The Film

The film we watched this past week certainly dealt with the same kind of elements our readings have- hope, tragedy, facing tough odds, and unfamiliar situations for Western nation audiences. Easily the most graphic situation occurred when the baby of just a few weeks passed away. You know the nurses and doctor had done everything they could to keep it alive, but the resources were not available. Reading about this is one thing. We as readers have imaginations that produce the images we read about. But to actually view it on a screen? That brings a different kind of meaning to the term devastation. It also allows for a greater sense of appreciation of how hard each person over there works just to get through a day. We all saw the pain the mother she was in just to give birth to the premature child. To see her lose her baby was hard enough on the viewer never mind her.

If Afghanistan ever gets the reliable resources they need to become a functional nation, it truly will be a landmark event. The film may have looked like a bleak situation, which it was. But it also showed a sign of significant hope with the Women's hospital being opened as well as Afghan nurses being trained. The amount of tragedy Afghans undergo everyday whether it is failed pregnancies, terrorism, etc., is something this world needs to look out for. Thankfully, films like Motherland Afghanistan help send the word out on such unbelievable horrors so at least some help can arise.

Motherland Afghanistan

I found the movie very interesting, but was also very saddened to see the poor healthcare system in Afghanistan. I thought it was great that he came to Afghanistan with his family to live in poor conditions to help make a difference. I could understand his frustration in not having the proper help, supplies or support to fully make a difference. I was happy that he was able to make a second trip that was more successful. I bet he felt better, and it was great to see him be able to be successful. It was hard to see the poor conditions that these people have to live in. I was also amazed that many of the patients had to bring their own supplies and had to travel great distances to get to the hospital. He said the hospital was in good condition and clean, but when I saw it, all I could think of was hospitals in the United States and it did not come close. I would not have called the hospital in Afghanistan, knowing what it is like here. I hope more improvements can be made to improve the conditions and train doctors to be better able to help the people of Afghanistan. 

Motherland Afghanistan

Although I missed the first half of the movie, what I saw of it was captivating. The part that surprised me most was the way the mothers reacted when they lost their children. Some of the mothers lost their babies due to pre-maturity or lack of proper tools when they were born. To me, this would be one of the worst experiences a woman could go through, and in the film, the mothers seemed unfazed and almost numb to the horrible losses they incurred. 

I enjoyed watching the doctor be such a role model and inspiration to the other people working in the hospital, as well as the patients and local orphans/children. It was hard to see so many people upset throughout the movie, such as the woman who had a hole in her liver. This situation was very hard to understand, and came as a shock that she had trusted some unqualified man to give her "medicine" to relieve her pain, which in the end caused a large internal cyst.  

Today we will be watching another film called Paradise Now, and I will talk about how that movie is on my next blog! 

Motherland

I really enjoyed watching the film in class. It seems that every film we watch hits me with sorrow because of the situation over seas. It was very interesting to me because I like the medical field, and seeing how much of a contrast it is compared to the US is pretty astonishing. Women are at such a higher risk than women here. Things that happened in the film like the woman with the bladder problem and the woman with the dead twin would not happen in the US or even Western Europe because people are so much more skilled and technology is advanced. It seems to me like the Middle East is trapped in a gap of the times. Their old world culture and the new world technology, and they are stuck somewhere in between. Its so shocking to think about. Even visiting Western Europe this past summer I never experienced such a place that was underdeveloped. Its seems like they are lost. Another point that bothered me was the fact that the woman who made the documentaries father was at one point working with the US government and pleading for supplies that he never got. Patients would have to bring their own supplies, and who knows if they were sanitary, up to medical standards, or even use able. This was really disturbing because if the patient or their family did not have the supplies, often the surgery could not be preformed. Its so strange to think about how different things are over there and how medical education should be a priority. It was just a very eye opening film and made me realize things I had never thought of before, however I enjoyed it very much.

Film

This film was very interesting, even though most of it wasn't in english I could still understand the meaning of it. The whole plot of the movie was a complete shock to me. I could not believe that they only had one doctor and that they were happy with having this one doctor because there wasn't one anywhere near the town. It was also amazing to me that he did not get any of the supplies that he asked for, but yet he was able to help the lady. Even though her baby did not make it, it wasn't his fault because he did do his best. However, i thought it was shocking that they let that many people in the room during surgery. I also think that it was unprofessional that the nurse had no idea what she was doing. I think they should have thought about who was working with them before they did the procedure. When she did not know how to use the tube, i thought it was amazing. I was really taken back by this film. And I think it was helpful for us to see it. 

Motherland Afghanistan

This film evoked several feelings both personally, and in regards to the structure and status of Afghanistan. Personally, it was baffling to me to see the medical standards and forms of practice utilized by the physicians in Afghanistan. In terms of cleanliness and sterilization, the practices were completely out of accordance with those used in the US. Also, the fact that the father (the doctor viewed) commented on how clean he felt the facilities were was very mind boggling. In regard to the norms of Afghanistan that were shown by the patients, I thought it was very sad and strange how normal they felt their illnesses/injuries were. For instance, many of the patients said that it was "God's will" whether or not they would heal or survive.

