کابل پرس

No Land for The Hazara Asylum Seekers

Basir Ahang, Kawa Gharji — 2015-03-30T20:34:15Z

In the year 2006 Reza and his family entered Syria and asked asylum at UNHCR office. There they found thousands of Hazara asylum seekers from Afghanistan. All of these asylum seekers had filed their asylum request at UNHCR office and were waiting for the answer.

After a time, the UNHCR office accepted their requests and recognized them as refugees. The UNHCR office offered Reza Mohammadi and his family a resettlement to a third safe country. The embassy of the United States of America agreed for their resettlement in this country.

The sad story of Reza Mohammadi

Translated: Amin Wahidi

It has been a year that Reza Mohammadi has arrived with his family to Norway where he asked asylum. He is a Hazara from Afghanistan. Reza Mohammadi's problems began to grow in 2002 when he was forced to flee his home in mountainous Bamyan for security problems and had to go in hiding for sometime in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.
Reza Mohammadi is one of those Hazaras who did not feel safety in his hometown and had to flee to Kabul. He was threatened in Kabul as well and then he had to flee to Herat in the west of the country. He and his family lived for sometime in Herat but soon the people who threatened them back in his hometown and Kabul, reached to Herat. After receiving death threats, Reza Mohammadi went to police and asked for help but the police was unable to help him out and he escaped to Iran with his family.
Coming to Iran, there was a greater problem in front of them; based on Iranian laws, they did not have the right to ask for refugee status in this country so they had to live in hiding as hundreds of thousands of other refugees there.
Reza Mohammadi and his family, as tens of thousands of other Afghani refugees had to flee Iran because of discriminative pressures by the Iranian Regime on them and went to Syria. They'd heard that in Syria the UNHCR office would help the refugees and asylum seekers.
The Syrian civil war began and they had to escape towards Europe and came to Norway.

The Norwegian immigration authorities have rejected the asylum request of Reza and his family; he is now waiting for the decision of the appeal court. Reza Mohammadi and his wife who's been witnessing the violence in Syria and have crossed all the deadliest borders to get to Norway, are suffering depression after receiving a rejection of their asylum requests.
Based on what they have seen at least in the last ten years of refuge and asylum seeking; now they believe there is land for the Hazaras on earth where they could live without fear of massacre, ethnic discrimination or persecution.

Who are the Hazaras and whey they have problems?

The Hazaras are one of the ancient ethnic groups of Afghanistan. Their language is Hazaragi and their faces are very similar to the eastern Asians. Their distinguishing features such as almond-shaped eyes have always been problematic for them and have caused systematic racial discriminations against them. On the other hand, the Hazaras have always been under persecutions because of their sectarian/religious believes for which they have been marginalized. Most of them are Shiite believers in a country where most of their population are Sunni believers.

In 1892, Amir Abdul Rahman Khan, then the King of Afghanistan issued Jihad Sanction against the Hazaras, because they believed in a different sect of Islam. Based on his decree, the killing of Hazaras was obligatory. Based on Minority Rights Group Organization's documents, on that time the Hazaras made 67 % population of Afghanistan.¹ based on King Abdul Rahman Khan, 62 % of the Hazara population was massacred in Afghanistan and their lands and properties were confiscated by the Afghan Government and were given to the Pashtuns. After the massacre, based on the decree of the king, the survivors of the mass massacre went into slavery and were deprived of their rights for study and work in government offices. On that time, only a small number of the Hazaras were survived. The Hazaras survived from the mass massacre were divided into two groups; a part of them fled Afghanistan and sought refuge in central Asia, Iran and western part of India (Pakistan now) and were settled down there. The Hazaras currently living in Quetta Pakistan or in Khorasan Province of Iran are the survivors of Abdul Rahman mass massacre.

Faiz Mohammad Kateb, the historian at Amir Abdul Rahman's court writes in his book, “among those fleeing the massacre, only ten out of hundred could survive and reach alive to the borders of neighboring countries, and other ninety were dead before arriving to the safe lands. We can hardly find such mass flee with such heavy casualties, in the history of migrations and displacements.

The other part of the Hazaras that remained in Afghanistan fled the cities and escaped to the mountains of the central highlands of Afghanistan that is known today as Hazarajat or Hazaristan.

After the end of Abdul Rahman Khan's sovereignty in Afghanistan, systematic discriminations continued on against the Hazaras in Afghanistan. Other kings, who came on power followed the path of Abdul Rahman Khan and deprived Hazaras from study and forced their lives into slavery and violence.

Only when the pro-communism government came on power in Afghanistan in the 1980s, the pressures on Hazaras reduced but again the situation changed against them after the fall of the pro-communism government. Then the Hazaras were under violence by different Mujahedin groups. In February 1993, about one thousand Hazaras were massacred in Afshar area of Kabul by Mujahedin groups ².

It is about three centuries that the Hazaras face violence, attacks and their land and properties are being looted by the Pashtuns and they are considered to be the second class citizens on their own homeland. The life of a Hazara in Afghanistan is always mixed with fatal nightmares about killings and violence. Therefore the Hazaras escape Afghanistan to escape violence and mass-massacre.
When the terrorist group of Taliban was ruling on Afghanistan, the Hazaras again faced with massacre and forced displacement. Mullah Omar the leader of Taliban issued a decree in 1996 that obliged the Taliban soldiers and commanders to massacre Hazaras, as a result of which thousands of human being were killed in Mazar e Sharif, Bamyan, Baghlan, Ghazni and other cities of Afghanistan, because they were Hazaras ³.

After the terrorist group of Taliban was thrown out from power in 2001 by the International Coalition forces lead by the USA, it was thought that the Hazaras' situation would also change but the systematic discrimination of the Afghan Government continued on against the Hazaras.

In this new era, though the Hazaras have participated actively in all democratic processes of the country such as elections, but none of the Hazara provinces were reconstructed, neither even a small percentage of multi-billion dollar reconstruction funds for Afghanistan was considered for the Hazara areas.

In the last twelve years, the quota of the Hazaras in the government development projects was only 2 % while their population makes 19-20 % of the whole population of Afghanistan. Instead the Afghan Government has always tried to create obstacles for development projects of International Organizations in the Hazara areas.

Now we can obviously see the result of discriminations against Hazaras after twelve years of presence of International forces in Afghanistan. In spite of spending more than 750 billion dollars for security and reconstruction of Afghanistan, in Hazara inhabited province of Bamyan, people live in the caves as a result of injustice.

Bamyan has not yet electricity power and in Daikundi you can not find even one meter square asphalted road. In addition to this, in Hazara provinces, there are not school buildings and students study under the tents or in open spaces while the Hazara provinces have been the most peaceful places during the last twelve years. On NATO operational maps, these provinces are considered as green or secure areas in security aspects. In spite of all this, the roads to Hazara provinces are always made unsecure and many Hazara passengers are killed by the Taliban. The Hazara provinces are surrounded by Pashtun provinces, and thus Taliban block the ways by the help of the local Pashtuns and shoot the Hazara passengers who pass by.

For these reasons, in spite of presence of thousands of international forces in Afghanistan, most of the Hazaras do not feel safe and had to flee their country to rescue their lives. The Hazaras are not involved in any of the wars in Afghanistan, but they are still being threatened and killed by the Taliban in different parts of Afghanistan.

Reasons for escaping Iran: pressures and racial discriminations and attacks

The refugees in Iran do not have right for work, neither they have health insurances, in addition time to time the Iranian police attack on their hiding places and arrest them, torture them and deport them back to Afghanistan.

After the fall of the Taliban regime and the presence of the international forces in Afghanistan the Iranian government has always used the Afghan refugee issue as a pressure against the Afghan government. The Iranian Government is against the presence of the international forces in Afghanistan and thus whenever the Afghan government and the international community begin talks on long term political and military cooperation and strategic treaties, the Iranian government arrest hundreds of Afghan refugees and after torturing them, deport them back to Afghanistan to challenge the newly established Afghan government that is supported by the west 4.

In the year 2012, when the Afghan government was negotiating with the United States on a long term security-strategic treaty, the Iranian government increased pressure on Afghan refugees in this country, and issued a decree based on which in many cities including Fars Province even the Iranian civilians could stop the Afghan refugees and check their documents.

After the issuance of such a discriminative and shameful decree, many nationalist Iranians attacked the refugees in different cities of Iran, killing some and injuring many of the Afghan refugees.

After that, the entrance of the Afghani refugees was prohibited into the public parks; in Esfahan city, the police stopped Afghani refugees who were entering Soffeh public Park in this city.

Reza Mohammadi in Syria

Because of all these pressures, Reza Mohammadi and his family had to leave Iran and went to Syria to refer to the UNHCR and ask asylum there to save their lives.

In the year 2006 Reza and his family entered Syria and asked asylum at UNHCR office. There they found thousands of Hazara asylum seekers from Afghanistan. All of these asylum seekers had filed their asylum request at UNHCR office and were waiting for the answer.

After a time, the UNHCR office accepted their requests and recognized them as refugees. The UNHCR office offered Reza Mohammadi and his family a resettlement to a third safe country. The embassy of the United States of America agreed for their resettlement in this country.

When a third safe country decides to give resettlement opportunity to the refugees, it takes three to six months until their process completes. Reza Mohammadi and his family were waiting for the completion of their resettlement process to the United States, when the Syrian civil war began and reached throughout the country. When the civil war reached to its hottest point, the UNHCR office was closed down and their personnel left the Syrian territory.

When the UNHCR office was closed in Syria, more than two thousand Hazara refugees were waiting to be resettled to a third safe country including Reza Mohammadi and his family.

These refugees were blocked in the middle of Syrian civil war fire and they could be massacred any time.

The Atlantic Magazine of Washington DC wrote in an article of May 21st 2013, that more than one thousand Hazara refugees in a parking, in Zainabia city 6. Being blocked in the middle of a sectarian war that was between the opposition Sunni groups and the Assad Shiite Regime, these Hazara refugees were witnessing bullets and rockets that exploded closer and closer to them. The Atlantic Magazine added that if these Hazara refugees would not be rescued by the International Organizations, they could possibly be massacred by extremist Sunni militant groups.

