http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/20010508/t000038672.html

And, here's the text of the article:

     JANGALI SUHTA, Tajikistan--Every day for the last seven months, 11-year-old
Latifa Abduljabor has picked the grass to feed her family on this river island
in the no man's land between Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
     It is mostly children who search for the grass. Their mothers then boil it
into a watery green soup. But no matter how much they dunk the grass in the
river, they cannot wash away its taste.
     "It tastes like dirt. It's bitter," said Latifa, who fled war in Afghanistan
with her family and thousands of others, leaving everything behind, including
her one treasured possession, a flowing dress of many colors.
     But now the harsh sun is beginning to dry out the grass that is life to
about 10,000 Afghan refugees settled on territories in the Panj River, which
forms part of the border between the two countries. The sun beats down on the
landscape of stunted dry shrubs, and the slightest motion stirs the creamy,
invasive dust.
     The refugees fled the advance of the ruling Taliban forces in northern
Afghanistan in October, but Tajikistan refuses to accept them, citing economic
and sanitary reasons and the guerrilla fighters in their midst.
     The Tajik authorities' decision to deny the refugees entry has left most of
the women and children here with no choice but to remain with their men.
Challenging the fighters' preference to stay on the island rather than lay down
their weapons, thereby conceding defeat, would be unthinkable.
     And if the women and children on Jangali Suhta did try to barge into
Tajikistan proper, they would run into a minefield and a barbed-wire fence.
     "We had to swim across the river at night on inflated inner tubes," recalled
Abdul Kayum, 52, a teacher. "When we swam across, we were sure that--out of
respect for humanity and because we are of the same religion--the Tajik
authorities would let us in."
     In this hellish landscape of scorpions, snakes, hunger and disease, it is
mystifying when people insist on staying. They need food, medicine, schoolbooks
and other aid--the U.N. refugee agency stopped providing relief in February on
the grounds it could not be sure whether the assistance was supporting
combatants--but they say they won't move.
     The fighters with whom their fates are inextricably linked belong to the
opposition forces of Afghan guerrilla warrior Gen. Ahmed Shah Masoud that are
still resisting the Taliban, a radical Islamic regime.
     The Taliban gained control of about 95% of Afghanistan last fall, and
fighting died down. But after 12 years of civil war and a decade fighting the
Soviets before that, warriors such as Col. Sufi Abdulmanon, 38, insist that
their war is not over and that no human should be foolish enough to wonder when
it ever will be. That is Allah's domain.
     On a rough mat laid on the dust, between three women shrouded in red and
white shawls, 11-year-old Latifa smiled shyly amid the squalor, her face shining
like a flower. She wore a white head scarf and the blue and silver plastic
bangles she had on when the Taliban came to her village in the middle of the
night, driving families out of their houses.
     One of the three women, Bolbibi Chutaboi, 40, said that in the past two
months, her family has been given food aid once: enough flour to last them 10
days. The rest of that time, they ate grass stew.
     Another woman, Asalbibi Rajabmuhammad, 50, with 13 people to feed, cried and
clutched her head wretchedly as she described dividing flat bread into small
pieces, one for each child, while the adults ate grass.
     "No one thinks about the suffering Afghan people," she said. "The war in
Afghanistan has been going on for more than 20 years, but no one seems to care,
not the U.N., not anyone."
     On a promontory on the Tajik side where the refugees have also huddled,
Aziza Muhammadumar, an 18-year-old mother of two, pulled out a couple of pounds
of flour wrapped in a rough cloth, all that remained for two families, nine
people in all. To spin the flour out, they alternate eating grass for six days
and flour for two.

     Search for Food More and More Desperate
      The children hate the green stew, but when they refuse it, she said, there
is no choice but to smack them.
      "If they don't eat it, they'll be hungry," she said. "We know it's better
than nothing."
      These days, the children have to search longer and dig for the roots, which
are boiled to make an odious milky yellow soup.
      "We look for grass from morning till afternoon," Latifa said. "It's hard to
find. You have to wander around looking for it and then bend over to pick it."
      Children wander with flies on their faces. Many are sick with cholera,
malaria, diphtheria and typhoid because of the unsanitary conditions and murky
river water, which they drink.
      Before sleeping, the refugees burn off the grass to keep away scorpions and
snakes. Stinging flies descend in clouds, leaving red welts on children and
adults alike.
      At his base on the promontory, Abdulmanon sat cross-legged in a straw hut
on a mat with a grenade launcher tucked underneath it like a surprise for the
tooth fairy.
      A radio sputtered at his side with reports and information from the
opposition forces, known as the United National Islamic Front for the Salvation
of Afghanistan. A small black-and-white Soviet television run on a car battery
sat under a black cloth, like a shrouded woman.

      Rebels View Fight as One for Freedom
      A warrior who began fighting when he was 15, Abdulmanon characterized the
conflict with the Taliban not as one for territory and power. To him, it is a
battle for freedom, for the right of women to be educated or to work and for men
to wear Western clothing, remain cleanshaven and pray when they please.
      "The Taliban don't understand what real personal freedom means, so they
deny people liberties," he said. "They don't understand that our people are a
freedom-loving nation. They see freedom as a simple antique.
      "A lot of people are really suffering under the Taliban. All those people
are waiting for us to liberate them. They tell us: 'Keep on fighting and free us
from the Taliban.' If there's a power that tries to set its own rules against
the will of the people, this power will not last long."
      Outside the hut, Hudoinazar Imomnazar, 49, a strutting, proud figure with
gray in his beard, stood atop a Russian-made truck mounted with an antiaircraft
gun and daubed with Taliban markings. Grinning, full of bravado, he boasted of
killing the driver three months ago and taking the truck as a trophy from the
Taliban, who, in fact, had earlier forced the guerrillas' retreat to this
desolate riverbank.
      "This is the first time we had to pull back this far," Abdulmanon conceded.
Masoud's forces, which with U.S. backing once fought the Soviets to a
standstill, now get their main support from Russia and Iran.
      The Taliban truck and the fighters' Russian-made jeeps were somehow poled
across the river on two lashed-together wooden barges called kemas. Donkeys were
also brought across on the kemas, or they swam.
      Hudoinazar, who goes by his first name, has been fighting for 23 years.
During that time, he has married four wives, fathered 21 children--ages 1 to
23--and lost half his left foot to Soviet weaponry. Soviet bombs killed two of
his wives; the other two are living with his many children in a hut on the
promontory. In front of the older woman, he noted his current preference for the
younger wife, who giggled coyly at his praise.
      Abdulmanon claims that the promontory is part of Afghanistan, but the
Russian guards who patrol the border for the Tajik government, which is too weak
to defend its own territory, insist that the area is in Tajikistan.
      The Afghan said he could raise 1,000 men at any time--a figure that fits
U.N. refugee agency estimates of the number of fighters grouped here. He and
other commanders here report that 4,000 Afghan fighters are scattered for 40
miles along the border on the Tajik side of the Panj.
      "The Taliban is accumulating forces on the border. Our job is to wait until
Ahmed Shah Masoud's forces advance from another flank within Afghanistan. And
when that happens, we'll strike from this side," Abdulmanon said. He gave no
estimate of when the attack might be, other than to say it could be within days
or weeks.
      The proximity of fighters and refugees is one reason that people here are
so desperately short of food. The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for
Refugees sent aid last year and early this year but in February pulled out
altogether.
      Some aid has been distributed by ACTED, a French agency that has U.S.
government funding to deliver more in coming days. Doctors from the medical
relief agency Merlin have also delivered help.
      But for most families, the flour has run out. Some have a few pounds of
wheat sent by Masoud's forces in Afghanistan, which they boil into porridge
while children like Latifa Abduljabor collect grass.
      Several times, grenades fired from the Afghanistan side have landed on the
island of Jangali Suhta. In March, a grenade injured Mohgul Muhammad, 25.
Shortly before, she had given birth to a son, Mustafa, on the island.
      The U.N. refugee agency is pressing Tajikistan to admit the refugees
because their positions are within the Taliban's range of fire.
      "The U.N. started to set their own conditions," said Hudoinazar, the
fighter. "They said, 'If you move to Tajikistan, we'll be able to help you
better.' They said, 'Surrender your weapons, leave this place, and we'll help
you.' But we prefer to stay here and fight the Taliban. Even if there is only
one of us left, it's his duty to fight the Taliban, and he'll do it."
      Stephane Nicolas, director of the Tajikistan office of ACTED, said the U.N.
decision means aid hasn't been delivered to needy people.
      "Actually, in most of the countries where war happens to be, there are
people with weapons," Nicolas said. "In Afghanistan, we provided aid to 80,000
people in Khoja Ghar, and there were also a lot of people with weapons. But
that's our work."
      Despite the illness, hunger and hostile location, the women here don't
complain, according to Col. Abdul Khayan, the top commander of opposition forces
on the promontory.
      "They make the best of what we have here," he said. "The overwhelming
majority of women always go along with what we say."
      But not all of them. According to Russian border guards, about 200 women
and children on Jangali Suhta have twice gathered on the riverbank, most
recently in January, and pleaded vainly to be let into Tajikistan.
      The front-line commander on the promontory, Col. Shermuhammad Faizmuhammad,
41, seated amid a group of four dozen men, said both sides in the Afghan
conflict are formidable. If both continue to receive aid from their supporters
to fight the war, he said, there will probably never be peace.
      Mid-sentence, his daughter, a toddler, reached up and tickled his gray
beard. He gazed fondly down and asked her if she wanted to go to Tajikistan.
      "Yes," she whispered.
      The child's response provoked gales of laughter among the circle of men, as
if the very thought of escaping this place was a joke that only a child could
get away with.