It was extremely startling that one in seven women die during childbirth. That statistic may have just been a number to those who have no seen the film, but the film exposes the lives of the women behind the number. Hundreds of woman flocked to Dr. Mojadidi to seek his care, in he returned the favor to them by working the best he could in less then favorable conditions. What was most fascinating was viewing this crisis, which, in most countries, would be on top of the list for being tended to. Yet, with the amount of violence, political turmoil, warfare, and  transition, this health crisis is but a fist fight in an atomic bomb attack. It will be interesting to see the developments, or further downfalls, in this health crisis of the women in Afghanistan. Of course, such a crisis is of small concern to several of the people and leaders of Afghanistan due to the overwhelming amount of turmoil the country is facing. 

with all our strength 2-17-09

Afghan women were victims of frequent personal sacrifice, death threats, imprisonment, torture, and many other horrible things. RAWA was founded in 1977 by a woman named Meena. she was a college student, and she planned to help Afghan women toward the peaceful creation of a free Afghan democracy. This battle for freedom is faught without violence. It was weird to think that a woman was literally worth one half of a man. The birth of a daughter was accompanied with sadness, because the woman was not providing sons for her husband. This seems rediculous, but it's how these women lived.

The Taliban controlled the country from 1996 to 2001. There were very strict rules placed on everyone. For example, girls over eight were banned from school. Women could not work outside the home. They were not allowed to see male doctors (even though women were banned from work). In public, they had to weara burqa, which covers their entire body, with a small space to see through. There were numerous other rules that were made against women, and punishment for breaking these rules was very harsh. There was the presence of poor treatment of women for many years before the Taliban as well. This poor treatment left most women with psychological problems such as post traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety.

RAWA gave women a chance for some hope in their lives. One woman, named Salima, became a RAWA member at age 17. She left her family, moved to Pakistan, and continued her education in a RAWA school. RAWA members are not allowed to tell anybody what they are doing, so it was a very big deal for her parents to allow her to leave, and put her in the hands of people that they did not even know. Many women who joined this organization had to change their names to protect them and their families.

Meena, RAWA's leader, was very important to all of the members. Meena was assassinated by enemies of the organization.

During the mid to late 1950s, women were making more advancements and gaining more access to employment. Also, the 1964 Constitution gave both mena nd women the right to free democratic vote for the first time. Men and women gained equal status in other spheres as well. RAWA helped so many women, and it was very brave for all of them to join this organization.

With All Our Strength.

This reading was filled with a very large amount of information. However, it focused mainly on RAWA which is an organization designed advocate and fight for peace, democracy and rights among women. It also provided a large amount of information about Meena who is considered to be the founder of the organization and who is responsible for a large amount of change that has taken place for Afghan women.

When reading the section about culture, Islam and also gender I became very interested. I found it very interesting that an Afghan woman in actually equivalent to one half of a man. So, in the case of a testimony two Afghan women would be needed to formulate a complete testimony because they are only considered to be a full man. I also found it interesting that the life expectancy for a woman is much less than that of a man. This is only true for a few other countries. This is primarily because women receive medical treatments last, food last and receive very little care prenatally


The story of the 9 year old girl who got raped was also one that was interesting to me. In this story, the 9 year old girl did in fact get raped and was not longer considered to be a virgin. As a result of this, dishonor was brought to her family and could only be restored if she married the rapist. In other words as long as her honor and that of her family is maintained by her marrying the man who raped her, the raping is a non-event.

Love & War

Again, being in the first group, I was assigned to read pages 149-190. First off, it was very helpful to see the few pages of black and white pictures that were in the middle of the book. My favorite picture to relate to was the last one on page 160 on the bottom. The picture is of a local barge that has a single SUV on it which was being used when two local roads were being repaired. For anyone who has been to Martha's Vineyard, or more specifically Chappaquiddick, you would recognize a similar barge, (or the one-time ferry) which takes one car back and forth from Chappy to the mainland of the Vineyard all day! Clearly the need for this barge and the recreational need for the one of the Vineyard are different, but the technology stands as is.  

  

Bibi Maryam, Daughter of Atif 

After reading both stories, the second one stood out as the most intriguing, mostly for the way in which it was written, and the repeated bad news that was occurring in the stories. There are many instances that are considered normal for people of Afghanistan such as the following:  

• arranged marriages
• young marriages (under 18)
• death of parents and siblings
• borrowed money from family members
• prayers to Allah 
• Soviet invasions
• murder/disease to young children

The line that really hit home in this chapter was on page 186: "Now I only have one child remaining." I cannot imagine what it would be like for a parent to bury their own child... Let alone the children that Bibi had to put to rest. What a nightmare.. 