But unfortunately none of the International Organizations in Syria paid attention to these Hazara refugees. Based on the statistics, at least ten of these refugees are being killed in Zainabia and many were injured by the rockets exploded in their place. In spite of this, they were not able to flee the place and get to a safer place.

The Syrian civil war went on and the Hazara refugees were blocked in the middle of fire. At the end of August 2013 the areas such as (Arbain, Zomelka, Jomar and Ain Tarma) in the suburbs of Damascus were attacked by Chemical weapons 7.

These suburbs are about three to four kilometers distant from the place the Hazara refugees live. Reza Mohammadi was injured in one of these attacks; although these chemical attacks did not affect the Hazara refugees directly, but they had to escape away from Syria after the attacks.

Some of these refugees as Reza Mohammadi have secretly escaped away from Syria and moved to Turkey. In Turkey, the UNHCR office announced that they couldn't do anything for the refugees from Afghanistan, this way their files were closed.

Therefore, Reza Mohammadi and his family left Turkey for Europe. After many perils finally they reached to Norway where they asked asylum. But with all documents and proofs, he has provided the Norwegian Immigration Office have rejected their asylum request and they are now waiting for an appeal court in this regard.

It is not only Reza Mohammadi who's been rejected this way by the Norwegian Immigration Authority or (UDI), but most of the Hazara asylum seekers were rejected and deported back to Afghanistan, in spite death threats they've faced there.

Ali Nabi Zada, a twenty year old Hazara asylum seeker who lives in Norway since 2010. He is from Jaghori district of Ghazni province, one of the most insecure provinces in Afghanistan. Ali Nabi Zada has lived most of his life in exile in Iran and Pakistan. His father and uncle were members of an anti-Taliban party and have fought with Taliban. He and his family escaped from threats by Taliban and other warlords and went to Iran. Many years he has lived with difficulties in Iran and when the deportation of the refugees from Iran accelerated, his family sent him to Turkey. His father was deported to Afghanistan but none of his family has heard from him since.

Ali has registered his name in UNHCR in Turkey. He waited for one year to receive a response from the UNHCR office, but as thousand others, he had to wait for longer than that. He then decided to get on a life-boat and came to Greece. In Greece his finger-print was taken by Greek frontier police but he crossed borders and came to Sweden. When the Swedish authorities found his Greece finger prints, they wanted to deport him to Greece, from Sweden he then came to Norway. In Norway, after eight months, the immigration authorities have found his Swedish finger print and want to send him back to Sweden, but he fears that the Swedish government would deport him back to Greece.

The Norwegian immigration authorities say that, because Ali has said nothing about his finger prints in other countries, his overall asylum claim is baseless for them.

Sources:

1- Until the year 1893 the Hazaras made 67 % of the Population of Afghanistan
http://www.minorityrights.org/5440/afghanistan/hazaras.html

2- Hazaras' situation during the Taliban rule on Afghanistan
http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=2204122&fileOId=2204123

3- Prohibitions imposed by the Iranian authorities in 31 Iranian cities on Afghani refugees in Iran most of whom are Hazara
http://www.bartarinha.ir/fa/news/161985/%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%BA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%87%D8%A7-%D8%AF%DB%8C%DA%AF%D8%B1-%D8%AD%D9%82-%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%86%D8%AF

4- Prohibition of selling food to Afghani refugees in Iran
http://www.dw.de/%D9%85%D9%85%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B9%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B4-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%BA%D8%B0%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%85%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%BA%DB%8C%D8%B1%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86/a-16064711

5- Prohibition of Afghani refugees' entrance into Soffeh Park in Esfahan Iran

http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/iran/2012/04/120401_l10_iran_isfahan_afghans.shtml

6- Hazara refugees in Syria: we can not come out of this hell
http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/afghanistan/2013/08/130829_l09_afghan_refugees_in_syria
7- Murder of Hazaras by Taliban and other religious terrorist groups on the way to Hazara-inhabited provinces http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/officials-gunmen-kidnap-30-hazaras-in-southern-afghanistan/2015/02/24/b7ea0f82-bc01-11e4-9dfb-03366e719af8_story.html

Norway Should Stop Forced Deportation of Teenaged Afghanistan Immigrants

Kawa Gharji — 2014-11-08T21:23:46Z

The violence and abuse the majority of these young people has experienced or witnessed is much greater than the violence a normal person may have experienced entire of his lifetime. The culture they were brought up in has created moral restriction for them. Therefore, majority of them will not disclose the real reasons for their escape from Afghanistan.

It is nearly 12 years since the Taliban regime has fallen and a new government was established with the support of international communities accompanied by unprecedented support of people of Afghanistan. Over the past 100 years, no government in history of Afghanistan has experienced such level of widespread enthusiastic support. Before that, Afghanistan had the largest population of refugees. By 2005, a great number of Afghans from neighbouring countries returned to their home country. They hoped for an Afghanistan free of conflict, unrest and war. They were filled with joy and enthusiasm to be part of positive changes that were about to take place in Afghanistan. However, after 2005 people fled the country again. Taliban had regained power and could be of great threats on highways. They burnt schools, exploded bridges and build obstacles on the ways of those whose only wish was to live normally in their homeland.

Corrupted minister of Refugee and Repatriation Jamahir Anwari

Corrupted minister of Refugee and Repatriation Jamahir Anwari

The young and teenaged Afghanistanis witnessed that the presence of warlords, human rights violators and drug traffickers and a weak and corrupt government in one hand and growing threats by Taliban on the other hand have left no hope for the future of their country. They had no option but to flee Afghanistan. That was the reason these disappointed young Afghanistanis, by absence of positive changes in their country and inability to encounter Taliban threats and warlords, decided to move toward the Western countries. Majority of them were aware of the potential dangers they might encounter until they reach a safe country. They knew that the refugees on boats were drowned on the way from Indonesia to Australia or from Turkey to Greece. They knew that their peers get frozen and die smuggled on lorries' freezer on the way from France to England. They knew that at the event of a danger, the human traffickers rescue themselves first and use the refugees as human shields against bullets of border polices of Iran, Pakistan and Turkey. They knew they run the risk of getting exploited as sex slaves by traffickers. Despites all these risks, they decided to try their chance to reach a safe country in order to get education and have a future. It is because of the fact that the despair, fear and danger back in Afghanistan are much greater than the danger mentioned above.

Ghulam Nabi was coming in Norway when he was 17 . he deportet in 26 of oktober

Ghulam Nabi was coming in Norway when he was 17 . he deportet in 26 of oktober 2014

Ghulam Nabi was coming in Norway when he was 17 . he deportet in 26 of oktober 2014

When we speak of some one else's sorrow, it is hard to grasp and understand the entity and depths of the pain unless we have experienced it ourselves. We are not aware of grave pain of toothache until we experienced it. It is the same for pain of exile, despair and devastation. When a citizen of wealthy countries wishes to travel abroad, he/she just needs to pocket his/her passport and purchase a ticket. But for citizens of third world countries, particularly those from war-stricken countries such as Afghanistan, the humiliation and offence start right from the gates of foreign consulates. It starts from obligation to talk and disclose very private and public matters to long hours of interviews and waiting times. There is absolutely no guarantee if one can obtain a visa after enduring such conditions. After that, the humiliation starts through the ambivalent behaviours of immigration officers at the airports, long waiting time for checking one's passport from a ‘particular' country, the suspicion and doubt of immigration officers on one's real identity and finally irrelevant questioning which is only for annoying particular passengers.

The immigration officers of wealthy and semi-wealthy countries possess a list that contains names of 30 to 70 countries whose citizens should be treated in a particular way at the border. It is not because of the alphabetical order that Afghanistan is first on the list. It is because of the fear Afghanistan produces for its narcotic production, its terrorism and religious fundamentalism. No one bothers to think that individuals related to these three threats are more likely to have suspicious documentations. As a result, it is only the normal citizens who suffer. These are only for those who travel legally. But those who travel illegally and are smuggled are actually risking their life.

The pain of exile and separation from the environment one has been raised, the language we learnt from our mothers, the food we are accustomed to, friends and most importantly family members, become more devastating when one has to flee at his/her very young age. Although at this age one has reached a level of semi-matureness physically, but at this phase, teenaged persons are in greater need of care by their father and mother and teachers. It is at this period that teenager's character formation gets influenced by the surrounding environment and without essential supervision of the parents. A considerable number of refugees who flee Afghanistan are teenagers. The dangerous route, worries about one's family, encounter with human traffickers, the violence experienced by smugglers as well as border police during detention time, all together create a great psychological shock for these teenagers.

Every week Norway deport 7 to 27 person by force to Afghanistan

Every week Norway deport 7 to 27 person by force to Afghanistan

Every week Norway deport 7 to 27 person by force to Afghanistan

The violence and abuse the majority of these young people has experienced or witnessed is much greater than the violence a normal person may have experienced entire of his lifetime. The culture they were brought up in has created moral restriction for them. Therefore, majority of them will not disclose the real reasons for their escape from Afghanistan.

The weak government of Afghanistan has freed itself from any responsibility on education and training of children and teenagers of Afghanistan, which is similar to its inability and reluctance to provide security and response to very basic human needs of its citizens, which are the normal responsibilities of any state. Majority of the development projects that are implemented in Afghanistan are for sake of providing a ‘good report' only and not necessarily for brining a positive change in society. School textbooks in Afghanistan are filled with themes of particular ethnic, religious and lingual dominance, which influences children and teenagers' mentality. Besides, warlords promote their culture of killing, gambling, drug trafficking, pedophilia (not to be mistaken with homosexuality) as model and a way of living for society and support generalization and destigmatization of such customs. During past two years, 406 cases of honour killing and sexual abuse and rape have been reported in Afghanistan. It is highly likely that real number of cases are 10 times higher as many families prefer not to report such cases. That is why those who were exposed to sexual abuses cannot talk about their problems and prefer to make up stories, which do not necessarily convince the immigration officers of host countries.