* * *
      More photos of the Afghan refugees on Jangali Suhta are on The Times' Web
site at latimes.com/refugees.

Salam,
I read your email Neamat and I was kinda disturbed by your comment about the
none Muslim leaving Afghanistan "for only their faith."  I don't know if you
wrote that to get people attention or what.  Such a comment made by you and
others, divide the afghans more.  By the way Neamat, in Afghanistan Jews,
communists, Hindu's and Christians. they still say SALAAM not "Hi to u."

Ahmad


-----Original Message-----
From: Neamatullah Noori [mailto:neamatullah_noori@...]
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2001 7:50 AM
To: afghaniyat@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: Your take on Afghaniyat




Hi to u,

That was one of the nicest points that ever had been said or seen through
discussions and claims of afghans inside different sites since I have seen.
I really appreciate you for what you have said. We deffinitely have to
recognize the position of the other belivers through the country of
Afhganistan. While I am disagree with you that Afghanistan was not always
dominated by the religion of Islam but just 1300 years. Afghanistan with the

existence of more than 5000 years, has experienced religions and belives
thatthere has no more place in between people except Islam. And that for
sure in my belive is dominating others faith and belive. Christians,
communists, Jewes, bhudists and the others ought to leave the land just for
only their faith.

Write to me more personaly.

thanks,
neamat

_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.





Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

This was painfully beautiful.  A very sensitive issue is brought up in this
piece...

"19. Where are the Afghans who are in America?  What are they doing for me?
Do
they know my suffering?  Do they know my agony?"




  -----Original Message-----
From:  Farhad_Ahad@... [mailto:Farhad_Ahad@...]
Sent: Sunday, May 06, 2001 3:16 PM
To: afghaniyat@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Why??????????????

"They beat a woman on the street until her white shoes were red from her
blood."  "They marry us to people we don't want to marry."  "The killed my
son because he was Hazara."

Why?

1.  Why do I not have the right to listen to music?
2.  Which Sharia helps in the reconstruction of my torn watan?
3.  Where is the verse in the Koran prohibiting playing drums?
4.  My male relatives are dead; how long do I live in this prison called
home?
Until I die alone from thirst?
5.  I want to fly a kite!
6.  I don't want to kill my "bulbul".
7.  I hate my beard; I don't want another bad haircut.
8.  I want to have pictures of great world leaders all over my room.
9. I want to look at the faces of my heroes and get inspired.  Why not?
10.  You have no right to whip me.  You have no right to kill me with
stones.
You have no right to decide how I should die.
11.  I want to study science; I want to study religions;  I want to study
Greek
philosophy.
12. I want to study whatever I want to study.  I am a grown up; didn't you
ask
me to fight in your war?
13. I do not like what Pakistan wants; I do not want Punjabis telling me
what to
do.
14. I do not like what the benamouses are doing to my hamwatans.
15. Why is there no food, again?
16. Father, I am dying from thirst.
17. I am hungry and I am old.  I cannot stand up to pray again today.  Why
can I
not pray by my little shoe stand?
18. Why am I not a Moslem?  My father was a Muslim... my mother was a
Muslim.
Mom, what is the difference between a Shiite and a Sunni?
19. Where are the Afghans who are in America?  What are they doing for me?
Do
they know my suffering?  Do they know my agony?
20. Why am I here?  What is there to live for?

Why?






Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

Salaam everyone and Neamat jaan,

Neamat jaan, would you please clarify what you mean when you said "Christians,
communists, Jewes, bhudists and the others ought to leave the land just for
only their faith."  It seems to me that you are suggesting that those that are
not Muslim should leave Afghanistan.  If not, please clarify.

Thanks,

Louna

Hi to u,

That was one of the nicest points that ever had been said or seen through
discussions and claims of afghans inside different sites since I have seen.
I really appreciate you for what you have said. We deffinitely have to
recognize the position of the other belivers through the country of
Afhganistan. While I am disagree with you that Afghanistan was not always
dominated by the religion of Islam but just 1300 years. Afghanistan with the
existence of more than 5000 years, has experienced religions and belives
thatthere has no more place in between people except Islam. And that for
sure in my belive is dominating others faith and belive. Christians,
communists, Jewes, bhudists and the others ought to leave the land just for
only their faith.

Write to me more personaly.

thanks,
neamat

_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

"They beat a woman on the street until her white shoes were red from her blood."
"They marry us to people we don't want to marry."  "The killed my son because he
was Hazara."

Why?

1.  Why do I not have the right to listen to music?
2.  Which Sharia helps in the reconstruction of my torn watan?
3.  Where is the verse in the Koran prohibiting playing drums?
4.  My male relatives are dead; how long do I live in this prison called home?
Until I die alone from thirst?
5.  I want to fly a kite!
6.  I don't want to kill my "bulbul".
7.  I hate my beard; I don't want another bad haircut.
8.  I want to have pictures of great world leaders all over my room.
9. I want to look at the faces of my heroes and get inspired.  Why not?
10.  You have no right to whip me.  You have no right to kill me with stones.
You have no right to decide how I should die.
11.  I want to study science; I want to study religions;  I want to study Greek
philosophy.
12. I want to study whatever I want to study.  I am a grown up; didn't you ask
me to fight in your war?
13. I do not like what Pakistan wants; I do not want Punjabis telling me what to
do.
14. I do not like what the benamouses are doing to my hamwatans.
15. Why is there no food, again?
16. Father, I am dying from thirst.
17. I am hungry and I am old.  I cannot stand up to pray again today.  Why can I
not pray by my little shoe stand?
18. Why am I not a Moslem?  My father was a Muslim... my mother was a Muslim.
Mom, what is the difference between a Shiite and a Sunni?
19. Where are the Afghans who are in America?  What are they doing for me?  Do
they know my suffering?  Do they know my agony?
20. Why am I here?  What is there to live for?

Why?

Yes, if Muslims followed the Quran, there would be
unity and peace among all of us Afghans and all
Muslims across the world. But unfortunately, Muslims,
not just Afghans, are not united, therefore not
following that aspect of Islam. It requires effort
from all of us Afghans to become united someday, not a
small group of us. Also, according to Islam you are to
be trustworthy and genuine (which would be helpful to
becoming united) and I wish everyone was trustworthy
and not have ulterior motives.

If Afghans who claim to be such pure Muslims followed
Prophet Mohammad's (PBUH) behavior and intentions,
then there would be social justice, peace, and
equality among men and women, regardless of ethnicity
or language, in Afghanistan today. And not to mention
all Afghans would be united. Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)
was "The Trusted One" who was a strong believer of
social justice. His wife was a business woman and the
Prophet's boss. She worked in that day and age and
today women in Afghanistan are not allowed to work.
That is NOT Islamic!

Anyway, I wish for equality, peace and unity for all
Afghans, regardless of ethnicity, language or gender,
someday and hope they will sincerely follow Islam.