Blog 2/17

So far I have enjoyed learning about Afghanistan from different perspectives, and from both men and women. Being in group one, I read pages 49-103 for this week, and enjoyed each one of the stories. 

A favorite that sticks out in my mind was titled: Mino, Daughter of Adbul Qasim and Zakira, Daughter of Abdurahman. The opening few pages of this particular story shocked me, and once I read a few lines, I was hooked. On page 90, Mino says: "Oh my god... A stranger saw my face" after her future husband was looking up to her window one day after changing into comfier clothes to do dishes in. Again, as with the first story, "Anisa, Daughter of Isa Mujammad," arranger marriages were the norm for young people in Afghanistan. Something else that I noticed about the social/love relationships in Afghanistan are that most husbands practice polygamy, which is a topic I am familiar with due to another class I am taking this semester. Many Americans (possibly not in Utah...) find polygamy as a unethical marriage practice, but many others believe it is just a common way of life. Before Mino's marriage to Ibrahim Bek, Tahir tells her that "We've been friends for many years so I can vouch for him and know that he will be very trustworthy. You'll be his second wife." 

Time passes, and things between Mino and Ibrahim grow old and rusty... I learned that "Taloq" means divorce, and that if someone says it three times, they can not go back on their "decision," as it would be sinning against Allah. People who live in their town are horrified that Mino was still living in the same house as her ex-husband, but she did not have anywhere to go, and with children this situation was ever more difficult. In America, with divorces, clearly there are rights and boundaries that usually help the mother or father in need  financially, but in Afghanistan this is not the case. Mino was horrified and eventually ended up moving back in with her family and basically went into a depression. With the death of her daughter to malaria, her luck was not looking up. By the end of the section of the chapter, Mino's fate does take a shart turn-around, and her love with Ibrahim starts to be rekindled, but they must formulate a plan before the two are re-married. 

With All Our Strength

Anne E. Brodsky's With All Our Strength gives a lot of good insight on how women strive for independence throughout Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a very conservative country where men carry more importance than women in societal standards. This reading really opened my eyes to the reality the women face. A woman named Zarmeena was executed and this provided a real sense of what was going on. Not only was a woman about to die because she broke the Sharia's rules, but the use of a video camera made for a do or die situation for RAWA. RAWA was simply trying to get the word out but who cared? Brodsky said herself that the world did not care the least about Afghanistan until after the September 11th attacks. So when you think about it, if the attacks didn't happen, this footage would remain widely unknown. And to RAWA, this was a chance to expose the reality of the Taliban's oppression among Afghan women.

But what struck me most was the lack of knowledge regarding the use of a video camera. Basic skills like recording, start/stop fast forawrd, rewind, etc. were another language to them. But to try and use this foreign equipment and document an execution by the Taliban? It seemed crazy and extremely gutsy to read, but it happened.

Zarmeena's execution is an example of how oppressive the Taliban's rule was. Public executions served as a reminder of how important it was to follow the rules. Not only men, but also women were under strict command. But for Afghan women to try and live happily under these conditions is a challenge in itself.

Love and War in Afghanistan

 This is a very interesting book. All the stories that are being told are from different peoples perspective which makes it better to read. In chapter seven- Nikolai Mironenjo/ Fraizmuhammad- the boy was drafted into the army a year after he graduated from high school. This was nothing to be shocked by because that is the normal time to be drafted. However the stories he told were amazing (in a bad way). One story I felt sick to my stomach was; on page 161 he was explaining how they had not eaten or drank for days. One of their friends became so hungry his tongue actually dried up and he was not able to talk. They tried to feed him some grass to maybe make it better, however it did not work. The boy asked for a plastic bag, peed in it and then drank it. He then said, he was able to talk now. When I read that I literally put my book down and got a bottle of water and took a very big sip. I realized how lucky we are to be drinking WATER when we are thirsty and not our own urine. In the next chapter I found it VERY interesting that Bibi had never been to school before and even more interesting that she was married AT AGE 14. Even worse that her husband was FOURTY-FIVE. That is discussing.  However.. to them I guess it is normal. Along with having two other wives and thirteen children within them all. Bibi's life is awful. Throughout it she lost her husband and all her kids except one. But she basically lost him as well because he is in prison for 20 years for having heroin on him which "wasn't his".  As I keep reading I learn more and more about what they are going through over there and it makes me really appreciate what I have here.  Those were just some key points and stories that really caught my eye. However, even-though I didn't mention other things, all the chapters and stories are also really interesting and shocking as well. 