After spending some years, some of these refugee teenagers are deported to their country. Their reasons for seeking refuge have not convinced the immigration offices of host countries. For example there are cases of refugees who stayed in Norway from the age of 13 to 18. They have encountered grave dangers on the way to Norway. They have waited more than 5 years in limbo and are finally told they should go back to their country. As their refugee status had not been recognized, they could not get education and could get only 300 hours of Norwegian language training. The time they had available was spent in loneliness and waiting and uncertainty. What prospect can they hope for once deported back to Afghanistan? To be in unfamiliar environment and ashamed of how one has been treated in the society where everybody knows about it, makes one unable to prove to be a positive element in society. His/her own country has not been able to protect him and address his/her basic needs at the time. His/her hope has been destroyed in Norway or any other European countries. Now the question is: What option the human being communities has left for the future of these young people? Do they have any other option but to join terrorist, criminal, and drug dealer's circles?

As a human being living in our shared planet, we should feel responsible. These young people have a bitter destiny and if we do not take care of them today, tomorrow our planet would not be a better place. Our tomorrow would be worse than our yesterdays and todays.

Norway: The Hell for Asylum Seekers

Kawa Gharji — 2014-11-06T19:43:46Z

Jannat Gul an Afghan asylum seeker who came Norway after crossing Greece, said, “he thought that he has escaped from the hell but now he observes that he has entered from one room of hell to another”. he added “Norwegian government tries different tactics to torture and compel asylum seekers to leave Norway. We are also not interested to leave in Norway, but we had filed our cases in this country. Therefore, if we go to any European country, they will send us back to Norway.”

Hamid, who lives near Oslo, says that it is very hard for him to go to sleep even though his asylum application is in process. Usually I do not sleep alone in a room because I get scared and Norway has turned into hell for Afghan asylum seekers. He has also complains about lengthy process of their application by the Norwegian immigration authority. Some asylum seekers cases have took almost 22 years to be processed.
Translated: Ishaq Mohammadi

“Norway police usually search for asylum seekers over the weekends. The reason police search and arrest asylum seekers over the weekends is because asylum seekers' lawyers are not in their offices and it is impossible for asylum seekers to get in touch with their lawyers. When everyone is asleep in early morning, they have been searching door to door to find asylum seekers to arrest them. First they knock the asylum seekers' doors. If they do not open the door immediately, the police break the doors and enter into the rooms. After entering into rooms, they handcuff the asylum seekers, without giving them any chances to pack their stuffs, and put them on the back of police cars or police trucks.” Naeem expressed, an asylum seeker who has spent six years in one of the Norway's refugee camp.

Ghulam Nabi is one of those asylums who was deported from Norway in October 26, 2014. He entered into Norway in 2008 when he was only seventeen years old and applied for refugee settlement. Between 2007 and 2009, Norway was accepting Afghan refugees and giving them settlements. However, waiting for two years, Nabi was rejected, and the Norway government told him that he can live in Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan, if other cities or provinces are unsafe for him.
At the end of 2009, while Ghulam Nabi was returning to his room, he was hit by a car in a crosswalk, and his back was severely injured. And he remained in medically-induced coma for two days. While in the hospital, Nabi received a denial letter from international protection UDI (the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration). When he got better, he was released from the hospital. Several days later, his back got worst. Since his refugee case was rejected from UDI, he did not receive the same treatment as Norwegians. At the begging of 2014, he found a hospital to do his back surgery. Several days after his surgery, he was deported, and he did not get a chance to see his doctor after surgery. Nabi says, “He filed a complaint against the women who hit him by a car, but because she was Norwegian, Norwegian police did not take any action.”

Right now, Nabi is in Kabul. He complains about IOM, Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan. Nabi says that he tries to follow up his car accident case through Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, but he is not given permission to talk to anyone in these departments. He says, “Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan treated me that if I want to be alive, it is better to not follow this case.” However, Nabi tries his best to report the misconduct of Norwegian police to the Human Right and get justice.
Ghulam Nabi is not the only handicap asylums who were deported. Abullah Hussaini is another asylum seeker who broke his leg while he was playing football, the night before he was deported. The Norway police did not provide and did not let him to have access to any medical treatment. Husaini has also been suffering from pain.
During the last three weeks, around 100 asylum seekers, including men, women, and children have been deported from Norway. Some of these deportees had lived in Norway for a long time and acquired education.

Hamid, who lives near Oslo, says that it is very hard for him to go to sleep even though his asylum application is in process. Usually I do not sleep alone in a room because I get scared and Norway has turned into hell for Afghan asylum seekers. He has also complains about lengthy process of their application by the Norwegian immigration authority. Some asylum seekers cases have took almost 22 years to be processed.
A large number of asylum applicants are still waiting for replies, and asylum seekers have not permitted to work. Only the applicants' children, who are under eighteen, can go to schools, but after that they have not have the right to continue their education. Recently, many primary schools have been denying enrolling children of asylum applicants. Also more than 50% of Norwegian communities denying rent out apartments to newly granted asylums.

To compare the standard of living, the apartments and camps for refugees are sub-standard. Due to this issue many fire eruption incidents have been occurred in those camps and apartments. Normally three or four asylum seekers have been living in one room. According to Norwegian newspapers and sites, due to harsh behavior and negligence of concerned authorities more than 150 asylums kids were disappeared just in one refugee camp located near Oslo last year. Many asylums became victim of drug and sex mafias, and some others compel to apply for asylums to other countries. Annually dozens of un-identified dead bodies are found across the Norway where a large numbers them are refugees.

Jannat Gul an Afghan asylum seeker who came Norway after crossing Greece, said, “he thought that he has escaped from the hell but now he observes that he has entered from one room of hell to another”. he added “Norwegian government tries different tactics to torture and compel asylum seekers to leave Norway. We are also not interested to leave in Norway, but we had filed our cases in this country. Therefore, if we go to any European country, they will send us back to Norway.”
Some leaked documents shows that Afghanistan Embassy has been helping Norway in deportation of Afghan asylum seekers, but no evidence has been seen. When handing the deportees and their documents to Afghan police, Norway police state that this deportation processes have been carried out with consent of Afghanistan Embassy, but none of these travel documents are approved by Afghan Embassy.

Turkish airline is the only airline which transports deportees from Norway and other European countries to Afghanistan.

15 reporters arrested, one news writer in custody, and the silence of the media and the human right activist of Afghanistan

Kawa Gharji — 2014-10-23T23:00:00Z

In Islam, the domain of beliefs is so widespread that it covers everything from God and the prophet to Ali Khamenei prostate and Mullah Omar's blind eye. It goes without saying that under such circumstances, simple matters like making a movie, drawing a cartoon, taking a picture, listening to music and many otherwise normal acts are now considered an insult on religion. It shouldn't be like that.

I do not read the Afghan Express newspaper regularly but I have read the article that caused a holdup for the newspaper and detention for 15 of its reporters.
In that short article, the writer criticizes the ISIS and the Taliban and their behaviors. He then discusses the issues of adultery and apostasy. It appears that the writers simply takes his complains directly to his creator and talks with God about his abilities and disabilities in a world that is full of villainy: I now want to talk to you, God. Tell me, what kind of a God are you? Have you gone mad? Will you truly be satisfied if they kill someone just because he no longer wanted to be a Muslim? If so, I have nothing to do with you anymore and will leave you at once. “Perhaps we can conclude that you were never kind to mankind. That you killed the sodomites simply because there homosexuals”.

Based on the hostility related verses of the Quran, the writer shows how rebels like ISIS and the Taliban justifies the killings of the innocent Shiites and Christians, raping and slaving of the women, and many other crimes in Iraq and other countries. The writer then asks God why rebels like the Taliban and ISIS will have to guard “values” when Quran says that God is the greatest.
There are several points in that article.
1- Complains and criticism about the way Muslims treat apostasy.
2- Condemning the brutal killing of the innocents by terroristic groups such as the Taliban and the ISIS.
3- Many questions about injustice and oppression that he, the writer, directly asks God.
This was the sum of what had been written on Afghan Express.

Reactions

The president of Afghanistan has given direct orders to the ministry of Information and Culture to check this newspaper's case in a dedicated manner. The council of Ministers too have shown reaction to the subject; Rasool Sayaf, one of the most ruthless warlord of his time, who is also accused by the human right activists of violating many human right laws, has named the reporters of this newspaper as infidels and pagans and called for severe punishments against them. Qutbudin Helal, one of the allies of Gulbudin Hekmatyar and a member of Hezb-e-Islami, the party responsible for destroying Kabul and killing thousands of people, has declared Jihad against these news reporters.

Instead of protecting these reporters, the news writer protection agencies in Afghanistan have stated that publishing such articles which stirs controversy and threatens unity by standing against religious values, is condemned by law.
In an interview with Radio Azadi, one of the high ranked members of the Taliban named Abdul Rahman Hotak, who is also accused of violation of the human rights rules, and yet currently works as a commissioner in the Afghanistan human rights committee, has also demanded that this news firm in particular the accused writer should be taken to the court. The commissioner went on to say that a simple apology is not enough for certain heinous crimes. He asks the Afghan Express members whether killing and rubbery could be forgiven simply by offering an apology? He also added that in Afghanistan the freedom of religion is one thing but an insult to our religion is a handful matter of its own and will not be taken lightly.
We should also mention here that when Abdul Rahman Hotak was appointed by Karzai as the commissioner of the Human Rights Committee, Brad Adams, the man in charge of watching over the Human Rights Committees in Asia, voiced his opinion and said that Karzai had hired a fox to guard the birds; it is only sensible that Karzai appoint someone qualified for the job, someone with a clear record.
Facebook users have also expressed their reactions to that article. Very few have defended the rights of the reporter to the freedom of speech. But many have condemned Mohammad Jawid Ahoor, the writer of this article instead of defending him and his rights. These people including a few of my own friends who themselves have been the victims of censorship in Afghanistan and had to face a court or even jail time. When almost everyone in Afghanistan has a basic knowledge of their religion, they argue that discussing religion should be left only to expert intellectuals in the matter. This is when we hardly ever have any of the latter.