Farahnaz

--- Malalai Olomi <malalai_o@...> wrote:
> Your right but Afghanyat to me means having religion
> in one's life. If we follow the the true path, we
> will be successful in every aspect of our lives- I
> hope that Afghans realize this.  Afghanyat can
> accomplish this for us.
>
> Forget about creating peace in our country, for one
> moment. Think about
> creating peace in our homes with our families. Then
> can we start to unite,
> in the name of Allah, to save our forgotten home
> land.
>
> Let's build peaceful and happy lives with our
> spouses, parents, children,
> relatives.  InshAllah, everything will fall into
> place.  This would be true Afghanyat.
>
> May this email find all of you in good health and
> peace.
>
> Malalai
>
>
>
>
> >From: Peghaam Peghaam <peghaam@...>
> >Reply-To: afghaniyat@yahoogroups.com
> >To: afghaniyat@yahoogroups.com
> >Subject: Re: Your take on Afghaniyat
> >Date: Sun, 6 May 2001 23:16:23 -0700 (PDT)
> >
> >salaam Ms.yaqubi! wish you well. thank you for your
> >sincere email about Afghans and one team.
> >khudkushibegaana parvar bayad na baashim. but
> sorry
> >to say it that here in America and other countries
> >those afghans who stay a way from the teaching of
> >Islam grew up in the hands of those who want  to
> >destroy the rootsof Islam and afghanyat unknowingly
> or
> >maybe knowingly working hard to destroy AfghnNation
> >and Islam therefore they use the words of Pushtoons
> >and Farsiwaans and Tajiks, but infact: who believe
> in
> >Islam they are all brothern and they are one
> >Afghancomunity as one Islamic Nation in the
> >world.without Islam there is no dignity for Afghans
> >in other names and groups. we won the war aginst ex
> >SovitUnion under the flag of Islam.not nationalism
> or
> >any other ism the more we stay MuslimAfghans the
> more
> >powerfull we will be inshallah.
> >your brother
> >Peghaam
> >--- Farahnaz Yaqubi <farahsworld@...> wrote:
> > > Salaam everyone,
> > >
> > > Well, one thing I would like to suggest is for
> > > Afghans
> > > to become more united and work together as a
> team,
> > > not
> > > work against each other. Unity is power. A good
> > > example is jewish people (small group of people)
> > > being
> > > united and having so much power and helping each
> > > other
> > > in any way possible and being able to trust one
> > > another. If Afghans united and concentrated on
> > > working
> > > for the betterment of ALL Afghans and for the
> nation
> > > as a whole, we too could make progress and
> succeed.
> > > We
> > > have to stop thinking about different
> ethnicities
> > > within Afghans, stop grouping Afghans into Pasho
> > > versus Dari speaking people and think of all of
> us
> > > as
> > > just "Afghans".
> > >
> > > Also, I believe Afghans need to stop ALLOWING
> other
> > > countries' governments to interfere in
> Afghanistan's
> > > affairs. We should not ALLOW foreign governments
> to
> > > play around with us, as if we are toys. We
> Afghans
> > > are
> > > smart enough and have the capability to run
> > > Afghanistan on our own, instead of letting
> foreign
> > > governments run our country and use/manipulate
> us.
> > > If
> > > we work as one team, we will have power and can
> > > rebuild our homeland.
> > >
> > > I hope I have not offended anyone, but I
> strongly
> > > believe in all I have said. Thank you for your
> time.
> > >
> > > Farahnaz
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >__________________________________________________
> >Do You Yahoo!?
> >Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great
> prices
> >http://auctions.yahoo.com/
> >
>
>
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> http://explorer.msn.com
>
>
>


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Newsletter of Help the Afghan Children, Inc.
Volume V    Issue 2 						 May 2001

(A non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, Tax ID:  54-1695838)
Established in 1993
8133 Leesburg Pike, Suite 310,
Vienna, VA 22182, USA
Tel: 703.848.0407
Fax: 703.848.0408
E-mail: htaci@...
First Virginia Bank Acct. #0560-01118-0602-7733
Website: www.htaci.com

  YOU BROUGHT RAYS OF LIGHT TO THOUSANDS

On behalf of the Afghan women and children that we were able to reach, thank
you! Your gifts provided hope, warmth, comfort, and the chance for children and
families to survive.


Your donation helped us buy and distribute hats, gloves, shoes, and socks to
thousands of children.


We are back from our trip to the refugee camps of Herat Afghanistan where
thousands of people have left their homes and livelihoods, for a desperate
journey of survival in hopes of escaping Afghanistan’s worst crisis in decades. 
Some families were forced to sell the tin roofs from their houses to finance a
perilous trip to an uncertain future.  Many were lost along the way.

Your donations touched the lives of over 25,000 individuals, mostly children and
women, whose misery has largely gone unnoticed. With your contributions we
purchased and distributed 4,000 blankets, 24,260 pairs of shoes, 2,020 plastic
backed carpets for tents, 4,500kg of cooking oil, and $13,000.00 (1040 millions
Afghanis) cash to those forced to endure unimaginable circumstances. The total
amount of donations that we received for this life saving mission was
$61,730.00.  Rest assured that we made every penny count.

If you are interested, we will gladly mail you a video-tape of our recent trip
to Herat, Afghanistan so you can witness the results of your generosity and
inform others of the struggle that the people of Afghanistan are facing.

Herat

Herat, located in northwestern Afghanistan, is the center of a rich civilization
that goes back 2500 years.  The fertile river valley is renowned for its fruits,
textiles, carpets and wool.  Landmarks include the Great Mosque, a citadel, and
several exquisite minarets.



The Voice  of  Innocence
Newsletter of Help the Afghan Children, Inc.
   CHOICES TO BE MADE
"Healing young children’s physical wounds allows them to survive war.  Healing
their spirits may prevent the next war"

Children’s ability to think, speak, learn, and the foundation for their values
and social behavior as adults are deeply affected by their experiences in their
first 3 years.

Despite the increased desire for world peace, the acknowledgement of education’s
great influence on a child’s future, advancements in the field of medicine, and
a booming economy of the world, the majority of children are still faced with
war, poverty, violence, lack of educational services and devastating epidemics.

While controlled studies can prove the positive effects of gentle cooing on
early childhood, one can only assume what happens to a young child amidst the
harsh realities of war.  War is traumatic, violating a child’s basic rights.  In
the past decade alone, 2 million children were slaughtered, 6 million were
permanently disabled, 12 million were left homeless, and millions of children
were orphaned or separated from their families because of wars.

Children who endure the inhumanity of war suffer the scars of post-traumatic
stress disorder, a psychological wound that interrupts the development process. 
Healing young children’s physical wounds allows them to survive war.  Healing
their spirits may prevent the next war.

During these times of extreme crisis, one wonders how infants, toddlers,
children and their families can be offered anything more than basic tools of
survival: food, water and limited shelter.  The global community may see
cognitive development and psychological care as luxuries when physical needs are
clearly the priority.  But even in crisis, children cry out for comfort and
love.  Without interventions, the traumatized child may become frozen in time. 
Children need our protection and support where it is most difficult to guarantee
— in countries gripped by war and poverty.
The seeds of intolerance are sown early.  But if a fraction of the money that is
pumped into military destruction were spent on providing every child with a
healthy start, seeds of animosity could be replaced by empathy and tolerance. 
An investment in children can pay a huge peace dividend.
The above is compiled from articles and reports submitted to UNICEF for The
State of the World’s Children 2001.
------------------------------
When I Think of Afghanistan, I see…
From The Afghan Mosaic Magazine

    Name: Zolaykha Hashemi     Name: Morwariy Hashemi
    Grade: 1st 	    Grade: 5th
    Age: 6-Years 	    Age: 10-Years

"When I think of Afghanistan, I think of grass and a human climbing up a hill. 
The sun is up!  The mountains are gray.  The clouds are blue.  The people eat
vegetables.  They eat fish too.  There is fire from somebody's house.  The kids
are going to their moms because they're scared of the fire.  They are sad.  I
think the houses will burn. I think the fire fighters will come and wash them
off.  I hate the part when the houses are burning.  I wish the house were not
burning."  (A Dictated Story) (Zolaykha Hashemi)

"When I think about Afghanistan, I picture an Island all alone in the Ocean and
feel sad that it is in war with itself.  I also feel confused and wonder why
they are fighting with themselves.  Sometimes I feel embarrassed when people say
that Afghanistan is fighting with itself. …I have 2 sisters and a mom and a dad.
My aunt comes over every week usually.  I have a lot of relatives.  I want to
stop the war by making friends, don't you?" (Morwariy Hashemi)


  Volume V    Issue 2 			            Page 3 		                             May
2001
The Voice  of  Innocence
Newsletter of Help the Afghan Children, Inc.

UNTOLD MISERIES

The foul smell from a sewer just a few yards away fills the pale yellow tent. A
badly scratched oxygen tank is propped up against a bed. The white sheets are
alive with swarms of black flies. This is the medical clinic for this camp of
more than 80,000 Afghan refugees, but it's little better than the sea of squalid
tents made from discarded plastic bags where the Afghans live. Their only
latrines are holes in the ground, surrounded by sheets strung up to provide a
bit of privacy.

