The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges, as well as opportunities, for the Taliban as they vie for power in Afghanistan. One of the world’s first major outbreaks after China was in Iran, home to a large Afghan diaspora, many of whom fled back into Afghanistan as the crisis in Iran worsened. Predictably, they … Continue reading The Taliban and COVID-19
Afghanistan’s Bandit Tradition
While decades of conflict have created a degree of anarchy and lawlessness across Afghanistan, within Afghan culture there have long been romanticized portrayals of bandits that continue to the present day. Pashtun culture in particular is highly egalitarian, with strongly pronounced streaks of both individualism and justice. The ideal Pashtun male is someone who is … Continue reading Afghanistan’s Bandit Tradition
Queen Soraya: Afghanistan’s First Feminist
Afghanistan and feminism aren’t often thought of together, unless using the country as an example of one of the worst places in the world for women to live. But buried in Afghan history there is a women who deserves to be lauded as one of the world’s early feminists. Her name is Soraya Tarzi, and … Continue reading Queen Soraya: Afghanistan’s First Feminist
Traces of Alexander the Great
Afghanistan has suffered from many invasions over the millennia, but perhaps the most famous of them all is that of Alexander the Great and his armies. I was familiar with this episode in history before I first visited Afghanistan, though my knowledge grew as I walked the ground. Something I began to wonder, however, was … Continue reading Traces of Alexander the Great
Review: A Case of Exploding Mangoes
Mohammed Hanif is a British-Pakistani writer, journalist and playwright, who published the acclaimed novel “A Case of Exploding Mangoes” in 2008. A dark, political satire, it was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2008 and won the Commonwealth Book Prize for Best First Book in 2009. The novel is a fictitious version of the … Continue reading Review: A Case of Exploding Mangoes
Red Group – The Taliban “Special Forces”
The public perception of the war in Afghanistan is dominated by the image of Special Forces soldiers, although they are a small part of the international military effort in the country. Numerous western films, some based on real events, have contributed to this idea. It is small wonder, then, that the Taliban have themselves worked … Continue reading Red Group – The Taliban “Special Forces”