The brawl over this article also has a few interesting marginal points too. Knowing that the writer of this article was a Hazara man from the province of Ghazni, the most discriminated minority in Afghanistan, the Perelman members have ill-treated the Ghazni leaders with metonymy and unkindness and the Taliban harassed four Hazara students en route to Ghazni. These four young men had nothing to do whatsoever with this article.

What are holy beliefs? What is an insult to holy beliefs?

Sanctities and things that are considered disrespectful to sanctities are different amongst different people and cultures. In every culture, there are holy matters and what is considered an insult to those matters. In religious issues however the line between a holy mater and criticism to that matter is very thin to the point where one Muslim man can fairly easily excommunicate another Muslim man or one Christian can do the same to another Christian.
A monkey, for example, is just an animal to the people of Afghanistan but the same animal is perceived as a God in India. Or a cow that evokes the appetite for a hamburger in our minds, is given the respect and authority of a God in India.
Mince and bats are usually considered gross in Afghanistan and people try to avoid contact with them but not so in some other parts of the world. In Thailand, Burma, and parts of India, these two creatures are sacred and must be approached with respect.
In Islam, the domain of beliefs is so widespread that it covers everything from God and the prophet to Ali Khamenei prostate and Mullah Omar's blind eye. It goes without saying that under such circumstances, simple matters like making a movie, drawing a cartoon, taking a picture, listening to music and many otherwise normal acts are now considered an insult to religion. It shouldn't be like that.
And it is therefore that a simple article on Afghan Express is merely labeled as an insult to Allah. Whether it is demanding equal rights for women by a Sheikh Muheq Nasab, or copying a few articles from the web by Kambakhsh, or naming a Jihadi militia working for Karzai a criminal, all and any of these could be easily called an insult to the sanctities in Afghanistan. This is precisely why a womanizing leader like Mohsinee or a war criminal like Sayaf argue their way out of the heat by labeling just about any kind of criticism of their characters as attack on Islamic values.
In this article on Afghan Express, I find nothing that can be considered an insult to sanctities of Islam. The crimes committed by the Taliban an ISIS is not justifiable just because they are done in the name of Islam and Allah and should not be defended for any sensible reason. And the fact that the writer chose to talk directly to God in a critical tone is merely his choice and no one else's business. The manner in which Sayaf, certain Islamic students and other illiterate Mullahs defend God and Islam is quite unsuitable. It reminds one of the story of Ibrahim. Ibrahim broke all sacred statues and argued that these statues could not even defend themselves so how can they be your Gods. The same is true when it comes to Mullahs in Afghanistan. On one hand, they consider Allah to be the greatest and the most powerful. On the other hand, they know that Allah cannot defend himself so it is for them to stand against any criticism of Allah, big or small, and deprive others of their freedom of opinion and speech and even kill them if not subdued. This is quite interesting. It is as if they have been hired by Allah himself to harass others in his name and this this is why no one can dare to defend the news writers and reporters.
Please consider the following: donkey, barbaric, bastard, ignorant, deaf-blind-mute, lecher, idiot, dumb, good for killing, four legged animal. These are the words used in Quran to describe certain non-Muslims but no one can consider these an insult to others. And yet if you use these same words to criticize Muslims then a serious act of insult has taken place. So would you argues that non-Muslims deserve such labels and name callings but Muslims don't?
1- Verse 5 of All-Jummah (62:5)
Those people that Torah has been forced upon them and who don't act by it, are like donkeys carrying a load. They are a bad story that rejected the verses of Quran and Allah will not guide oppressors.
2- Verse 28 of All-Tubah (9:28)
Hey you who believe in Allah, starting next year do not allow infidels near the mosque as they are unclean. And if you fear impoverishment, know that if Allah wants he will rid you of any need as he is wise and sage.
3- Verse 55 of All-Inqal (8:55)
The worst amongst you are those who do not believe in Allah and are infidels.
4- Verse 30 of All-Tuba
The Jews said Uzair is the son of God, the Christians said that Jesus is the son of God and these are the words and beliefs of those who do not have faith in Allah. Where will they go once Allah takes their lives?
5- Verse 161 of All-Baqara (2:161)
Allah, Angels and people all curse those who were nonbelievers and died as nonbelievers.
6- Verse 171 of All-Baqara (2:171)
The infidels are like Animals that you read something in their ears but they make no sense out of it; they are deaf, blind and mute.
7- Verse 22 of All-Inqal (8:22)
In the eyes of Allah the worst animals are those deaf and mute people who do not respond to the words of Allah.
8- Verse 59 of All-Maaeda (5:59)
Say: Those who believe in the book, do you chide us? Isn't it true that we believe in Allah and what he has sent to us, now and before, and that you are disobedient?
9- Verse 12 of Muhammad (47:12)
Those of you that are believers and act suitably will be bestowed by Allah in the heaven with streams flowing. Infidels may enjoy on Earth now but they will see no heaven and will burn in the fires of hill.
10- Verse 50 of All-Mudater (74:50) (Also check out verses 48 and 49 in this chapter)
They are wild like donkeys.
11- Verse 13 of All-Qalam (68:13)
Those who are arrogant and rebellious and owe their identity to things other than Allah are bastards.
12- Verse 67 of All_Anbya (21:67)
Cuss you and who you worship! Were you not thinking?
13- Verse 10 of All-Baqara (2:10)
They are sick at heart and Allah has added to their sickness and as penalty to their lies, this in itself is a severe punishment for them.
14- Verse 13 0f All-Baqara (2:13)
And when they are asked to turn to Allah like other people, they will say they are not stupid like other people. Be aware that it is them who are stupid and unaware and they don't know any better.
15- ???
16- Verse 110 of All-Umran (3:110)
Those of you that obey the promotion of virtue and prevention of evil are the best of people to Allah. You are the believers. It would be best for others to turn to Allah and become believers. Some of them will be considered faithful but most of them are wicked.
P.S- Since most readers don't appreciate very long articles, I truncated the article to the above section

The Afghans and the Norwegian Elections

Kawa Gharji — 2013-09-09T13:37:00Z

In spite of Norway's need for immigrants as a work power and human resource as well as to compensate the decrease of population but the Norwegian government for different reasons such as political, security and religious ones, does not have an equal treatment with all asylum seekers who arrive from different countries to Norway.

Translated by Amin Wahidi
The Norwegian Elections are held on September 9th. Economical plans and policies, especially taxation, growth of work opportunities, education and privatization, are the main hot debates in Norwegian Elections this year. The Norwegian parties have also programs related to the immigration issues that sometimes become too hot in the media.

Since the Norwegian government's policies regarding the refugees and asylum seekers are not made by the complete expertise, the replacement of governments would also affect the situation of asylum seekers and people who intent to live in this country.

In spite of Norway's need for immigrants as a work power and human resource as well as to compensate the decrease of population but the Norwegian government for different reasons such as political, security and religious ones, does not have an equal treatment with all asylum seekers who arrive from different countries to Norway.

Corrupted government systems and widespread corruption in the offices in countries which have a large number of fugitives and asylum seekers, has made it easy to fake any kind of documents, and this has become an excuse for the Norwegian government to easily reject many asylum applications while many immigrants from the Eastern European countries live and work easily in Norway. Right now for instance, thousands of asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq are in the refugee camps in Norway who are waiting for their asylum results. They are following the Norwegian Elections news with fears and concerns. Whatsoever the result of these Elections would be, however, it will affect these people and others who are waiting to join their family members in Norway.

Considering the election campaigns of the political parties in Norway, parties such as, “RV” Red Alliance, “SV” the Socialist Party or the Green Party from the left parties, from the conservatives, Liberal Party or the Christian Democrats, would win the election in a bigger alliance with a bigger party such as the AP Party, there will be hope for betterment of life for asylum seekers and refugees in this country but if the Progressive Party or the Conservative Party each wins the election alone with majority of seats, there will be risk for deportation of many Afghan asylum seekers back to Afghanistan.

Norway has a population of around five million people and about three millions are eligible to vote.

The participation average in 2009 election was estimated 76, 4 %. The Norwegian parliament is consisting of 169 seats. More than thirty political parties have participated in the election but there are only seven main political parties who have members in the current parliament. The Labor Party is the biggest party that has 64 members in the parliament. The estimation these days shows that The Labor Party is still on top but not a single party is able to make the government with an absolute majority and the coming government will also be a coalition government.

The Afghans and the Norwegian Elections

Based on the information provided by the Norwegian Ministry of Immigration, the first group of Afghan asylum seekers who entered Norway in 1996 was of sixteen people. Then in the later years thousand more came and now more than 17,000 Afghans live in Norway, most of whom are eligible to vote. Besides, there are still hundreds of people in the refugee camps waiting for the results of their asylum application.

Although voting is not obligatory but there is an excitement among the refugees and immigrants who are eligible to vote but what party will they vote?

Fatima, Asghari, a student in engineering faculty says, she would vote The Green Party, because they have good programs for the refugees and the immigrants. She says that this party is in favor of acceptance of more refugees in Norway and she believes if this party wins, many of her country fellows who are in the refugee camps would obtain visas to live in Norway. She reveals that she is a member The Youth and the Nature Organization and that she likes the eco programs and ecologic plans by presented by The Green Party.

Amir Ashna says that he would participate in this election because Norway is one of the ten main supporters of Afghanistan and it has got 500 soldiers in Afghanistan. He says that this country annually gives about 120 million USD funds to Afghanistan that is a remarkable amount of aid to his country of origin. He also says that based on which party wins the election, the amount of financial aids to Afghanistan would be determined. Amir Ashna votes to the party who has clear and useful plans for the refugees and asylum seekers.

