s statements on the debates “It doesn’t mat-ter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love. It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, able, disabled, and gay or straight, you can make it here in America if you’re willing to try.”

In my first visit to the US in 2010, I found and learnt that, in this country every-thing is based on a particu-lar system. That means that for every job and business there is a special program. Each, (even a seemingly small job) requires a spe-cialized education or train-ing, and it is hard for some-one who does not speak English or have the neces-sary education. Even when shopping, there is a system. If you buy a bottle of water in the supermarket, you have to know how to find it, how to pay for it, and where to drink it. Any kinds of so-cial and formal activities have to pass certain steps in order to get done. Noth-ing is easy, but everything is possible in the USA.

The way I started learn-

Journalism panel on Afghanistan For the last three months, I have been working on a story on journalism and free

speech in Afghanistan for an episode of Equal Time, a news program that will air on KQED in the Spring. As a part of this story, we held a roundtable discussion on the San Jose State University campus to delve into the subject and see how a group of experts would assess the state of journalism in the country today, as well as going for-ward. Joining me on the panel was Professor Bob Rucker (the host of Equal Time and chair of the Journalism and Mass Communications department at San Jose State), Dr. Farid Younos of CSU East Bay, Fariba Nawa (journalist and author of Opium

Nation: Child Brides, Drug Wars, and One Woman’s Journey Through Afghanistan), and Ahmad Zia Ferozpur, a visiting professor from Balkh University in Mazar-i-Sharif, learning journalism here at San Jose State. I found the entire experience to be fasci-nating and extremely enjoyable. The panel was saturated with knowledge and pas-sion for the state of things in Afghanistan. I found myself enthralled at the discussion. I hardly got a word in edge-wise, but to be honest, I didn’t mind at all. The panel was a real treat, and I cannot thank the guests enough for agreeing to be a part of it.

~Chris Chandler SJSU Senior: Broadcast Journalism

Mazar-e-Sharif from page 1 ing about the culture, his-tory, people, politics, ethics and business of the US, was by practicing, following radio, watching TV, read-ing newspapers, searching on the internet, and talking with Americans. But finally I came up with one idea: in order to learn all these, I should involve myself in the community.

Since the US is a land of

immigrants, it is hard to say that there is only one single culture. The multicultural status of the US makes it a little difficult for a visitor to learn about all cultures and people here, but the more you stay the more you learn. It is not enough to study about a country just through books, the internet and movies; you cannot be a good expert about a country if you really do not stay awhile there.

My stay helped my per-

spective change about the American people. I met interesting people starting from politicians to profes-sors, journalists, students, businessmen, and volun-teers and even homeless people. Most of them were nice and friendly. Of course there are good and bad people among every nation, I met both.

Life style in the US is different from that in Af-ghanistan. Here in the US, citizens are mostly liv-ing alone and/ or with their cats or dogs. Families are smaller, and houses are not big. By contrast, in Afghani-stan, we have bigger fami-lies which are- complicated and traditional- and we live in large houses. We usually do not keep dogs and cats at homes.

I experienced American food in many different plac-es here: American friends’ houses, restaurants, fast food places, cafés and piz-za shops. To be honest, it was not easy to switch from an Asian food style to a western one. The first days of my stay, I went to the University dining facilities. I had to memorize the names of foods, flavors, and so forth. Later on I thought I could meet more people if I ate outside off campus. I started going to public res-taurants, where I ordered some of my favorite foods, pizza and soup. I also liked the chicken.

There is a big Afghan

community in the Bay Area, and most of it is concen-trated in Fremont city. It seems that Afghans man-age to bring parts of their culture to the US. I could

even find the traditional Afghan meal, called “Bu-lani” in Fremont. There are mosques, wedding halls, Afghan shops and bakeries which make traditional Af-ghan bread. When I went to Fremont and met Afghans, I felt like I was backing home. My Afghan friends were just outstanding, they were very nice and friendly, when I was meeting them, they were behaving such they knew me for dozens of years, for several times and events, they invited me for lunch and dinners, of course I ate lots of Qabili Palow they were yummy. Thank to all of them.

They still decorate their houses in Afghan styles, lis-tening to Afghan music and practice their radiations. They were more Afghan than Afghans living in Af-ghanistan; and I was more American than them.

I also managed to listen

to American music, Ameri-cans listen to music in cars, at work, in sport halls, in restaurants and in most public places. It is part of their daily activities and cul-ture. Each single American knows a lot about the mu-sic and bands. I was feeling shy when I was expected to talk about Afghan music because I did not have in-formation.

Students do not commu-

nicate and “socialize” with each other. On the streets, at school, in the bathrooms, in restaurants, on public transpirations, and even in some classes, they are busy with their iPhone. I personally believe focus-ing too much on the iPhone separates individuals from the community.

I was lucky I made good

American friends. The only issue you have to know is just to be honest and be yourself. People trust quick-ly here. They rely on you and understand you; on the other hand, it is not easy to make friends.

Americans are very sen-sitive of time; it is not like what we call the “Afghan- time”. When they make a promise, they stick to that, but they do not make prom-

ises quickly and easy until they are sure that they can keep the promise

At the School of Journal-

ism and Mass Communi-cation, the professors are friendly and they use new technology in their teach-ing methods. The school is equipped with modern equipments. For me, the university was like an aca-demic city; students were from local, national and in-ternational locations. They know what to do and how to do it. The current sys-tem at the university taught me how to use resources and information and how to meet deadlines and respon-sibilities. This school has its own TV, radio station, 3 publications (Spartan Daily, Shift Magazine and Access Magazine). To me, these were extraordinary oppor-tunities for students to prac-tice what they learn.

I would like to conclude

with the fact that education is the most important key to change!!! I believe in learn-ing, hope, compassion and forgiveness. My last word is that education is one of the most important elements that can bring peace, se-curity, development and stability in a country like Afghanistan. UA would bring peace and stability in the region, not only through military, but also via sup-porting education sector of Afghanistan.

At the end, I want to

thank all. Eyes are waiting for me in Afghanistan to share my new knowledge and do more and more. Good bye and please send me your feedback at:

[email protected] Best regards, Ferozpur


Dr. Ebrahim Ahmadi

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