Love and War 149-253

The first story of Nikolai Mironenko, I thought was very hard to understand. It was very bizzare to me that he was ok with converting to Islam and living with the mujahedeen. He didn't see his family for years and he didn't write to them out of fear, but it seemed that he didn't want to tell his family because they would have been disapointed. I wish that it had talked about more of his reasoning for converting to Islam and remaining in Afghanistan. I understand that he addressed the point of being a traitor in the eyes of a Soviet, but it still confuses me. It makes sense that he did not want to anger the commander but, he so willingly converted, making it difficult for me to wrap my head around it. It just seems that he would have perferd to return to his family and homeland of the Ukrane, instead of starting a whole new life in Afghanistan. This story also affected me because it protrayed Afghanistan as bruital and horrible. When he speaks of the women and her sheep that they stole and his caravan being bombed it was so graphic and terrifying. why did he want to stay in such an area with great poverty and the dangerous conditions.
The story of Bibi Maryam really effected me. Her life seemed very "normal" at the start. The only thing that was hard to comprehend was the fact the she was one of three wives, but that is understandable in Afghan culture. Things seemed to be going well for her until her husband joined the mujahedeen. Thene verything just seemd to go down hill although her and her children weren't really involved with the fighting between the Soviets and the mujahedeen. However in the middle fo the situacion two of her children were killed. It then amazed me that her last surviving son was imprisoned because of drug trafficing, and he was framed. Conditions in Afghanistan were really brought to my attention in this story because they didn't have anywhere to live and when they finally did they did not even have windows or doors to protect them from the elements.
I really enjoy reading these stories in Love and War but they just put me in such a sad mood and bring me down because life is so much different than lives here in the US or even Western Europe. Its just crazy to think that such horrible things are going over there and people are so unaware and ignorant. It really intereasts me and I really enjoy learning and reading these stories. It puts everything in "true" perspective for me.

love and war in afghanistan group 1

I thought Gulbuddin's story was very sad but interesting. When he was not even a year old, his father was killed probably by people that were allied wiht the mujahadin. After that, 23 more people in his family were killed by the Soviets all at one time. Since him and his family had no where to go, they decided to flee to Pakistan. At a very young age, Gulbuddin and his sister, Malaliy had to beg for money, and their mother worked wherever possible. They were cold at night, and they usually had to sleep without blankets. Gulbuddin first tried to go to work at the age of seven. He started doing housekeeping at first, and he got about 15 cents a day. He got regular meals every day, so he started to grow more. Then, he started working for Hafizullah Khan, a shopkeeper, and he eventually treated Gulbuddin like a son. He saved up money to buy his sister a sewing machine, and she became a tailor and made money that way. He got married around the age of 12, which was unusual, and he had a house and a son by the age of 15. Shortly after this, they decided to move back to Afghanistan. Their home town had been completely destroyed. They decided to make a big house, and Gulbuddin soon got a new job. His new job was to travel across his district and force people to obey Taliban laws. Men had to keep hair and beards cut at a certain length. Women had to wear burqas. Nobody liked the Taliban officails. These officials often beat and murdered numerous amounts of people. Once, he came across a little boy, named Jalil. Jalil reminded Gulbuddin of himself when he was a young boy. Gulbiddin was in the same situation that Jalil was in at his age. So, Gulbiddin decided to save Jalil's life. Soon after this happened, he witnessed Taliban officials murder a bunch of innocent people at an airport. Gulbuddin started to loosen up his rules, and he left the Taliban soon after.

I did not know much about the Taliban before. I couldn't believe some of the brutal things they do to the Afghan people. It seems like the Afghan people could be beat or murdered for just about anything they do.

Love and War in Afghanistan on the second reading

I have really enjoyed this book and have been really interested in hearing their stories. They are very personal and really help you to get a sense of what the culture is like. I was in the second group so I read pages 105-147.

The first story really gave a man's perspective, which was different than the last story we read. I found however, that I did not agree with his treatment of the woman he had been seeing. He promised her that he would marry her, then after dating her for six years he decides to marry another woman. This completely ruins the other women's life as it will be difficult to find someone who will marry her after she has been with another man for six years. I found it to be a very interesting cultural difference, because in the United States it is perfectly normal to date many people before finding the one you want to marry, however that is not the case in Afghanistan. She was the center of gossip. He also mentions that he still loves her and even says that to his new fiance. I felt bad for the both of them and how they were treated. I felt that it really showed how poorly women are treated in Afghanistan and how they are not viewed as equals. 

The second story I read was from a woman's perspective. She is another strong woman who ended up having to provide for her family as well. Her husband is wrongfully committed for a crime he did not commit and is moved around to many different jails. Eventually the isolation and sadness overwhelmed him and he became ill and died. She then also suffered the loss of her daughter who was accidentally shot while walking home from the store, when there was a battle outbreak. She has trouble providing for her family, but eventually gets a promotion and her life begins to turn around. Then a suitor comes to ask for her daughter's hand in marriage. He is at first wonderful and takes excellent care of her and her mother and family. He treats her with respect and it was a nice change to see a man respect his wife. However, his family becomes jealous and orders him to move back home. He obeys, and they all move back, and this is where his personality changes. He begins to treat her terribly and beats her and verbally abuses her. For a while they are separated, then move back together and for a while things are better, but he soon goes back to his old ways. He forces her to get an abortion from a "doctor" with only three months of training. The procedure is not done correctly and it eventually kills her. Her mother is horrified and tormented with guilt. She is given some piece of mind when he is blamed for her death and goes to jail. I was very sad that it had to end this way.