Mustafa Elham, who has got his Norwegian passport, just a year ago, says that he had never had a chance to vote. There was war in Afghanistan and he had to flee his country. Wherever he had lived before, he had never had right to vote, because he did not have documents and papers. This is the first time in his life that he is voting, but he is still unsure which party to vote. First he wanted to vote The Labor Party, but he thinks that the Labor Party also makes stricter laws and regulations day after day against the refugees and asylum seekers. For him, it is important to see the betterment of the situation for his friends and fellows who still live in the refugee camps.

He says that the Socialist Party has good programs but they are so popular in Norway so at the end, he thinks the Socialist party would make a coalition with the Labor Party. He says that he has to think carefully before he votes.

For the Norwegian Parties, it is a very low-cost and effective campaign to raise the issue of immigration control etc, as the Norwegian citizens like many other European citizens who complain from economic crisis, believe that the immigration from the third-world countries has affected their economy and has decreased the level of their welfare.

There are parties, who take advantages of the situation and “they strike as long as the iron is hot!” They increase their anti-immigration campaigns and slogans to obtain more votes from the complaining citizens.

This election would determine that how the new government would deal with the situation of hundreds of Afghan asylum seekers and thousands of other asylum seekers from the countries in conflict that are waiting the revision of their asylum applications.

Paradox of Women's Freedom in Egypt and Afghanistan

Kawa Gharji, kawa gharji — 2011-11-23T10:15:00Z

How could a man be counted as a mantled person to participate in a referendum or passing rules that allows the husband of his sister to have more than one wife? Or prevent his sister from going to school? And shout such issues after victory of a bloody revolution?
Why should each revelation become a calamity for women's freedom?

Egyptian Girl: I unclothe to exist – Afghanistan's girls have to wear Burqas to live.
Author: Kawa Gharji
Translated by: Zafar Shayan
Aliaa Magda Elmahdy, a student in the Communication Department at Cairo University, caused pandemonium in different countries around the world by posting her sex photos to her personal weblog [and social networks such as Facebook and Twitter] in the last few days.
She declares repeling against censorship and advocation from freedom of speech, in addition to protesting against the prevalence of extrimists and their pressures on women becuase of the veil, as the main stimulus of her action.

One of my friends sent me the weblog link to the Egyptian girl last night; today some acquaintances were sitting together and they externally judged, seeing her photos that; “doubted she is from an honorable family. If she has a father or a brother, they should decollate her with a knife…
Generally, we can divide those, who have written to taunt this lady, to the following categories:
a) Some predicate the action of this lady as radical and irresponsible, which has no benefit to the democratic movement, causing instead, to enhance the power of Islamists.
b) Some predicate this action as an insult to the emotions, beliefs and thoughts of the people, leading to fear of Egyptian conservatives from the reformers movement.
c) Some state that uncovering one's body has no relevance to freedom and…
d) Some convey this action comes from anti-Islamic politics of America and England. They have written that they want to deflect the Islamic revolution of Egyptians, therefore insulting Islam and Muslims in other ways this time.
e) Some go beyond the points mentioned above; they want to act according to the Islamic rules (Sharia Law) and thus stone this young Egyptian girl, because she is encouraging the people to debauchery and immorality through her actions.
The act of this Egyptian girl happened just a few days after the nomination of a woman as the candidate represnting the Salfi Noor party at the election. The candidate put the picture of a flower instead of her own picture in her election posters; in the second poster they removed the flower and put the picture of her spouse in the poster.

There was no reaction from the democratic and civil societies in Egypt or in other countries after the distribution of the election posters. The sileince of the civil societies in Egypt can be evaluated from different angles:
– The sileince of the secular and reformer rings can be the result of fear from the extremist forces of Ekhwan-u-l Muslemin.
– Respecting to the beliefes and thoughts of Ekhwan-u-l Muslemin as well as normality violence against women in Islamic countries can also be the reasons for their silence.
Hearing non-participation of women in elections and not having the rights to vote, drive, divorce, as well as stoning and force marriages in Islamic countries have become the norm for many people of the world because of the usual discrimination against women's rights, in addition to no publication broadcasting the action of the Noor party. Misuse of women in elections is not a new act; we have the same problem in Afghanistan.
The question here is that, if a woman cannot put her own photo on her election poster; how can she solve the problems of her constituents beside other male politicians when she succeeds.
The arguments I mentioned above are considerable. Is putting the photo of a candidate's husband and misusing of a party from a woman acceptable? Or is it acceptable that the majority of Islamic parties try to pass and legalize laws that give men the rights to have many wives or stone women and cut their hands and legs?
Such issues are not even predicated as considerable or as radical actions; instead the operators want the people to respect them. However, the issuance of an uncover photo of a girl raises chaos and is portrayed as a radical action.
Why is the basis of this religion so feckless according to its defenders point of view, which quakes by the issuance of uncovered photos of an Egyptian girl and raises pandemonium from Iran to Egypt and America?
Why should Muslims account every action as an insult to the religion and even though the Egyptian girl clearly declares that she doesn't believe in religion, why is accepting the right to choose this way so difficult for majority of Muslims?
How could a man be counted as a mattled person to participate in a refrendum or passing rules that allows the husband of his sister to have more than one wife? Or prevent his sister from going to school? And shout such issues after victory of a bloody revulotion?
Why should each revulotion become a calamity for women's freedom?
How can we judge based on religion, culture and tradition when this girl has revolted against them?
Why do those men who bulge their vessel of masculinity when seeing a nude photo of a girl in the internet, do not get angry when they hear about the unclothing of immature Afghan, Iranian and Arabic girls, which daily we read and hear from the media, who uncloth theirselves to the sexual pleasure of people like Muhsini and others to satisfy their animal rut. (Muhsini is a well known case where a mullah took advantage of a minor age girl for his own sexual pleasure. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Asif_Muhsini)
Aliaa, in response to her opposition stated in her weblog:
”First you should judge those women in the early 70's who would stand as naked models in front of male artists, you should hide the artistic books, break the nude statues, then you should stand naked infront of the mirror and burn your bodies, which you see as scornful in order to release yourself from sexual frastration before disrespecting me with gender discrimination as well as taking the right of freedom of sepeech from me.
Nudity, for human beings, can be the symbol of their dominance on their bodies and can put it as the thermometer of democracy and absences of censorship in a country. Democracy and freedom, which Muhammad Bo Azizi with burning himself and Aliaa with uncovering herself against combinations of thousands of humiliated people who put their humiliations behind the religion and tradition and shame from their humiliated images in the mirror, wish that.
What is going on in Afghanistan? I heard the stoning of a mother and her daughter in Ghazni province two weeks ago. The daughter with her mother, who had lost her husband and sons in a dog fighting competition a few years ago, were obligated to do anything to find food.

However, half of the eligible voting population were women in the last four elections in ten years, but no woman could receive enough votes as men could in each province and the reasons for this was also clear. Afghanistan's news of exchanging women with donkeys and selling them, cutting their noses, ears and burning them, in addition to violence against them have top position in the world.
In protests, movements and revolutions which occurred during the last few months, different Islamic parties tried to misuse the condition and accept middle age thoughts; they have been a little successful.
– Tunisia wants to codify a new constitution based on Islamic rules and Egypt has announced this issue many times as well.
– After the bloody revolution in Libya, which was full of unspeakable crimes, with support of other countries the revolutionary council announced that it will formally recognize polygamy and will carry out Islamic rules. It can seriously be a sign of threat for women in Libya and undoubted women will be the first scarifies of recent changes to the Arabic world.
According to BBC news, photos and statistics broadcasted by different medias in these recent months, one can convey that veiled women with Burqas has increases in Egypt, and the tendency to secularism in the Egyptian society, which was increasing from the initial of the 20th century to the middle of 1970s, is decreasing daily and with the downfall of Husni Mobarak, extensive extremist groups of Wahhabis and Salafies came from Saudi Arabia to Libya with enormous amount of money.
I suggest you to read the following interview of Aliaa Magda Elmahdy, the Egyptian girl, with CNN:
Mention: the published photos of this girl are not porn (پارنو) photos, but they are based on the method of American famous photographer, Spencer Tonic, who works against racism, attractiveness of people's attention to melt of axis's ices and …. He has made three films on his works yet.

Thousand and Four Hundreds Years of Arabs' Domination on Afghanistan”

Kawa Gharji — 2011-01-07T14:37:00Z

Words such as, Holy War for God's sake, democracy and communism, were all the time the mottos and words to conceal the economic aspects of invasions of the countries.

The Arabs came with the name of Allah and committed crimes, the British came by the name of supporting a king, the Russians came by the name of communism and finally the Americans came in by the name of liberty and democracy, but the first victims of all these invaders were their own mottos; Allah, Communism and Democracy.

A few days ago, I received the first and second volumes of the book “a Thousand and Four Hundreds Years of Arabs' Domination on Afghanistan” and I took the advantage of long winter nights to read them.

The simple language and fluency of the book was a good point that made it easy to read for a vast range of readers from different levels. The book contained information from various rich sources which shows the patience of he author and his loyalty with the motherland Afghanistan.

Though the author writes in the preface of the book, that he doesn't intend to write a history of Afghanistan, but only wants to point-out the negative aftermaths of Arab's attacks and domination of Afghanistan though centuries, which has caused vast damages and cultural losses in this country, but they way he has gathered the information his work is one of the rare investigative history books in Afghanistan.

Before this book, authors such as, Shujaudeen Shefa, Doctor Ansari and Ali Dashti each with the same point of view has written books on Islam, but writing some books in this regards would not be the end of the way, especially nowadays when the various Islamic interpretations, sects and religious parties are taking our country towards the edge and the international religious terrorism threatens the world.

Islam is a religion that has a prepared order for everything by referring them to back to on thousand and four hundred years back, therefore there is need of writing many books in this regard, especially I wish more success for the author Solaiman Rawesh and others who write about the issue.