A clinic attendant, Ali Ahmed, says the camp's raw conditions -- inadequate
drinking water, lack of sanitation and the occasional downpour that turns the
camp into a river of mud -- are killing the young and old.

Dysentery is on the rise, and small children scratch blistering sores on their
arms, neck and faces. Inside a tent of dirty plastic bags, a woman complains of
a lack of medicine as she tends her tiny, feverish son.

Shattered by two decades of war, Afghanistan also is reeling from one of the
worst droughts in memory. Most of the cattle in the impoverished country have
died, fields are parched and crops destroyed.

The United Nations has issued special appeals for Afghan refugees. But of the
$226 million it requested, barely 20 percent has been pledged. (Afghanistan
Online)




OUR NEXT MISSION

Our next mission is to distribute emergency aid to Jalozai camp, in Peshawar
Pakistan, where there is “indescribable suffering” amongst the refugees.
.
They are in desperate need of tents and floor mats.  Heavy rains have caused
rivers of mud to overrun thousands of fragile tents made of plastic garbage
bags.  The refugees are faced with harsh conditions, no sanitation facilities,
lack of food and medical care, and sadly, a lack of humanitarian assistance.

As with our last effort, you can make a difference.  In addition to what we can
distribute to the refugees through your generosity, your contribution will also
send a message of hope to those who are forgotten.  Let them know through your
actions that their survival is important.  Let them know that their lives make a
difference, that they are remembered, and that you care.



Please help them and let others know that a child, a family, and a nation are in
agony, and in desperate need of a helping hand.
We are leaving on or before May 22nd, for Peshawar, Pakistan to deliver tents
and floor mats to thousands in Jalozai refugee Camps.


EXECUTIVE STAFF:

President and Founder:  Suraya Sadeed
Director of Clinics: Dr. Abdullah Osman
Editor:  Nasrine Gross

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Honorable Abdullah Malikyar, Chairman
Dr. Preston Darby                Roqia Habib
Mary MacMakin           Aziz R. Qarghah
Mariam Peters

BOARD OF ADVISORS:

Leila Enayat-Seraj    Islamuddin Muslim
Ayub Osmani









Please make your check payable to Help the Afghan Children, Inc. or fill in the
following to charge to your credit card:

Amount: $_________       O  American Express    O  Visa      O  MasterCard

Account #______________________________Exp. Date___________________
Name (as it appears on your credit card)_________________________________
Address___________________________________________________________
State, Zip Code_____________________________________________________
Signature__________________________________ Date___________________

Help the Afghan Children, Inc.
A non-profit organization, 501-c-3, Tax ID: 54-1695838
8133 Leesburg Pike, Suite 310 				 Phone: (703) 848-0407
Vienna, Virginia 22182, USA                			 Fax: (703) 848-0408
E-mail: htaci@...           Website:www.htaci.com

You can deposit directly to:  First Virginia Bank Acct. # 0560-01118-0602-7733
All contributions are fully tax deductible.

Reconstruction of Afghanistan Programme

As is indicated by its title this Programme is centered on providing
for people of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, stability in
various spheres of life and thereby working for their welfare and on
building anew Afghanistan ravaged by twenty years of warfare. By
starting development projects under this Programme,
(1) Avenues for employment are to be created,
(2) Agriculture is to be restored,
(3) Education, Health and Communications are to be provided for
and
(4) Facilities like road construction and supplies of
electricity, water and gas are to be arranged for.

This Programme is being started with the conviction that the Almighty
has endowed this country plentifully with rich natural and mineral
resources. Even Afghan people do not know of these riches but these
have been mentioned in many reports of the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP). For development of these resources, we invite Islam
loving Muslims of the whole world to contribute with their material,
intellectual, and financial resources towards rehabilitation of the
Afghan people.

The Reconstruction of Afghanistan Programme is designed to help
Muslims of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to stand on their feet
by making local use of the Emirate's resources. Offices of the
Reconstruction of Afghanistan Programme are located in Kabul and
Qandahar for constant liaison with
The Afghan Government and one of our well-motivated teams is
ceaselessly engaged in project studies and research and in
negotiations with the Government.

Reconstruction of Afghanistan Programme will strive for raising
initial capital for investment in the above mentioned projects in the
form of Qarz-e-Hasana or grants from businessmen and philanthropists.
This initial capital will be used to activate dormant and
nonfunctional projects there and generating resources for further
investments. This investment will be strictly on Sharia based
Musharika and/or Mudariba. The Programme can assist investors who
wish to invest on their own, in matters of liaison with the
Government of Afghanistan or supply of information.
All Muslims are requested to join this Programme for helping the
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in this hour of difficulties.
Jazakumullah Ahsanuljaza Fidduniya walakhira.

Chief Coordinator

Major (Retd.) Waqar Ahmad Zafar.
Head Office: Taamir-e-Nau Afghanistan 191-D Model Town, Lahore,
Pakistan.
Phone No. 588 3698 Fax No. 5883789 Email:zeesons@...
Coordinators-Lahore-Syed Mumtaz Ahmad Sohail, Umar Waqar.
                       Bahawalpur Muhammad Ibrahim Khwaja, Noorpur
Nauranga, Bahawalpur. Ph. 0621 879057
Liaison Officers for Afghanistan:
Kabul Muhammad Sohail Farooqi, House No.344 Gali No.5, Road No.13,
Wazir Akbar Khan.
Qandhar Mullah Abdul Kareem Shahid, Chief Coordinator Islamic
Emirates of Afghanistan, Nisaji Fabrica Pashmi, Daman Pul Qandahar.

Volunteer Registration
Name  		 Father's Name 		 Education
Level
Profession/Employment 				 Present
Address
Permanent Address/Phone/Fax Nos./Email address
In what sphere of activity you are offering help?
If investing whether through Mudarba/Qarz Hasana/Grant?  Amount

Kindly complete this portion and send to our head office address.

Salaam Ba Hama,

I really like what you are doing in this Listserver. It is great to be aware
what is happening to us as Afghans and how we can help ourselves
(Afghans)with some really amazing initiatives.

Thanks

Habib Fala
( University of Toronto, Canada)
_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

Hello,

Since, Afghans have been predominantly Muslim, many associate their religion
with their Afghaniyat. Let us not confuse our religion and our nationality.
Although our country has a history of being predominantly Muslim, we cannot
claim that our faith reflects that of the whole nation. Let us respect those 9%
of others who practice other religions and yet continue to take pride in our
long history of being a predominantly Muslim Country.

Khuda hafez,
Louna

Your right but Afghanyat to me means having religion in one's life. If we follow
the the true path, we will be successful in every aspect of our lives- I hope
that Afghans realize this.  Afghanyat can accomplish this for us.

Forget about creating peace in our country, for one moment. Think about
creating peace in our homes with our families. Then can we start to unite,
in the name of Allah, to save our forgotten home land.

Let's build peaceful and happy lives with our spouses, parents, children,
relatives.  InshAllah, everything will fall into place.  This would be true
Afghanyat.

May this email find all of you in good health and peace.

Malalai




>From: Peghaam Peghaam <peghaam@...>
>Reply-To: afghaniyat@yahoogroups.com
>To: afghaniyat@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: Re: Your take on Afghaniyat
>Date: Sun, 6 May 2001 23:16:23 -0700 (PDT)
>
>salaam Ms.yaqubi! wish you well. thank you for your
>sincere email about Afghans and one team.
>khudkushibegaana parvar bayad na baashim. but  sorry
>to say it that here in America and other countries
>those afghans who stay a way from the teaching of
>Islam grew up in the hands of those who want  to
>destroy the rootsof Islam and afghanyat unknowingly or
>maybe knowingly working hard to destroy AfghnNation
>and Islam therefore they use the words of Pushtoons
>and Farsiwaans and Tajiks, but infact: who believe in
>Islam they are all brothern and they are one
>Afghancomunity as one Islamic Nation in the
>world.without Islam there is no dignity for Afghans
>in other names and groups. we won the war aginst ex
>SovitUnion under the flag of Islam.not nationalism or
>any other ism the more we stay MuslimAfghans the more
>powerfull we will be inshallah.
>your brother
>Peghaam
>--- Farahnaz Yaqubi <farahsworld@...> wrote:
> > Salaam everyone,
> >
> > Well, one thing I would like to suggest is for
> > Afghans
> > to become more united and work together as a team,
> > not
> > work against each other. Unity is power. A good
> > example is jewish people (small group of people)
> > being
> > united and having so much power and helping each
> > other
> > in any way possible and being able to trust one
> > another. If Afghans united and concentrated on
> > working
> > for the betterment of ALL Afghans and for the nation
> > as a whole, we too could make progress and succeed.
> > We
> > have to stop thinking about different ethnicities
> > within Afghans, stop grouping Afghans into Pasho
> > versus Dari speaking people and think of all of us
> > as
> > just "Afghans".
> >
> > Also, I believe Afghans need to stop ALLOWING other
> > countries' governments to interfere in Afghanistan's
> > affairs. We should not ALLOW foreign governments to
> > play around with us, as if we are toys. We Afghans
> > are
> > smart enough and have the capability to run
> > Afghanistan on our own, instead of letting foreign
> > governments run our country and use/manipulate us.
> > If
> > we work as one team, we will have power and can
> > rebuild our homeland.
> >
> > I hope I have not offended anyone, but I strongly
> > believe in all I have said. Thank you for your time.
> >
> > Farahnaz
> >
> >
>
>
>__________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices
>http://auctions.yahoo.com/
>