Love and War in Afghanistan Group 1

Firstly, I would like to start off by saying that this book is tremendously interesting and I am learning a large amount of information from it.

Collectively, I am astonished by the death that the individuals that I read about had to undertake. While the individual stories were very diverse, they can all be united by the fact that they have lost someone who is very close to them through sickness or through death that typically was caused by Soviet invasions or by the Taliban.

The Taliban, which I was able to get a better sense of in this text, seems to be a group that is tremendously heartless. The portion of the text where they stood 240 men in a line and shot them one by one was revolting but also tremendously hard to believe. The author went into great detail of the deaths of these individuals and also the blood and in some cases pieces of their brains that covered them. However, also within this text it was proved that not all of the Taliban is heartless.

The stories of these individuals were able to put things in perspective for me as well. The life that we live in America is one that is entirely different. I could not imagine living in a tent, getting repeatedly raided, and being in the presence of individuals who are so selfish that they can't see the effects that their actions will have. That is not to say that America is a perfect place to live because we have our problems as well, however the problems that these individuals face are unfathomable.

This reading was packed full of information however, I was particularly interested in the role of women and their courage. In particular in the last section of the book, Mino, who was madly in love with her husband, was soon divorced. This was done by saying three words. Does this seem peculiar to anyone else?

Love and War

I read for Group One pages 49-103.

 

Love and War in Afghanistan is really an interesting book. I have really learned quite a bit from the book. The culture to me is still very interesting. It is so vastly different from ours that it throws me off at times, I find myself re-reading portions of this book as an attempt to better understand it.

 

The first entry that we read you could tell just by reading it that she was a very well educated woman. In contrast the second passage that I read (Gulbuddin, Son of Mahfat Khan) you could tell that he was not educated to the same degree as the woman in the first tale we read. Some of the things he said were quite shocking. The description of the mass murder was not at all what I thought it was going to be. It was a little frightening, to me at least. I think this man has lead an incredible life, through all of the hardship he endured he still was a kind person.

 

The Second story that we read was interesting. It surprises me to see how much these people are will to go through in order to survive, as well has how much they are willing to put their families and children through.  I think that they have this drive to live that can’t be undone by anything else. In more than one of the stories who hear about fathers getting injured or dying and the children having to provide for the rest of the family.

 

I could not believe some of the things that I read about in the last story. Women play such an interesting role on Afghanistan. Some of the things that women do to control the men is interesting but while I was reading the story it transitioned in some way to being mostly about the men. Everything in this culture and religion revolves around men.

 

I think this book is very interesting. It is hard to believe some of the things these people have gone through. 

Love and War in Afghanistan Part 1

So I am part of group 2. I read pages 105-147 of Love & War In Afghanistan...



First off the stories was very sad. To start I read about "Najib, Son of Abdul Shafiq" The story was unbelievable. when I read it all I could think of was how terrible war is and how much it must screw a person up psychologically. Najib was a young man in Afghanistan he had a lot of adventure in his life, he was accused of being a spy at one point and forced to stand in a pond about thigh high in 30 degree weather overnight until he confessed, luckily some nice women came to the rescue and instead he escorted them to another city. Najib was dating a girl Shahnoza, Shahnoza and him dated for about 6 years when he decided he would agree to marry her, they had a great relationship but after he decided he was to marry her he broke down and totally lost it. he threw the idea to the curb and instead married a cousin on his moms side. it was all very sad and again shows the affects that war has on people.



The Second story I read was about "Mahtagbgul, Daughter of Zafar Khan." Her husband was arrested for being an activist. she traveled from prison to prison in search of him. finally she found him in the hospital undergoing surgery, when she got there again she wasn't allowed in. The story was all about this woman and how she was in debt and in a really bad spot. He daughter ended up dying when a stray bullet struck her in the head.


the stories were very sad again, I cant say it enough, its horrible to know what goes on in these countries and its very sad that we cant do any ting about it.

Love and War in Afghanistan Reading

Being part of Group 1, the text I read was very graphic, almost unreal at some points. I am sure Group 2 had the same kind of experience in their readings as well. But overall, this book really gets into some personal stories regarding experiences with the Soviet Union, Mujahideen, the Taliban, and family life. Some of the most unimaginable things happen, and it is always at the expense of the innocent. The most graphic story I read concerned the Taliban executing civilians. A man named Gulbuddin, Son of Mahfat Khan became a member of the Taliban. Other countries around the world felt the Taliban was a evil organization that would do more harm than good. But the Pashtuns believed the Taliban was good fortune. It stabilized southern parts of Afghanistan and they believed strongly in Islam. I can see why Pashtuns like Gulbuddin agreed to join the Taliban but the events that followed were pretty violent .