This book is different from previous ones because, it is written only about the Arabs' attacks and domination on Khorasan, which is the present geography of Afghanistan. Therefore it could be considered a good resource for the new generation that is interesting about the history of the country.

It is a good step, writing about the historically, cultural and religious identity of motherland, but it needs more time and patience until its gives results. The situation of the central Asian countries which were under the USSR, is not comparable to the period and duration of Arabs' domination on Afghanistan, but each of these countries during these twenty years has had a lot to say regarding renewal of their own identity.

The Russians' dominancy on Central Asia has caused the disappearance of many different local cultures and languages such as Qara-Qalpaqi etc, and during these twenty years of their independence they are still unable to rehabilitate their native culture and language.

Considering this fact, for us as Afghanistani people, it is much harder to return back to the history of more than a millennium ago and find back and rehabilitate the cultural richness once we owned; if not impossible, it is just too hard to do so, while in the current time, Bamyan and Balkh are just remained by their names and many common people are unable to pronounce correctly the name “Zarathustra”.

Although, the historians claim that Arabs' attacks on lands such as Afghanistan, were for the purpose of God's message, but the repetitive emphasis of this author on economical aspects of Arabs' attacks on Afghanistan show that the Arabs were mobilized to attack on this country only for collecting war plunders and taking slaves and bondwomen back with them to their homeland, rather than leading people to their religion.

Words such as, Holy War for God's sake, democracy and communism, were all the time the mottos and words to conceal the economic aspects of invasions of the countries.

The Arabs came with the name of Allah and committed crimes, the British came by the name of supporting a king, the Russians came by the name of communism and finally the Americans came in by the name of liberty and democracy, but the first victims of all these invaders were their own mottos; Allah, Communism and Democracy.

This book and many other books in this regard, discuss the issue of Arab Invasion of Afghanistan and Iran and reminds with regrets, the pre-Arab-Domination period, the glorious history of these two lands with rich cultures and religions. It also rises many questions in mind that how the Arabs could expand their empire up to Khujand and India just in 10- 20 years after Caliph Omar's death.

Coming from deserts, how these uncivilized Arabs could impose their religion on civilized people of these lands? Only sword and taxes can not be the reasons to be able to impose a religion on a land. The people on this land, even before Islam, as well, paid taxes to their ruling government, and the Zoroastrian temples as well, benefited a lot from such incomes. One of the reasons, that caused the Sasanian Empire crush was, people's dissatisfaction from the Zoroastrian temples that misused their power and put people under pressure by looting them.

In the ruler's class system of that time, after the king and seven royal families, the religious clergies were in the second level, and then were the military officials and soldiers in the next level and then farmers and ordinary people in the lower levels.

With a look at the history of Afghanistan, and the war in the Indian sub-continent, and the current situation of Afghanistan as an Islamic state, I can say that any religion has a potential to become violent and terrorist; whether it is a Celestial or a Terrestrial religion, so it is better to search for peace and prosperity non in the religion but in other things in life.

It was just a short not, after reading the first volume of the book.

Stoning of women and Islam

Kawa Gharji — 2010-11-14T14:37:00Z

In this situation, where the current government requests to make peace with the Taliban, and yet, there are the people who still remember Taliban's atrocities and crimes which were justified on basis of verses of Koran. Watching this film and remembering the violence of Taliban in Afghanistan which is unfortunately still happening, caused that I write these few sentences while reviewing the verses of Koran and Islamic Sharia Laws about the stoning.

Two days ago, a friend of mine sent me a film called "The Stoning of Soraya". This film was created on the basis of Fraidun's Novel and was directed by Siros Nawrasta. The film depicted the harsh realities of Islamic Sharia laws that had violated Human Rights in Iran.

Some of the scenes are so shocking that my mind was kept occupied to them, although I am an Afghanistani and even though I see such violence in my country every day.

This film is about the life and death of a woman who is stoned to death in Iran. This woman's husband wants to get married with a young and minor-aged girl, but as he doesn't have the ability to economically support both of his wives, he asks Soraya to divorce. But Soraya does not agree to divorce. Therefore, Soraya's husband devises a plan and asks Soraya to work in a local man's house who has lost his wife.

Soraya's husband together with the local mullah accuses her of adultery. And as a consequence, Soraya is convicted of adultery and in accordance with the Islamic Sharia Law she is then sentenced to death by stoning.

I wanted to describe this film properly. But I thought it would be better that I recommend you to see this film. Because the film is not sacrilegious to Islam, but illustrates the fact that how the Islamic laws can be manipulated as a tool by those who are crazy for power and lust. And how the violence of human rights and violence against women is justified and legalized by the verses of Koran and the Islamic Sharia law. I had myself witnessed a stoning session in Ghazni province which was such a brutal act with those terrible and bloody scenes.

In this situation, where the current government requests to make peace with the Taliban, and yet, there are the people who still remember Taliban's atrocities and crimes which were justified on basis of verses of Koran. Watching this film and remembering the violence of Taliban in Afghanistan which is unfortunately still happening, caused that I write these few sentences while reviewing the verses of Koran and Islamic Sharia Laws about the stoning.

How educated are Taliban to know and understand the verses of Quran? How inhumane and apathetic are Taliban who have no feeling of pity to other human beings? And the slavery of Taliban for other countries is another topic. But all these things, actually enables me to address about the following problem.

Does stoning sentence in Islam have a legal basis? Or in other words: Is the stoning sentence a certain criminal code of Islam?

To answer this question, it is necessary to search any historical records of this punishment in history books.

According to the written books we have today, the history of Stoning-to-Death goes as far as 600 years before the birth of Christ. But this was a punishment exercised only on military personnel and soldiers. It was a punishment for those who would fall asleep while on duty. But after the emergence of the religion of Judaism, this punishment become more official and entered into the criminal code. This particular punishment was then exercised on those who committed adultery and murder. There is even evidence of stoning punishment exercised on animals.

In Chapter 21 and 22 of Exodus, in Moses commandments it is written that "If a cow attacks a man or woman by its horn, which results in the attacked person's death. The cow shall be stoned to death and its meat shall not be edible. But the owner of the cow is innocent.

But if the cow is habitual to attacking people with its horns and yet the owner does not contain and tie the cow, then the cow shall be stoned to death and the owner shall be killed. And if the cow attacks a slave, the owner shall receive 30 Misqal silver and the cow shall be stoned to death.

Although there is no direct reference to stoning in Koran, despite the detailed reference of stoning in the Jews' holy book. But in Islam, many of the Islamic Sharia Laws are inferred from the Sunnat of Prophet Mohammad. As an example, in verse 19 of Sura Loqman, Koran states: “The most hideous of voices, is a donkey's voice.” While the majority of Muslim countries use donkeys in daily life. As another example, although there has never been anything bad about “dog” mentioned in the Koran, and Sura 18 of Koran states that:

Translation: And you would think them awake, while they were asleep. And We turned them to the right and to the left, while their dog stretched his forelegs at the entrance. If you had looked at them, you would have turned from them in flight and been filled by them with terror.

On the contrary, Muslim people in general think of dogs as unclean due to the Sunnat of Prophet Mohammad. As one of the Prophet's Hadith states, “Translation: The angels will not enter a house where there is dog or pictures.”

The Sunnis have gone even farther than just thinking of dogs as unclean, hence the enmity of Taliban with Televisions and paintings and sculptures has roots all the way to these Hadith narrated from Prophet Mohammad. And there is no reference of such things in Koran.

Because in Quran, it is stated that, “Translation: They made for him whatever he wanted, arches, statues, bowls as basins, and fixed cauldrons. (We said:) 'Give thanks, House of David and work' Yet only a few of My worshipers are thankful.”

Although the Sura in Koran which states about the donkey's voice is questionable, because the good and the bad, beauty and unattractiveness is what we humans calculate according to our senses and needs, and therefore has a meaning for us. But (excuse me) why God has created the donkey in first place, if He hated the donkey's voice? Is God hearing like humans?

In order to avoid a lengthy essay, I don't want to go into this discussion. But I want to expose this to discussion: If Muslims think that Koran is the word of God and complete and the basis of legislation, and is brought to guide the people in the right way, and there is no reference about the dog being unclean or about death by stoning. Why do the Muslims still believe in these things and still exercise them?

There are some narrations that there is a Sura called Rajam (Stoning to death) in Koran. And they narrate that this Sura was eaten by a goat and is therefore destroyed. Some other books describe that this particular Surah was destroyed by Aisha, the champion woman of that time who did not thoroughly obey to Mohammad.

Alshabi narrates in the book Sahih Bokhari, that “After Ali stoned a woman to death in a Friday, he told he had stoned to death according to the Sunnat of the Prophet.

Elsewhere in this book is stated where Ibn Abbas was quoted as saying: Omar said: God sent His Messenger and revealed him a book. And within that book was the verse of “stoning” so we read it and understood it all. The Prophet stoned, and we did too. I was afraid if someone after sometime would say “I swear to God we do not see this verse in Koran.” Then he would be deviated after failing to exercise one of the God's orders.

But the only verse which has mentioned “stoning” in Koran and exists today, is in Sura Maida, which tells the story of a Jewish man and woman who have had sexual intercourse without being married. And they were stoned to death by Mohammad in accordance with the laws of Torah, which means that Mohammad shows his agreement with the commandments of Moses God.

Now whether at first, there existed a verse about “stoning” in the Koran, or not existed. But for now Stoning is a known punishment in penal laws of Islam and is well-known and practiced in many of the Muslim countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia, the United Arabic Emirates, Sudan and Nigeria. The practice of stoning is like: the convicted person shall be wrapped up in a white cloth and then burry till buttocks if man or till waist if woman. And after that people who have gathered around shall hit them with a relatively middle-sized stones until they both die of a slow death and distress. These brutal actions are justified as the narrative Hadith or traditions of Muhammad.