_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

salam ba hamagee afghans,
iam very pleased by eveyones ideas about afghansitan
and how to help them, iam very proud of it.
iam from texas and i would love to help and join any
afghan oragnization.
thank u
freshta

This is a remarkable synopsis, and a quite interesting observation of Afghan
Men.  All of them, by the way.

I am not sure if a blanket statement regarding the men of the culture is
necessary.  I am also not too sure that, there even exists a level of
hierarchy.  I believe that men and women who are Afghan-born, carry with
them a sense of what their roles are - and in most cases don't deviate from
it.  On the other hand, one can clearly see that, the young Afghan-Americans
are definitely enjoying the freedoms and opportunities that our
host-cultures bear.  I agree that the opportunity for the women of our
culture has grown exponentially.  I am very happy that my sister will have
the same opportunity as her future husband, and may be the main source of
income.  I am ecstatic that my wife may hold a higher position within a
company than me, and hold influential status within the community.  I am
content, and actually very comfortable for my wife to be the breadwinner.
But, those feelings do not constitute a classifying statement that alludes
to complaisance and inadequacy or minority.  I do not want to turn this into
'man' and 'woman' issue, and I appreciate Ms. Amin's candor in the subject
matter.  Although a strong statement and a much-needed reinforcement about
the Afghan women society, it sheds negative light on some of our Afghan men,
who are quite accomplished and leaders of their respective community -
politically and socially.

Best,

Obaid

-----Original Message-----
From: lounaamin@... [mailto:lounaamin@...]
Sent: Friday, May 04, 2001 3:58 PM
To: afghaniyat@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: Your take on Afghaniyat

Salaam Everyone;

The concept of Afghaniyat (Afghan-hood) is as diverse and complex as the
people who lived there. Its meaning varies with individual perspective. Some
people who have lived long in Afghanistan, associate their Afghaniyat with
the physical landscape, the smell of the soil and the memories they have
made there. They have a clear understanding of Afghan culture and values.
They are aware of the smallest sociological idiosyncrasies such as the way
someone from Kabul raises their head and eyes - ever so slightly - when
asking a question, or how we stand up when an elderly person does so.
Others, like myself, lack the good fortune to have memories of our land.  We
cannot cling to a sense of nostalgia. Instead, we have to create a sense of
Afghaniyat from our interactions with other Afghans and from borrowed
memories.

Having left Afghanistan when I was two years old and being an
Afghan-American has created a dichotomy, almost schizophrenia of identity.
Many like myself, struggle daily between two opposing influences. My Afghan
side listens to the music, savors the food, and practices the customs and
tradition. Yet, I have adopted the American ideology and passionately
believe in the American Constitution. How do I incorporate both sides of
myself? How do I retain the rich, positive aspect of my Afghan culture and
adopt the good of American culture? Perhaps, this list server serves the
purpose, linking both sides of ourselves; here we are using the new world
technology and efficiency to retain the "Afghaniyat" and culture.

The most urgent social challenge of Afghans worldwide, besides keeping a
sense of Afghaniyat, is adapting to the changing gender roles.  In
Afghanistan, the gender roles (for the most part) were quite concrete
&traditional.  Generally, men were in the position of power, received the
education and had the traditional role of "bread-winner", and women were
limited to the domestic sphere, less educated and deferred power.  Due to
this unequal roles and/or status, the move to America has affected women
differently.  I have observed (and it would be wonderful we had a
sociological study on this) that for women, the move to America has been a
rise in status, and consequently have adapted better and have taken
advantage of the opportunities.  Men, on the other hand, have experienced a
decline in status; they have lost their position from political & community
leaders to a mere and are dealing with being in minority roles.

Khuda Hafez,
Louna Amin



If you do not wish to belong to Afghaniyat, you may
unsubscribe by sending an email to

afghaniyat-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

I rather like what Ms. Yaqubi stated in her message.  Unity of Afghans is of
utmost importance in the servival of Afghanistan.  Please let us not
exagerate about the destruction of Islam.  It is alive and well.  It is
Afghans and Afghanistan that is suffering.  Afghans had dignity before Islam
and will continue to have dignity.  Our country and its people suffer in the
hands of false leaders and foreign invaders. This is not because Afghans are
not good Muslims!. If any one truly believes in Alah then he/she will know
that Alah is Rahim and Karim.  All the evil in our country comes from the
hands of those that do evil in the name of religion and God.


>From: Peghaam Peghaam <peghaam@...>
>Reply-To: afghaniyat@yahoogroups.com
>To: afghaniyat@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: Re: Your take on Afghaniyat
>Date: Sun, 6 May 2001 23:16:23 -0700 (PDT)
>
>salaam Ms.yaqubi! wish you well. thank you for your
>sincere email about Afghans and one team.
>khudkushibegaana parvar bayad na baashim. but  sorry
>to say it that here in America and other countries
>those afghans who stay a way from the teaching of
>Islam grew up in the hands of those who want  to
>destroy the rootsof Islam and afghanyat unknowingly or
>maybe knowingly working hard to destroy AfghnNation
>and Islam therefore they use the words of Pushtoons
>and Farsiwaans and Tajiks, but infact: who believe in
>Islam they are all brothern and they are one
>Afghancomunity as one Islamic Nation in the
>world.without Islam there is no dignity for Afghans
>in other names and groups. we won the war aginst ex
>SovitUnion under the flag of Islam.not nationalism or
>any other ism the more we stay MuslimAfghans the more
>powerfull we will be inshallah.
>your brother
>Peghaam
>--- Farahnaz Yaqubi <farahsworld@...> wrote:
> > Salaam everyone,
> >
> > Well, one thing I would like to suggest is for
> > Afghans
> > to become more united and work together as a team,
> > not
> > work against each other. Unity is power. A good
> > example is jewish people (small group of people)
> > being
> > united and having so much power and helping each
> > other
> > in any way possible and being able to trust one
> > another. If Afghans united and concentrated on
> > working
> > for the betterment of ALL Afghans and for the nation
> > as a whole, we too could make progress and succeed.
> > We
> > have to stop thinking about different ethnicities
> > within Afghans, stop grouping Afghans into Pasho
> > versus Dari speaking people and think of all of us
> > as
> > just "Afghans".
> >
> > Also, I believe Afghans need to stop ALLOWING other
> > countries' governments to interfere in Afghanistan's
> > affairs. We should not ALLOW foreign governments to
> > play around with us, as if we are toys. We Afghans
> > are
> > smart enough and have the capability to run
> > Afghanistan on our own, instead of letting foreign
> > governments run our country and use/manipulate us.
> > If
> > we work as one team, we will have power and can
> > rebuild our homeland.
> >
> > I hope I have not offended anyone, but I strongly
> > believe in all I have said. Thank you for your time.
> >
> > Farahnaz
> >
> >
>
>
>__________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices
>http://auctions.yahoo.com/
>

_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

Civic & Community Relations is circulating the
following disaster relief appeal on behalf of the
World Bank/IMF Afghan Club.

Disaster Relief Appeal for the Drought/Refugee Victims
in Afghanistan

May 7-11, 2001, 12:30 - 1:30 pm

The United Nations has received barely 10% of its $226
million appeal.

    From Monday, May 7 to Monday, May 11, donations
will be collected in the lobby of the main building of
the Fund from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm,  or you may send
your check by internal mail to Ms. Nahid Mejid, IMF
Rm. 10-700.

