Afghanistan
"We want the whole world to know that the people of Afghanistan are neither terrorists nor murderers.
This massacre has been imposed on us from outside our country, which kills our people every day. That is why our people have become refugees in other countries in order to survive.
Our people are kind people."
- Jawad
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Their Journey Starts Here
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Afghanistan is located in Central Asia and shares borders with Pakistan, China, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Known as "the graveyard of empires", Afghanistan and its people have a long-standing reputation for their strong and proud culture.
Our brothers from Afghanistan have one of the longest journeys to safety, passing through Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey to enter Europe through Bulgaria or Greece. The conflict has been ongoing in Afghanistan for nearly four decades, resulting in a diaspora involving millions of Afghan people.
Community volunteers for our projects in Chios, Greece
Community volunteer in Chios, Greece wearing traditional Afghan clothes during Ramadan
A community volunteer helping with a bike distribution in Vial Camp.
We asked our brothers from Afghanistan what they want the world to know about their country and their culture.
This is what they had to say...
"Our culture is that we are very hospitable and we are very social. Afghans have a lot of friends in the community and they are very respectful people. They respect women very much."
- Baktash
Learn more about Afghanistan by downloading our Afghanistan book list or by watching these short free documentaries below!
The People
There are many different tribes in Afganistan- the biggest tribe being the Pashtuns. They have their own language and the population is grouped in the southern region of the country in Kandahar Province. Other major tribes include the Tajiks, who speak Dari (Afghanistan's dialect of Persian), the Uzbeks, who sometimes speak their own Uzbek language in addition to Dari, and the Hazaras, who have their own dialect of Farsi that includes Mongol words.
The Hazaras are believed to be descendants of Genghis Khan - the name "Hazara" is said to be a derivative of the Persian word for "thousand", referring to the thousand Mongol soldiers they are said to be related to. The Hazaras are one of the most targeted ethnic groups in the world and have been the victims of violence and oppression for decades.
While tribal divisions may occur in Afghanistan, our teams are made up of brothers from all different regions and tribes who come together to help their communities, Afghan or otherwise.
The official languages of Afghanistan are Dari and Pashto. Other sub-dialects and languages may be spoken by Afghans depending on where they are from and what ethnic ties they have. Some of our brothers can also speak Urdu, which they usually learn from films, English or French which they study in school, and Turkish, which they pick up while in transit.
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Learn Afghan phrases!
Our brother Mohammad Elyas is here to teach you some words from his mother tongue, Pashto, and Afghanistan's official language, Dari!
Forced to Flee
"We were living in a country where there wasn't any guarantee for our life... but we are strong, and the story of our country is witness to that."
- Wali
Book recommendation: Understanding the Push Factors
Understanding the factors that force Afghans into displacement is an important first step in destigmatizing our brothers and their experiences. Jeffrey E. Stern takes a beautiful journalistic approach following a prominent figure in the Hazara community, teacher Aziz, and the challenges he faced as he pushed for justice in emerging Afghanistan following the withdrawal of international troops.
Displaced
You Crossed the Border
By Reza Mohammadi, translated by Hamid Kabir
You crossed the border: your homeland had no language,
or maybe it had nothing to say.
You crossed the border: imagine it's your homeland.
What did your homeland have that the whole world lacked?
First, you were greeted by tears.
This kind friend with an unkind face,
Sorrow, embraced you out of dirt and dust,
a friend who clasped you closer than others.
The sick old man who welcomed you so tenderly
was exhausted by travelling from village to village.
You longed to buy happiness
but only smugglers offered it for sale.
You crossed the border: imagine it's your homeland.
What did you homeland have that the whole world lacked?
Oh poet! You have come to the kingdom of misery,
to a land with no sky,
a land where poets trade in humanity,
where the mouths of prophets are stopped,
where dogs are ministers and donkeys are imams.
No calls to prayer issue from its mosques free of bribes.
What on earth did you expect from your homeland?
That its banquet tables weren't piled high with bones?
Poet! Your homeland is a vanished past.
Now it offers nothing but insults, greed, boredom and grief.
Instead of poetry, would that you had gold and power -
that sacred talent does no good here
Book recommendation: Understanding Displacement
Our brother Gulwali Passarlay has written an incredible book about his journey to the UK as a child refugee. His book has served as a guide for us at In-Sight Collaborative to better understand what people must endure as they travel to safety and to help promote a more empathetic and informed approach.
The Resilience of the Afghan People
"Afghan culture is one of the strongest cultures I have ever seen. From the depth, age, and beauty of their language and history to the social codes and norms that have transcended time, it is truly miraculous to see the way our brothers from Afghanistan hold on to their heritage and a privilege to have it shared with me."
- Madi Williamson, Executive Director at In-Sight Collaborative
Book recommendation: Understanding Post-Diaspora
Khaled Hosseini's novels beautifully illustrate the complex and emotional consequences of the diaspora and the impacts that displacement has on those who were forced to flee. Best known for his book The Kite Runner, his book A Thousand Splendid Suns tells the story of love and longing for the people and places that are left behind and missed in the throes of these diasporas.
"Afghans are very hospitable. We hope one day to welcome you to Afghanistan."
Thank you for joining us for this month's digital culture box!
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This box was made possible with help from our Afghan brothers in Greece, the UK, Turkey, and mainland Europe.