Although there are some among Muslims who condemn stoning so they can show a beautiful figure of Islam. And they substantiate it as the nonexistence of such order in Koran itself. But Islam is not only comprised of Koran. Koran mostly deals with the generalities of problems and acts just as a constitution which is then explained in detail in many other laws and jurisprudence. And Sunnat is also one of the trustworthy Islamic jurisprudences which deals with penal code and religious obligations and explains in detail the quality and execution of such orders and laws.

The power of Sunnat in Islam is to the extent that, as I mentioned earlier, Muhammad's personal view of the dog as unclean is today widely accepted among Muslims, despite there is no such reference in Koran.

In Koran most of the issues are not explained and even the religious obligations like prayer and fasting and Zakat and Khums have been pointed out briefly. But the limits and methods and quantities and frequencies of prayer and the number of times to be practiced is explained in Sunnat and Islamic jurisprudence.

Among Muslims, there are many other issues that have not been mentioned in Koran. For example “circumcision”. There is no evidence about whether Muhammad himself was circumcised. Because according to Muslim beliefs, Mohammed was born circumcised. The reason which Mullah Muhsin Kashani a renowned Islamic scholars describes, is “By exercising circumcision, we tie with our blood an unbroken pact with God.” This shows the vulgarity of reasoning in extreme. Why do people have to sign the treaty with blood of their penises? Why, if circumcision is good for men's health, women in many Islamic countries, despite the losses the doctors have proved, are still circumcised?

One of the reasons of the civil wars in Muslim world is Koran's generalization of matters and its quietness before many of the issues and obsoleted verses and different narrations of Sunnat of Mohammad. I cannot find a Muslim in the world who accepts all the narrations and Sunnat like Sahih Bukhari, Nahj al Balagha, al-Sahih Muslim, Musnad Ahmad, Alsenin Aldarmy, Almahaly, etc.

In such circumstance, schools of thought and parties understand differently of Islam. And everyone will try to prove their legitimacy so they hold the flag of Jihhad and commence wars on the innocent people.

The first verse in the Qur'an that deals with issues related to sexual relations, is about sanction, which states: "Do not get near the adultery, because it is something terrible and the worst way." Sura Al Usaraa Verse 32.

The verse that came before it (Sura Al Furqan verse 68) refers to the moral qualities of a faithful, saying: " And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed], except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty."

Since there is death penalty to those who invoke another deity with God and those who murder, therefore committing sexual act outside of marriage can also be a form of retribution.

In the seventh or eighth year AH, the punishment of men and women committing adultery is clearly explained in Koran which states that the punishment for adultery and a man or woman adulterer, is one hundred whiplashes in public. Following this verse, there is another verse which has clarified that marriage is forbidden with a man or a woman who is adulterer. Look at this Sura Al Nur Verses 2 and 3:

Translation: The [unmarried] woman or [unmarried] man found guilty of sexual intercourse - lash each one of them with a hundred lashes, and do not be taken by pity for them in the religion of Allah, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a group of the believers witness their punishment. The fornicator does not marry except a [female] fornicator or polytheist, and none marries her except a fornicator or a polytheist, and that has been made unlawful to the believers.

In other part of Sura Nisaa has been stated that: the women who commit adultery, keep them in homes until they die.

When I see all these contradictions, I remember the peom of Hafez in form of sweet irony:

Translation:

Our elder said, “On the Creator's pen, passed no error”

Well done to his pure sight error-covering!

Considering the fact that in the religion of Jews and Christians there are more verses with more details about “stoning” and other issues that are in contradiction with the current world and Human Rights, but these religions are always called peaceful and benevolent over mankind. It is necessary that Muslims too should change many of the issues in their religion which is not acceptable and applicable in today's world.

The reason that Islam is equivalent with violence in today's world, is the history of Islam and bloodshed in wars of Mohammad at the beginning and the civil wars of Muslims with violence and brutalities, as well as disregard to the different dimensions of Islam.

Most of the Muslims have only learned a handful of words such as Jihad and killing, locking and plundering and stoning and imprisoning. And then they teach these to others and apply them in their lives. While in Koran, although less mentioned, but again there are speeches of loving mankind and benevolence. Such issues are also preached which are good for the benefit of the society as well as for Islam.

Summoning thousands of teenagers and elders and children in sessions of stoning to death and beheading by the Taliban, which I experienced once myself and was forced to bear the witness to that which I never forget, is nothing but the promotion of violence and aggression. And people must campaign against such brutalities and be aware that the current puppet government which is seeking ways to sign peace with Taliban will in fact take Afghanistan once again towards the time of barbarism and savagism.

Women, religious and female -phoebe culture

Kawa Gharji — 2010-03-29T13:37:00Z

Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance – [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand.” An Nesa verse 34.

People eager to interoperate Quranic verses may do so using demagogy, but no one can deny the institutionalized violence against women based on those very verses and consequently the culture that takes its roots from Islam and its canonical principles. That is why it is obvious that even after collapse of Islamic regime in Afghanistan the struggle for equality of rights will not find its end.

“Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance – [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand.” An Nesa verse 34.

Level of progress and prosperity of a society is interdependent with the level of socio-cultural growth of the society. Their involvement is a key issue in the process of development of a society. Despotism of religious dogma in Afghanistan prevents more than half of the population to take part in building their country. Hippocratic morality based on religious tradition doesn't allow men to accept the concept of equality on the gender bases. Therefore women are facing extra difficulties in war-torn country that continues its struggle for survival. War, warlardism, produce and smuggling of drugs and instability, shadow economy, raise of criminal activities affect all afghans regardless all other parameters but they worsening life of women more than the men. All those challenges can effect the life outside the homes, but patriarchal system of life inside the families leave no chance for self-realization even in the framework of house and families.

Institutionalized female-phoebe has changed the viewpoint of women to themselves as well. They cannot behave confidently because they have accepted their role is not significant in the society and family. They have accepted the superiority of men. Females from the early ages are educated in a way to look at themselves as second hand category of human beings. School, education, scientific, social, cultural, economic and political carriers are only for men and only families with low degree of honour let their girl-kids to school. Since, according Islam, man is responsible to take care of financial aspect of family life, making a carrier for a girl is something unnecessary. Women's natural desire of self-realization transforms into luxury, expensive jewellery, etc. with the lack of tradition of ads of women belongings, most of the jewellery lacks even ordinary taste. As soon as you enter a wedding ceremony you will often see women with one kilogram jewellery on them.

Is that possible for such a woman to grow up new generation full of imagination and creativity? Women who themselves accepts wrong concepts that are based on religious and backward costumes? Family is the first place (the cradle) we are educated. Our moral principles, our mentality, our concepts of good and evil and our information on world as it is get formed inside the family. And mother is the first educator who, by her own behaviour forms our every thing, including our personality. That is why an educated, modern mother is so needed in our families.

There were some publications written by Muhaqeq Nasab and Latif Pedram about women rights. They were brought to court soon after those articles were published. We have plenty of organizations that are refisted as human and women writs protectors but no one of them did anything to protect Muhaqeq Nasab and Pedram simply because the female managers of those organizations did not find themselves worthy or brave enough to interfere. It is not a secret that most of those organizations are just for show case to demonstrate so called loyalty of the government and positive achievements of international intervention to Afghanistan.

It is not enough to criticize the female-phoebe habits and discriminative laws in order to equalize the rights of Afghan citizens regardless to their gender. We need to either reform Islam as it was done in some other religious, for instance Christianity or to propagate for critical rationalistic approach toward religious and traditions because most of the customs and laws are based on religious and traditions.

Our struggle for equality of women and men puts us in confronting position against God well, Quran verses and religious beliefs and consequently struggle for equality can be interpreted as struggle against Islam.

One can find a great number of verses that are against human rights. Life of any ordinary women in Afghan society is a good illustration of cruel violence of human, especially women rights in name of God. Girls are not allowed to study at schools because it is said, “the ability of reading Quran is enough for a woman”. Then she is forced to marry someone she doesn't know. And she has to live with him her entire life. Religious based costumes practically leave no options for women who don't want to live with their husbands- a husband that she has not even chosen. As a result any afford toward institutionalization of women rights in an Islamic society can be considered as an infidel act of non-believers.

Here are some verses of Quran, which are controversial to fundamental concepts of human rights of women:

BAQARA 178:

O you who have believed, prescribed for you is legal retribution for those murdered – the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But whoever overlooks from his brother anything, then there should be a suitable follow-up and payment to him with good conduct. This is an alleviation from your Lord and a mercy. But whoever transgresses after that will have a painful punishment.

BAQARA 221:

And do not marry polytheistic women until they believe. And a believing slave woman is better than a polytheist, even though she might please you. And do not marry polytheistic men [to your women] until they believe. And a believing slave is better than a polytheist, even though he might please you. Those invite [you] to the Fire, but Allah invites to Paradise and to forgiveness, by His permission. And He makes clear His verses to the people that perhaps they may remember.

BAQARA 222:

And they ask you about menstruation. Say, “It is harm, so keep away from wives during menstruation. And do not approach them until they are pure. And when they have purified themselves, then come to them from where Allah has ordained for you. Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.”

BAQARA 228:

Divorced women remain in waiting for three periods, and it is not lawful for them to conceal what Allah has created in their wombs if they believe in Allah and the Last Day. And their husbands have more right to take them back in this [period] if they want reconciliation. And due to the wives is similar to what is expected of them, according to what is reasonable. But the men have a degree over them [in responsibility and authority]. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.

BAQARA 229:

Divorce is twice. Then, either keep [her] in an acceptable manner or release [her] with good treatment. And it is not lawful for you to take anything of what you have given them unless both fear that they will not be able to keep [within] the limits of Allah . But if you fear that they will not keep [within] the limits of Allah , then there is no blame upon either of them concerning that by which she ransoms herself. These are the limits of Allah , so do not transgress them. And whoever transgresses the limits of Allah – it is those who are the wrongdoers.

BAQARA 230:

And if he has divorced her [for the third time], then she is not lawful to him afterward until [after] she marries a husband other than him. And if the latter husband divorces her [or dies], there is no blame upon the woman and her former husband for returning to each other if they think that they can keep [within] the limits of Allah . These are the limits of Allah , which He makes clear to a people who know.