    The Fund's Civic Program will match one-half of the
total amount of IMF staff    and retiree donations for
drought relief in Afghanistan up to total of $20,000.
A photocopy of your check or wire transfer payable to
the relevant charity providing assistance in
Afghanistan will be needed for matching funds. (The
Afghan Club will make a photocopy of your check,
unless
you independently mail your check to the relief
organization then you must make the photocopy and
submit to the Afghan Club.)

    One hundred percent of donations and matched funds
will go to the following:

    Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA):  <
    http://www.dominoplaza.com/afghanK/afghankeng.nsf>
(English site)

    International Rescue Committee (IRC): <
    http://www.theirc.org/asia/afghanistan_up.cfm>

     Doctors Without Borders:
<http://www.msf.org/projects/asia/afghanistan>


     For more information Contact
Omar Hadi (OHadi@...),
Leila Search (LSearch@...) or
Nahid Mejid (NMejid@...)




__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices
http://auctions.yahoo.com/

"CHILDREN IN CRISIS"
A NEW COLLOQUIUM SERIES ADDRESSING THE PROBLEMS OF THE
WORLD'S MOST VULNERABLE AND AT-RISK CHILDREN FROM THE
PERSPECTIVE OF EDUCATORS AND FIELD PRACTITIONERS

A Collaboration of:
The Gustav E. von Grunebaum Center for Near Eastern
Studies
International Studies and Overseas Programs (ISOP)

The Graduate School of Education and Information
Sciences
Social Sciences and Comparative Education Division

Relief International


Date: Wednesday May 16, 2001
Place: 3340 Moore Hall
Time: 2:00-4:00 pm
Reception to Follow

Speakers

Golnar Mehran, PhD (UCLA 1988)
Associate Professor of Education
Al-Zahra University, Tehran, Iran
Education Consultant, UNICEF

THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION:
THE CASE OF GIRL'S SCHOOLING IN IRAN

Farshad Rastegar, PhD (UCLA 1991)
CEO, Relief International

THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN IN CONFLICT ZONES:
MAIN CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
(CASE STUDIES FROM AFGHANISTAN, AZERBAIJAN & KOSOVO)


CHAIR
Professor Val Rust
Social Sciences and Comparative Education Division
Graduate School of Education and Information Sciences

The "CHILDREN IN CRISIS" colloquium is a new and joint
initiative of UCLA's GSEIS and the Center for Near
Eastern Studies/ISOP, and Relief Interntional, a Los
Angeles based international relief and development
agency. The intent of the colloquium is to provide a
venue for analysis and discussion of the special
problems faced by the world's most vulnerable
children. The colloquium brings together researchers
and practitioners to examine case studies as well as
issues that affect children across several countries.
Particular emphasis will be placed on examining both
educational approaches and solutions in the field as
well as current state of research with a view towards
analysis of lessons learned to inform future research,
policy and practice.

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices
http://auctions.yahoo.com/

> >The Forgotten Famine
> >By Anne Applebaum
> >Anne Applebaum, a journalist based in London and Warsaw, is a regular
> >contributor to the London Sunday Telegraph and is at work on a history of
>Soviet concentration camps. You can e-mail her at foreigners@...
> >http://slate.msn.com/foreigners/entries/01-05-01_105417.asp
> >Posted Tuesday, May 1, 2001, at 4:00 p.m. PT
Three guesses which country the United Nations now reckons to contain the
world's worst humanitarian crisis. No, not Somalia; not Rwanda; not
Mozambique. In fact, because of war, displacement, and two decades of
chaos, the poverty of Afghanistan is so difficult to measure that the Afghan
GNP frequently appears on lists as "not available." The World Bank has no
operations there; the U.N. High Commission for Refugees
http://www.unhcr.ch/news/cupdates/0102afg.htm> considers Afghans to be the
largest group of refugees in the world-for the 19th year running. It counts
1.2 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan, 1.3 million in Iran, and many
thousands more around the world, (including, oddly, Washington D.C., where
large numbers of sad-eyed Afghans drive taxis out to Dulles Airport). More
refugees, perhaps another half-million, are pouring into new camps within
the country: One U.N. camp near Herat is said to be receiving 1,500 people
every day. Having abandoned their farms, eaten what remained of their
resources, and watched their sheep and cattle die for lack of water, they
have nothing to return to either.

War and politics have compounded a natural crisis: Afghanistan is now
experiencing a second year of drought and may be on the brink of a terrible
famine. The World Food Program thinks the drought has severely hit 4 million
people in the country: Kenzo Oshima, the U.N. undersecretary-general in
charge of humanitarian affairs, has said that 1 million are at risk. The
numbers vary widely because no one actually knows what is happening in the
interior of the country, where refugees report that they were surviving on
boiled grass.

Now, it is not quite fair to say that this crisis has gone unreported:
Yesterday, as the new U.N. commissioner for refugees began his first visit
there, the story appeared, among other places, on the BBC world news Website
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_1304000/1304058.stm>.
Both the Washington Post
> ><http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/world/asia/A36147-2001Feb21.html>
>and the New York Times
>http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/29/world/29AFGH.html?searchpv=site02> have
written recently about aspects of the crisis, including the state of the
infamous Jalozai refugee camp, where 80,000 Afghans, many opponents of the
fundamentalist Taliban, are crammed into a dried-out Pakistani riverbed
without much food or sympathy from the Pakistani government.

And yet-articles appearing in the press are not always a good measure of
public knowledge and interest. On the contrary, I have a sneaking suspicion
that the world's attention was far more riveted by the Taliban's recent
decision to destroy a group of famous Buddhist statues. (For press coverage
of the destruction, see "International Papers
> ></InterNatPapers/01-03-05/InterNatPapers.asp>.") I also have a sneaking
>suspicion that this is because, among other things, the destruction of the
>Buddhist statues-while undoubtedly a shocking thing to do-also made for
>more interesting television than yet more pictures of human misery. Thanks
>to 24-hour international TV, we all have crisis fatigue. In a world where
>so many seem to be suffering on the evening news, the fate of a group of
>statues can suddenly seem novel and arresting.

Worse, there is an alternative and, although it isn't a secret either, it
barely figures in the collective consciousness. Ahmed Shah Masoud continues
to command the Northern Alliance, the moderate Islamic group that is still
fighting against the Taliban in the north of the country. Masoud, who is far
better known in Europe than in the United States, was recently in Paris,
where his presence attracted 250 journalists, as well as in Strasbourg and
Brussels. He was accompanied by Dr. Abdullah, the alliance's foreign
minister, who then went on to Vienna and Warsaw, where I happened to meet
him and was struck by the modesty of his requests. The Northern Alliance is
not so hubristic as to request Western military support, which, given the
general distaste for fueling further fighting in the region, would probably
not be forthcoming anyway. They would like, simply, more humanitarian
aid-and for the general policy of Western (and particularly American)
"neutrality" to shift in their favor. They are confident that even small
shows of support would be enough to swing the country behind them and
against the Taliban whom, they claim, are increasingly hated.

It isn't much to ask, given that, if the Afghan famine is the world's most
invisible disaster, the U.S. government's activities in Afghanistan over he
ast decade probably represent the world's most invisible policy failure.
In he wake of the Soviet withdrawal from the country, the United States
almost mmediately lost interest in Afghanistan, relying for the most part on
its akistani allies to decide which of the many warring factions deserved
utside support. For reasons of their own, the Pakistanis chose the Taliban
or probably, though they deny it, created the Taliban), who now control 90
ercent of the country. Under their regime, not only have Buddhist statues
been destroyed and, almost as infamously, women been forbidden to uncover
their faces in public, but international terrorists-Osama Bin Laden, for
example-have found refuge, and the economy has ground to a halt.

Reportedly, the Bush administration is considering changing this policy,
but, needless to say, Afghanistan isn't a top foreign policy priority. Here
are the actions taken so far: Last February, the American government
demanded that the Taliban close its representative office in New York. The
Taliban responded by closing a U.N. office in Kabul. That's all. If we are
serious about fighting international terrorism, which we claim to be-and if
we can still be bothered to remember who it was, really, that helped us win
the Cold War-we should have the courage to do more.