Sometime in October 1997, the Taliban had blindfolded hundreds of men into a truck where they would be exported another location for execution. At the location, a small 12 year old boy cried aside from the line of men. Gulbuddin felt awful at the sight and decided to smuggle the boy into safety. I don't think I really need to get into the way the blindfolded men were executed, but it was unbelievable what some men endured.

When I'm reading this as well as other parts of the book, I couldn't help but wonder what goes through the minds of those who perform the executions. As an American, it really is something to read. It helps in understanding why people would join the Taliban. At first sight, it seemed like a positive institution. But the longer it lasted and the more violence that occurred, I can't help but question the sanity of those who continued to serve it.

Love and War in Afghanistan Entry 1

So I read the first section of Love and War in Afghanistan and I actually got really into it. I honestly was surprised at how easy it was to read. I felt it gave me an insight into the life of an Afghan woman, a perspective you do not always get. Anisa is a very strong woman and I like that she went further with her education, which most women did not get a chance to. This also meant that I was very pleased that her family supported her decision and did not force her to marry. This book really gave me a cultural insight to Afghanistan and I enjoyed learning from the book. I have really felt that I have gotten to know Anisa's character and feel for her in her challenging situation. I feel bad that she lost her husband to the war, on top of being moved around the country for many years and having to take care of her children mostly by herself. I am looking forward to reading more and seeing where her life takes her and I hope her life takes a turn for the better and that her money troubles improve because I feel that she deserves it. 

Blog 2/3

Hmmm... where to begin....

Well to be honest, I enjoyed reading Come Back to Afghanistan, mostly because of the cultural things I learned about Afghanistan. For example, it was very interesting to me that Afghanis do not celebrate birthdays or keep track of time with a calender/watch etc.. I started to read the second book selection, Love & War in Afghanistan, and already found it culturally "eye-catching". So far, the first chapter was not at all what I expected (due to the previous book being very serious and politically based) however the "short stories" we are going to read remind me of the book from last year, Tower Stories. Kabul has been mentioned in both books, and clearly is an important landmark in Afghanistan that I presume we will continue to learn more about. Okay time to finish my reading... Goodnight!

Before I read this book I was completely clueless with what was going on in Afghanistan. I found it very interesting hearing it from his point of view. 

A couple quotes that stood out to me were:

"Probably just another bomb explosion" 

 This was said by Said's father when the bomb exploded downtown. I thought it was very interesting that he was not phased by the fact that his whole hotel shook from the bomb.

"Sow hen you live in America people just let you live the way you want"

During a conversation said was having with someone this came up. This caught my eye because its upsetting to think that it is so weird for them to think that it is weird that we are allowed to do whatever we want.

Olivia: Come Back to Afghanistan

Here is something I learned from the book. Said is a title, like Dr. or Prof. and it means descended from Mohammed. Evidently names that look like a first and last name to us are one whole name. When Afghans move to the US their names are AMericanized. So Said Hyder Akbar is not his name in Afghanistan. Actually who knows what happens when they move back to Afghanistan. I will show a photo of the governor of Kunar whom I think is Hyder Akbar's father, even though the name is somewhat different.
Why not put your name in the title bar, so we can see who we are listening to before we get to the end of the blog. Fine entries. I appreciate seeing what your interests are as I get ready for the next class. Bring the book on Wednesday, for our last chance to discuss it.

Week Two - Come Back to Afghanistan reaction

Week two... Here it goes:

Well, after really getting into the reading for Come Back to Afghanistan I have become pretty interested in a few of the topics. I was in the second group, so was reading from page 106 and never got a chance to read the beginning so it made things interesting. The reading has both confirmed and appealed many of the ideas and connotations I had in my head about Afghanistan. I'm going to be completely honest, I do not have an extensive knowledge of the country's history, or its current standpoint. But, this reading has absolutely begun to build and reevaluate my knowledge. An element of the book that really helps me to get a grasp on the feel of the country is the fact that it is written by someone in our age group. We can relate to his feelings, have insight into his perspectives, and see things from his point of view, of course, to a certain extent.

One topic in particular from the reading that struck me was women of the country. I know I talked about this in class, but it really took me back. I think I was so taken back by this because as a woman in America, I think that I speak for many when we I say that we don't realize just how lucky we are to have the freedoms that we possess. It was interesting too how upset Hyder's mother became when she realized that in his family of the Loys Jiga there were no documentation of the women that were present. Rightfully so, as it was a historic moment, considering it was the first time women were seated on the council. Yet, from the perspective of Hyder, I dont think he intentionally did not film them, it was simple the norm of the culture for women to be, in a sense, at a level of disregard. He goes on  to research this, in part because of his mothers full frustration and irritation with his neglect. 