BAQARA 235:

There is no blame upon you for that to which you [indirectly] allude concerning a proposal to women or for what you conceal within yourselves. Allah knows that you will have them in mind. But do not promise them secretly except for saying a proper saying. And do not determine to undertake a marriage contract until the decreed period reaches its end. And know that Allah knows what is within yourselves, so beware of Him. And know that Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing.

BAQARA 237:

And if you divorce them before you have touched them and you have already specified for them an obligation, then [give] half of what you specified – unless they forego the right or the one in whose hand is the marriage contract foregoes it. And to forego it is nearer to righteousness. And do not forget graciousness between you. Indeed Allah , of whatever you do, is Seeing.

BAQARA 282:

O you who have believed, when you contract a debt for a specified term, write it down. And let a scribe write [it] between you in justice. Let no scribe refuse to write as Allah has taught him. So let him write and let the one who has the obligation dictate. And let him fear Allah , his Lord, and not leave anything out of it. But if the one who has the obligation is of limited understanding or weak or unable to dictate himself, then let his guardian dictate in justice. And bring to witness two witnesses from among your men. And if there are not two men [available], then a man and two women from those whom you accept as witnesses – so that if one of the women errs, then the other can remind her. And let not the witnesses refuse when they are called upon. And do not be [too] weary to write it, whether it is small or large, for its [specified] term. That is more just in the sight of Allah and stronger as evidence and more likely to prevent doubt between you, except when it is an immediate transaction which you conduct among yourselves. For [then] there is no blame upon you if you do not write it. And take witnesses when you conclude a contract. Let no scribe be harmed or any witness. For if you do so, indeed, it is [grave] disobedience in you. And fear Allah . And Allah teaches you. And Allah is Knowing of all things.

All these verses are from one Sura Baqara. One can find lots of them especially in Sura Noor, Al ahzab and Al nessa.

Women, religious and misogynistic culture

Kawa Gharji — 2010-03-09T14:16:00Z

Not too long ago, there were some publications written by Muhaqeq Nasab and Latif Pedram about women rights. Both of them were brought to court soon after the articles were published. We have plenty of organizations that are registered as human/women right protectors but none of them took action to defend Muhaqeq Nasab and Pedram partially because the female managers in these organizations did not find the matter worthy or themselves brave enough to interfere. It is not a secret that most of these organizations are merely to show case and demonstrate loyalty of the government and its positive achievements to the international community in Afghanistan.

Some people are keen to interoperate verses of the Quran by using demagogy. But even these individuals can't deny the level of institutionalized violence elevated against women based on their interpretation of the Quran. Slowly, their deed troops in a culture that forms the so called fundamental Islam. Therefore it is obvious that even after the collapse of Islamic regime in Afghanistan, the struggle for equality will not see an end.

We read in An-Nesa verse 34: “Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance – [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand.”

The level of progress and prosperity in a society is interdependent with the level of socio-cultural growth in that same society. The level of involvement of women is also a key issue in the process of social development. Despotism of religious dogma in Afghanistan prevents more than half of the population from taking part in building their country. Hippocratic morality based on religious tradition doesn't allow men to accept the concept of gender-based equality. As a result, women are facing more hardship in a war-torn country that continues its struggle for survival. The factors affecting criminal activities in Afghanistan include: war, produce and smuggle of drugs, instability, warlordism, shady economy. These factors, above all other parameters, are worsening the life of women more than men and therefore create challenges that significantly affect the life outside homes. On the other hand, the patriarchal system of living inside families leave no chance for self-realization even in the framework of a modern family.

Institutionalized misogyny has even changed a woman's point of view about herself. Women have low self-esteem because they have accepted their value to be less of a man and thus they are not important to the society or to their families. Men are superior, in their mind, this is a fact. Women from early ages are thought to look at themselves as a second hand category of humans. School, education, scientific, social, cultural, economic and political carriers are only for men. Common belief is that only those families with low degree of honor let their daughters go to school. According to Islam, men are responsible for taking care of financial aspects of their families, thus having a carrier for a girl is something unnecessary. Women's natural desire of self-realization transforms into a desire for luxury, expensive jewellery, etc. Upon entering a wedding party, you will often see women with one-kilogram jewellery or more on them.

Is it possible for such women to rise a new generation full of imagination and creativity; Women who themselves accept false concepts that are based on backward religious costumes? Family is the first place (the cradle) where we are educated. Our moral principles, our mentality, our concepts of good and bad and our knowledge of the world as it is, get shaped in our families. Mothers are the first educators that, by their own behaviors, shape our personalities. That is why educated and liberal mothers are so needed in our families.

Not too long ago, there were some publications written by Muhaqeq Nasab and Latif Pedram about women rights. Both of them were brought to court soon after the articles were published. We have plenty of organizations that are registered as human/women right protectors but none of them took action to defend Muhaqeq Nasab and Pedram partially because the female managers in these organizations did not find the matter worthy or themselves brave enough to interfere. It is not a secret that most of these organizations are merely to show case and demonstrate loyalty of the government and its positive achievements to the international community in Afghanistan.

Criticizing the misogynistic habits and discriminative laws is not enough to equalize the rights of Afghan citizens regardless of their gender. We need to either reform Islam as it was done in some other religious, for instance Christianity, or propagate for critical rationalistic approach towards religion and tradition since most of these customs and laws are based on religion and tradition.

The struggle for equality for women and men puts us in a confronting position against God well, Quran verses and religious beliefs. Consequently, the struggle for equality can be interpreted as a battle against Islam.

One can find a great number of verses in Quran that are against human rights. The life of any ordinary woman in Afghanistan is a good illustration of the cruel violence against human, particularly women in the name of God. Girls are often not allowed to go to schools due to the belief that “If a girl can read Quran then she has enough education”. Soon after, she is forced to marry someone she doesn't know and live with him her entire life. Religious based costumes practically leave no options for women who don't want to live with their husbands- a husband that she has not even chosen. As a result any effort towards institutionalizing the women rights in an Islamic society can be considered as an infidel act.

Here are some verses of the Quran that are controversial to fundamental concepts of human rights for women:

BAQARA 178:

O you who have believed, prescribed for you is legal retribution for those murdered – the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But whoever overlooks from his brother anything, then there should be a suitable follow-up and payment to him with good conduct. This is an alleviation from your Lord and a mercy. But whoever transgresses after that will have a painful punishment.

BAQARA 221:

And do not marry polytheistic women until they believe. And a believing slave woman is better than a polytheist, even though she might please you. And do not marry polytheistic men [to your women] until they believe. And a believing slave is better than a polytheist, even though he might please you. Those invite [you] to the Fire, but Allah invites to Paradise and to forgiveness, by His permission. And He makes clear His verses to the people that perhaps they may remember.

BAQARA 222:

And they ask you about menstruation. Say, “It is harm, so keep away from wives during menstruation. And do not approach them until they are pure. And when they have purified themselves, then come to them from where Allah has ordained for you. Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.”

BAQARA 228:

Divorced women remain in waiting for three periods, and it is not lawful for them to conceal what Allah has created in their wombs if they believe in Allah and the Last Day. And their husbands have more right to take them back in this [period] if they want reconciliation. And due to the wives is similar to what is expected of them, according to what is reasonable. But the men have a degree over them [in responsibility and authority]. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.

BAQARA 229:

Divorce is twice. Then, either keep [her] in an acceptable manner or release [her] with good treatment. And it is not lawful for you to take anything of what you have given them unless both fear that they will not be able to keep [within] the limits of Allah . But if you fear that they will not keep [within] the limits of Allah , then there is no blame upon either of them concerning that by which she ransoms herself. These are the limits of Allah , so do not transgress them. And whoever transgresses the limits of Allah – it is those who are the wrongdoers.

BAQARA 230:

And if he has divorced her [for the third time], then she is not lawful to him afterward until [after] she marries a husband other than him. And if the latter husband divorces her [or dies], there is no blame upon the woman and her former husband for returning to each other if they think that they can keep [within] the limits of Allah . These are the limits of Allah , which He makes clear to a people who know.

BAQARA 235:

There is no blame upon you for that to which you [indirectly] allude concerning a proposal to women or for what you conceal within yourselves. Allah knows that you will have them in mind. But do not promise them secretly except for saying a proper saying. And do not determine to undertake a marriage contract until the decreed period reaches its end. And know that Allah knows what is within yourselves, so beware of Him. And know that Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing.

BAQARA 237:

And if you divorce them before you have touched them and you have already specified for them an obligation, then [give] half of what you specified – unless they forego the right or the one in whose hand is the marriage contract foregoes it. And to forego it is nearer to righteousness. And do not forget graciousness between you. Indeed Allah , of whatever you do, is Seeing.

BAQARA 282:

O you who have believed, when you contract a debt for a specified term, write it down. And let a scribe write [it] between you in justice. Let no scribe refuse to write as Allah has taught him. So let him write and let the one who has the obligation dictate. And let him fear Allah , his Lord, and not leave anything out of it. But if the one who has the obligation is of limited understanding or weak or unable to dictate himself, then let his guardian dictate in justice. And bring to witness two witnesses from among your men. And if there are not two men [available], then a man and two women from those whom you accept as witnesses – so that if one of the women errs, then the other can remind her. And let not the witnesses refuse when they are called upon. And do not be [too] weary to write it, whether it is small or large, for its [specified] term. That is more just in the sight of Allah and stronger as evidence and more likely to prevent doubt between you, except when it is an immediate transaction which you conduct among yourselves. For [then] there is no blame upon you if you do not write it. And take witnesses when you conclude a contract. Let no scribe be harmed or any witness. For if you do so, indeed, it is [grave] disobedience in you. And fear Allah . And Allah teaches you. And Allah is Knowing of all things.

All these verses are from one Sura Baqara. One can find lots of them especially in Sura Noor, Al ahzab and Al nessa.