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Salaam everyone,

Well, one thing I would like to suggest is for Afghans
to become more united and work together as a team, not
work against each other. Unity is power. A good
example is jewish people (small group of people) being
united and having so much power and helping each other
in any way possible and being able to trust one
another. If Afghans united and concentrated on working
for the betterment of ALL Afghans and for the nation
as a whole, we too could make progress and succeed. We
have to stop thinking about different ethnicities
within Afghans, stop grouping Afghans into Pasho
versus Dari speaking people and think of all of us as
just "Afghans".

Also, I believe Afghans need to stop ALLOWING other
countries' governments to interfere in Afghanistan's
affairs. We should not ALLOW foreign governments to
play around with us, as if we are toys. We Afghans are
smart enough and have the capability to run
Afghanistan on our own, instead of letting foreign
governments run our country and use/manipulate us. If
we work as one team, we will have power and can
rebuild our homeland.

I hope I have not offended anyone, but I strongly
believe in all I have said. Thank you for your time.

Farahnaz

Salaam Everyone;

The concept of Afghaniyat (Afghan-hood) is as diverse and complex as the  people
who lived there. Its meaning varies with individual perspective. Some people who
have lived long in Afghanistan, associate their Afghaniyat with the physical
landscape, the smell of the soil and the memories they have made there. They
have a clear understanding of Afghan culture and values.  They are aware of the
smallest sociological idiosyncrasies such as the way someone from Kabul raises
their head and eyes - ever so slightly - when asking a question, or how we stand
up when an elderly person does so. Others, like myself, lack the good fortune to
have memories of our land.  We cannot cling to a sense of nostalgia. Instead, we
have to create a sense of Afghaniyat from our interactions with other Afghans
and from borrowed memories.

Having left Afghanistan when I was two years old and being an Afghan-American
has created a dichotomy, almost schizophrenia of identity. Many like myself,
struggle daily between two opposing influences. My Afghan side listens to the
music, savors the food, and practices the customs and tradition. Yet, I have
adopted the American ideology and passionately believe in the American
Constitution. How do I incorporate both sides of myself? How do I retain the
rich, positive aspect of my Afghan culture and adopt the good of American
culture? Perhaps, this list server serves the purpose, linking both sides of
ourselves; here we are using the new world technology and efficiency to retain
the "Afghaniyat" and culture.

The most urgent social challenge of Afghans worldwide, besides keeping a sense
of Afghaniyat, is adapting to the changing gender roles.  In Afghanistan, the
gender roles (for the most part) were quite concrete &traditional.  Generally,
men were in the position of power, received the education and had the
traditional role of "bread-winner", and women were limited to the domestic
sphere, less educated and deferred power.  Due to this unequal roles and/or
status, the move to America has affected women differently.  I have observed
(and it would be wonderful we had a sociological study on this) that for women,
the move to America has been a rise in status, and consequently have adapted
better and have taken advantage of the opportunities.  Men, on the other hand,
have experienced a decline in status; they have lost their position from
political & community leaders to a mere and are dealing with being in minority
roles.

Khuda Hafez,
Louna Amin

My dear Watandaar at Afghaaniyat Salaam bar shomaa,

...and thank you for giving me the honor of presenting "my feeling and
understanding" of Afghaniyat.
Here is a brief answer to the first part of your question:

"What is your feeling and understanding on Afghaniyat (Afghan-hood)? "


Pashtoon niyam, Tajek niyam, Hazra niyam, Ozbek Niyam
AFGHAANIYAM, AFGHAANIYAM, AFGHAANIYAM, AFGHAANIYAM

Dar keshwaram baashad agar, az qawmiyyat naame degar
zin nestam, az aan niyam, AFGHAANIYAM, AFGHAANIYAM

Ze'Afghaansetaan ajdaad e man, boniaad e o boniaad e man
az man agar porsi kiyam??  AFGHAANIYAM, AFGHAANIYAM

Ne az shamaalam ne jonoob, ne sharq daanam, ne ghoroob
Aari! dorost medaaniyam, AFGHAANIYAM, AFGHAANIYAM

AFGHAANAM, az Afghaansetaan, az keshwar e aazaadagaan
az qaid o band tarsaaniyam??  AFGHAANIYAM, AFGHAANIYAM

Az khashm e Ahmad'haa hazar, z'aazaar e Mahmoodaan gozar
man Mirwais e saaniyam, AFGHAANIYAM, AFGHAANIYAM

Dar sina taa daaram nafas, sar kham nasaazam pesh e kas
"Shaaker" ze ghairat daaniyam, AFGHAANIYAM, AFGHAANIYAM

Regards,
Wali


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To all fellow Afghans,

Words and words alone is not going to make a bright tommorow for us or
anyone living with  on this planet. Albeit actions can,because it is us
who have forgotten ourselves and don't have any knowledge of our
past. The only way to build a better and brighter tommorow for
ourselves is to make a bridge today that will lead us there. That can
happen only if we find our identity and fight to preserve that identity
otherwise there won't be something called "AFGHAN OR AFGHANISTAN". God
help us in this journey....

To our forgotten Afghans:

We know that the world has turned a blind eye towards your
suffering, lied about your people's desperate fate, mistreated your proud men
women and children, and has taken delight in the successes of their proxy
strategies. Today we declare our solitude, and tomorrow we promise to extend our
hands to you and beg for your forgiveness for our forgetfulness.  Today, we
Afghan-Americans, Afghan-Europeans, Afghan-Australians, Afghans-everywhere, are
taking sides with you, our unfortunate brethren more than ever.

We will mark your martyrs as our heroes, and we will forever remember your
survivors in our actions, and our prayers.  We the Afghans for Tomorrow are
there for you and are united more than ever to reach out and help you shrug
misery off your strong shoulders, your misery that for so many months and years
have filled our hearts with tears.

"Ariana"
(Dedicated to my beloved Afghanistan)

Such a sad silence...
This bottom-less whirlpool of grief
Oo...the gasping airless senses
and the old dry tears
still burning,
running
on dusty ruins of Beloved Ariana...

Did I hear Her bitter laughter?
Did I hear Her whisper?,
"I Will Never Be Gone...
      I will never be gone...
          I will never be gone..."

Donia Gobar/Ghobar
Copyright ©2001


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Twenty three years after the fateful and bloody coup that ended the
Muhasibin family’s monopoly of power in Afghanistan, Afghans of all strata
continue to suffer in immeasurable degree. Whether it is the unjust and
ridiculous foreign imposed economic embargo, or the indiscriminate folly of
nature, the reality remains that the unfortunate Afghans bear a voluminous
and persistent burden.

The mirage of peace seems to naturally evade the fatigued and condemned
Afghans whose frantic search for civility and tranquility is shattered
continuously under different masks. Whether it is the widely raised pseudo
flag of Muhammad, or the more popular and acceptable emblem, that of
democracy, the Afghans are witness to a pattern of betrayal and deceit that
continues to deny them peace and civility.

Forsaken in this bloody struggle for the establishment of a progressive and
modern Islamic government and society is not only an entire generation of
Afghans but also the once proud and dear Afghaniate. A giant cradle of the
proud and the brave who majestically fell defending their god given liberty
and the cherished creed of Islam, a niche of equality and understanding that
nurtured generations of unselfish Afghans who did not hesitate to readily
answer the call, Afghaniate was a powerful deportment that enveloped all
Afghans.

On the Morning of December 22, 1841, overlooking the Kabul River a Proud
Akbar met the famous British general, Macnaghten, to sign what the latter
assumed to be a truce. Akbar beyond any reasonable doubt proved that he is
and will always be the child of the giant cradle of Afghaniate. He ended
Macnaghten’s miserable life and sent a clear message beyond Delhi that the
Afghans will never bow to any-body’s barrel of gun. Unmistakably, Muhammad
Hashem Maiwandwal, a towering figure whose persistence for the establishment
of a just and progressive Afghanistan is magnanimous, endured immense pain
before he was shamelessly silenced to prove beyond any doubt that he was the
product of the noble Afghaniate.

History is replete with stories and names of the thousands and thousands of
the giants who rose from the cradle of Afghaniate and proudly fell defending
it. However, after twenty-three years of bloodiest struggle to bring about
the establishment of a modern progressive Islamic Afghan government and
society, time has come for the new Afghan generation to recall and redefine
Afghaniate. Today like always in history Afghans face a burden beyond their
ability to carry and an obstacle beyond their reach to overcome. Yet like
always in history the bigots and the self-interested groups seem to get the
upper hand while the towering figures whose principles and values
constituted the backbone of Afghaniate seem to wither away.