Part of this "research" revels that the women of the Loys Jiga became among the most outspoken delegates in the conference. Their platform stood as well to examine the truths that "..The Taliban were not the only ones in Afghanistan to commit the atrocities against the family population". Following this, a full protest took place to Karzai (newly president) that women were not properly represented in the newfound government. Such actions set the stage for the widespread movement of freedoms and rights for women across the country. Yet a slow fight, it is clear that is gaining leeway. Such leeway could be seen through Hyders counting of Burkas. It took a full nine minutes for him to see a woman's face not covered by a Burka. Upon returning a year later after Taliban control had been eliminated, more women were not clad in the traditional Burka, and many were even exposing jeans. A true transformation and liberation.

On an ending note, it was interesting that despite Hyders talk of the liberating movement of women and how proud his mother was, "Afghanistan is not prepared for women to go from zero to sixty".  It will be compelling to see how the other readings and topics discussed in class will touch on this subject.

See Everyone Tomorrow :-)

Second Blog

In most of my classes the books that we have to read and the things we talk about in class are not really that interesting. Most of the books and things we learn about in this class are very interesting and fun to learn about. when i read most of the books in class it makes me feel like i take a lot of things for granted. When i read about Afghanistan and Iraq it seems like they are always struggling to stay alive because of the wars and constant fighting that takes place in those countries. Most of the kids of Afghanistan and Iraq don't have ipods, computer, or TV, which most of us do.

Over all i feel that the class is going very well. I am really into reading the material and cant wait to jump into the next book!

Come Back to Afghanistan

When it comes to reading class material, I occasionally am actually surprised at how interesting the material is. Come Back to Afghanistan is one of those few pieces of class related reading material that I thoroughly enjoyed. There were some very interesting passages throughout the book and at some point, intend to read the parts the other groups read. Said Akbar does a terrific job in visualizing the scene for the reader with his great descriptions and interesting insight. The one aspect of this book was being able to get a reaction from someone who grew up in Afghanistan, moved to the United States, and then went back to his homeland. This gives Akbar great insight and also is able to compare both ways of life at the same time. You can definitely tell at some points how America has shifted his point of view somewhat, yet at the same time stays close to his roots in Afghanistan. Being able to get a dynamic perspective helps readers such as myself get a real sense of how different life is over there compared to life in America.

The one part that still sticks in my mind after reading the two sections of the book has to be his encounter with the United States Military. Because of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) we as Americans get only snippets of what life is like in Afghanistan for these soldiers. We have rarely been allowed to see how they interact and how they handle situations other than on Thanksgiving Day when former President George W. Bush comes by surprise delivering turkeys. The way Akbar interacts with these soldiers definitely shows the human element of how these soldiers face the everyday stress of possible death. Having this on one's conscience everyday must take a toll and at times take over what they are trying to accomplish. Akbar does a great job at hinting towards these ideas but doesn't bring it into the forefront at any point in this book.

Another part of this particular passage that stuck with me definitely had to be the torture methods that Abdul Wali had to endure while being in prison. This was yet another aspect of the military that was barely covered by the media until the Abu Grahib scandal was discovered. Well that and on such popular television shows such as "24" which displayed many different methods of torture just to get information out of someone that was held captive. The water method definitely seemed like the most harmful because he was forced to drink water at certain times but was not allowed bathroom privileges. This is when the military is taking it too far just to get information from a possible suspect. If you want them to go through pain and torture, do it another way but also don't take it over the top either like when the details of Abu Grahib came out.

In closing, I was definitely surprised that Said Akbar got to be in such a high pressure situation and was able to describe it so vividly so the audience would be able to find out the truth. The one person I was not suspecting to come out as a villain in all of this had to be the soldier named Dave (who is known as David Passaro and responsible for Wali's death). It made me want to look deeper into his trial and it was shocking to see all of the outrageous things he did to this prisoner. These are methods that in the end usually don't help the U.S. information and instead lead to death and more friction between Afghanistan and the United States.

I didn't know what I wanted to write about this week, so I chose to write about the President of Afghanistan in a little bit more detail. His name is Hamid Karzai. He has been a big figure since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. He can speak a variety of different languages, including English. He was a member of the Mujahideen, and he took part in getting the Soviets out of Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion in the 1980s. His father was assassinated, probably by the Taliban agents, in 1999. After this, he swore to get revenge against the Taliban and help overthrow them. In 2001, he tried to get support for the anti-Taliban movement. After the September 11th attacks, he worked with the US military to overthrow the Taliban and get a new government in Afghanistan. In 2006, he stated that Afghanistan was the worst victim of terrorism. He stated that if the money that was being spent on the Iraq war was spent on rebuilding Afghanistan, Afghanistan would be in great condition. This was also said in the book that we just finished in class, 'Come Back to Afghanistan.' He has had four assassination attempts, mainly by the Taliban agents. In 2007, he spoke to the Taliban about trying to bring peace to Afghanistan. A security scare actually forced him to leave the speech. He is seen as a uniting force for all Afghans. I thought these were very interesting facts about him. It was neat to try to connect the book we just finished to some of the things that I read about him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamid_Karzai

Coming Back To Afghanistan

This book seems to have an eye opening experience for everyone who has read it. Different students read different assigned sections but I think the general consensus was very positive. This book seems very similar to "102 Minutes " and "Tower stories" due to the first hand experiences. The event of 9/11 itself had so many angles to it that it was nice to just read from someone who actually lived it. The same goes with Akbar's book. Middle Eastern life is very confusing to the United States, but Akbar does an excellent job in illustrating complex situations in simple terms.

Many new terms came to me while I read the book. I had never knew the role the CIA played during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s, what a loya jirga was, or what the Toopchi was used for and who occupied it thought the years. The main thing I have taken from this text is how different the country is within the eyes of their culture. Yes, there are many chaotic moments and at times you have to question the sanity of its civilians. But when it comes down to it, it is not all about America and its perspective. This book makes the reader realize how important it is for the Afghan civilians trying to deal with the American military forces.

Perhaps the biggest cultural concept that sticks out for me is the plain reactions to ambushes, car bombs, rockets, etc. The greatest example had to be where Hyder and several other government officials were ambushed in their Humvee. These guys were fighting for their lives and Hyder was not sure if he or anyone else would make it out alive. Of course, this was Hyder's first experience in being ambushed so he was naturally full of adrenaline. The greatest part to this sequence is his father's reaction. He was unfazed by the fact that his son encountered an ambush. He had seen so much violence in so many years that the father simply wasn't affected.

Come Back to Afghanistan

To start off, I will say that this book is one that I find intriguing but also very complex. The reason I say this is primarily because of the complexity of the names that are involved. It is very hard to distinguish who is who at times. However, the character list at the beginning of the book has been a great help. In these sections that were assigned a tremendous amount has happened. In addition, I feel that the manner in which we are reading this book is at times overwhelming simply because there is so much information presented that it is hard to organize it all.


One thing that stands out mostly in my mind is when American names are brought into the book. For me, this makes the war that is discussed so much more real. It was interesting to read the views and accounts that were told by Abdul Wali and his brother. Hearing the word, “American” has a certain amount of fear attached to it just as the Taliban or Al- Qaeda does for us. To them, the Americans are portrayed as something that we are really not at all. Essentially, they describe us has being murderers. However, within Said’s writing I can see how they might have felt this way, which is an account that many Americans are not provided with. To some but not all, we are in a place that we do not belong in which we uprooted the everyday lives of their civilians.

When I tihnk of Afghan..I think arid dessert...

The book is a very enjoyable read for me. I really do like that it is a story and from the perspective of an Afghan American who is around college age. I feel like I can almost relate to Said through his experience because it's written in almost present time.
I do agree with Meghan that it has opened my eyes to a whole new and different world. I'm sure that it would be interesting to visit, however the picture I have in my mind while reading is what I believe to be very accurate. While reading I'm thinking of a vast dry yellow dessert and its seems to Said talks about how it really is like that. It isn't the same as it was when he was growing up. Back then it was portrayed as green and beautiful to vacation,but all he sees now is a discombobulated mess of trash and dessert.
The one thing I don't really understand is how he is not the least bit frightened by visiting. In the part where the books talks about the massacre he seems almost dis attached to the moment. Maybe he just isn't talking about his emotions because it might be biased but he seems very calm throughout the whole book so far.
I never truly established that there was so much going on over there that was brutal and horrible, almost inconceivable. It seems as though they have just given up and people live in so much fear that they don't care about the country and what will happen in the future.
Another thought while I was reading was that I never really established there were "good" people over there. I just assumed that everyone was linked with either the Taliban or the Al Queda. Who would have thought there were people just like us, when the media portrays everything so one sided. It is very intriguing and refreshing to get another perspective of the War on Terror, especially because I personally can in a way relate to Said.

Second week

I hope classes are going well for everyone. 

Ok so I have done the reading for class this week and I can say it really has opened my eyes up a bit. I have always been interested in the culture surrounding the Middle East and the Arab world. Now I am even more interested. I think we have all be focusing on how the Americans feel about going over to Afghanistan and how it affects them. But I don’t think we have really thought about how the citizens feel about American/Ally presence.

 

I do think that it is quite interesting to see how difficult some things are for everyday life. That sounds horrible to say but I mean is with the best possible intentions.  I think it was interesting to see how the Americans deal with some of their challenges. I think communication is the biggest challenge that we face. At one point in the book an American soldier was getting more and more frustrated with not being able to communicate clearly. I think it is funny that we forget that there may not be equivalent words from English words to Pashto or Dari.

 

Well those are some thoughts…. Mostly I wanted to write them down so I don’t forget.

~Megan