In the past six years I have had the wonderful opportunity to observe many
Afghan communities in North America. I have been a witness to an unfortunate
and profound lack of leadership that has infested the community and
continues to undermine faith and trust in the once proud Afghaniate. All
communities lack a defined objective and goal to steer talent and energy
towards its achievement. The enormous lack of ego that constrains progress
further drives away many talented young Afghans from their culture and
religion. For example, as a volunteer to one of the largest Mosques in the
Bay Area, California, I came across the most incompetent leaders who
deliberately drove away talented people from banding together to create one
of the largest Islamic center in the heart of the Silicon Valley. When I
objected to this bizarre and meaningless situation on the grounds that it is
not Islamic I was forced to leave the Mosque.

Thus, it is my conclusive opinion that Afghans from all walk of life must
redefine and reorient the notion of Afghaniate. Our heroes are dead, our
land is battered and our children are growing apart and away from their
culture and religion. The dilemma before the Afghan communities is the
depravity of leadership and lack of any genuine medium of communication
where the concerns and potentials of the community can be meaningfully
addressed. Instead, there is a growing moral degradation and a concerted
chasm where communities slowly are falling apart.

I believe that the remedy is simple. Afghan communities must dispose of the
illusion of Afghaniate and allow human rationality and reason to penetrate
the heart of each member of the community. At present while our role in the
future course of Afghanistan is limited, our responsibilities towards our
self and the community here in North America remains tremendous.

Never before in the history of humanity did a nation offer so many
potentials and was equipped with so much freedom as today’s America is.
Afghans must not fumble this enormous opportunity by yielding to an ego that
continues to fail them throughout history. Never before in the history of
Islam were so many words of the noble prophet available in print as today’s
giant libraries of America offer. Is it not our responsibility to go beyond
the meaningless and bizarre ego, the illusions, that has taken a permanent
refuge in the heart of Afghaniate and continues to perpetuate and sustain a
failed system?
I strongly believe that our responsibility is to crush the absurd illusions
penetrating our communities and instead smooth the way for the triumph of
reason and god given rationality. Only the triumph of reason over the
ludicrous illusions can bring about a change in the meaning and
reorientation of Afghaniate.

Through the deliberate and practical use of human reason and god given
rationality, Afghans can define realistic short and long term goals and
objectives. Through the centering of our lives on immortal and fundamental
principles, Afghans will begin to emerge from under the yoke of shackles of
illusions that have undermined our people, our religion and our land. I
strongly believe that the challenge is huge and the burden heavy, but our
will to bring about the necessary change inevitable.



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Dear Afghaniyat Member,

Please allow me to welcome you and hope that everyone here can learn
something useful from one another.  Our current membership is about
140.  Afghans from as far as Pakistan and USA are subscribed to this
listserver.  I am sure there are lots of questions & answers Afghans
have for each other and this is the place for it.

Please feel free to post questions and answer at anytime.
Please spread the word and email us with your valuable info and
commentary. Membership is open to all people and anyone can post a
message. The listserver will have a moderator watching out for
Spammers and proper Etiquette in messages.

This listserver is not affiliated with any political group or
supports or sympathize with any of the warring factions either in or
outside Afghanistan. The goal of the Listserver and founders was to
unite the displaced people of Afghanistan under the concept of
Afghaniyat.


you can SEND messages by simply sending emails to

afghaniyat@yahoogroups.com

You can VIEW prior sent messages by going to

<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/afghaniyat/messages>

Dear Afghaniyat Member,

Please allow me to welcome you and hope that everyone here can learn
something useful from one another.

If these emails have disconvenieced you. You are aware that you may
unsubscribe at any time or set it up so that you read the message via
the Afghaniyat internet page

As far as the Afghaniyat Listserver, it has been established as a
bridge between Afghans from all backgrounds, whether cultural or
occupational.  There is no formal moderator and inshallah we will
need no moderator because our Afghaniyat will prevail over divisive
elements.

This listserver is not affiliated with any political group or
supports or sympathize with any of the warring factions either in or
outside Afghanistan.  The goal of the Listserver and founders was to
unite the displaced people of Afghanistan under the concept of
Afghaniyat.

This server has been in existence since April 19th, 2001.  Already
there are about 70 members.  The listserver is expected to grow and
discuss a wide variety of topics. Please feel free to post questions
and answer at anytime.

Please spread the word and email us with your valuable info and
commentary.  Membership is open to all people and anyone can post a
message.  The listserver will have a moderator watching out for
Spammers and proper Etiquette in messages.  Once all the mechanics of
the server are in place it will not be important to have a
moderator.

Regards,
Mana'i Afghaniyat

Salaam,
Congratulations and thanks for creating this list.
I am looking forward to hear from fellow Afghans.

I would like to start off with something I had posted
a while ago on one of the other Afghan forums.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If someone asks you to describe Afghanistan what would
you say? What is the first thing comes to mind?
As I was trying to get my bread from the Afghan store
in Fremont, I heard the responses people gave to the
young lady interviewing them for her radio program.
“the beautiful mountains it has” one person responded.
“the great food, of course” the other said.
“the bravery of our people” one of the young men
shouted.
There was a quiet young man at the corner of the store
and he was mumbling to himself. I was curious as to
what he was saying. I pretended that I was looking for
something and walk towards him. At first I tried not
to make eye contact with him, I was looking at all the
spices racked up in the store and walked slowly
towards him. I stood next to him pretending I was
reading the names of spices. I could hear him clearly
now. “what a joke” he was mumbling, I couldn’t help
but to ask him what he meant.
What is a joke? I asked. He said, Afghan and
Afghanyat.
I asked why he thinks is a joke.
He said: he was no longer proud of being an afghan, he
wished he wasn’t an Afghan. He said he changed his
name to Frank and if anyone asked him where he was
from he would say he was Italian.
I knew that some Afghans would say they were Italians
to impress someone but I couldn’t understand why?
What changed? Why we are no longer proud of who we
are?
I remembered when we came to the US I was very proud
of being an afghan. I would get upset when most people
didn’t know where Afghanistan was. I loved educating
my classmates about Afghanistan, my homeland. I loved
telling them about what afghans and Afghanistan was
all about.
And now, that most people know where Afghanistan is,
our young Afghans are ashamed of being associated with
their country. Most of them feel that they don’t
belong to “that culture”.
They were either born in the west of lived most of
their lives in the west. They don’t have any
recollection of Afghanistan. Why should they care
about a place they only hear in the news.
Don’t your parents talk to you about Afghanistan? I
asked this young man.
He said “NO”. They are too busy fighting with each
other.

Last night driving home from work I thought about this
conversation. We are really doomed, I thought. In one
hand the events in Afghanistan are destroying our
past. And here in the west, we are loosing the future
of Afghanistan. Is it too late? Can we save our
future?
Should we save our future? What do parents do to
contribute to the future of Afghanistan?
I get home and my daughter reminds me that tonight I
am to tell them the story of “Rabia Balkhi”.


  --- afghaniyat@... wrote:
> What is the meaning of Afghaniyat?
>
> This Listserver is based on the idea of discovering,
>
> fostering, and implementing the concepts of
> Afghaniyat
> (Afghan-hood).  In order to achieve these goals, we
> need
> to better understand the social, cultural and
> political
> challenges of Afghanistan and Afghans worldwide. The
>
> server will serve as a medium for exchange of views,
>
> debate, announcements, news and weekly discussions
> about Afghanistan and Afghans throughout the world.
>
> This listerserver is at the disposal of
> its members.  The only requirement in joining the
> Afghaniyat
> Listserver is proper manners when posting email.
> Routine moderating will ensure that rationality and
> intellectualism prevails over foul language.
>
> Otherwise, there are no constraints on the topics of
> discussion.
>
> You can start sending messages by simply sending
> emails to
>
> afghaniyat@yahoogroups.com
>
>
> Regards, Mana'i Afghaniyat
>
>


=====
Have a nice one

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What is the meaning of Afghaniyat?

This Listserver is based on the idea of discovering,
fostering, and implementing the concepts of Afghaniyat
(Afghan-hood).  In order to achieve these goals, we need
to better understand the social, cultural and political
challenges of Afghanistan and Afghans worldwide. The
server will serve as a medium for exchange of views,
debate, announcements, news and weekly discussions
about Afghanistan and Afghans throughout the world.

This listerserver is at the disposal of
its members.  The only requirement in joining the Afghaniyat
Listserver is proper manners when posting email.
Routine moderating will ensure that rationality and
intellectualism prevails over foul language.

Otherwise, there are no constraints on the topics of
discussion.

You can start sending messages by simply sending emails to

afghaniyat@yahoogroups.com


Regards, Mana'i Afghaniyat