Afghan Society Research Articles

Role of Afghan Women in War against British Ahmad Wali Alemi,

The presence of Afghan women in Afghan society in major national and local decision-making is faded and often marginalized. But they have a key role in the production and processing of resources that are unfortunately deprived of ownership. On the contrary, in issues such as conflict, Afghan women are present on the battlefields and stand on the train with their men in a single row, fighting with their enemies and defending their country. With the end of the war, their role does not end, but they are also involved in more serious decisions related to the war.One good example of this can be remembered in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, that Afghan women have played a key role in the solution of local conflicts in Afghan tribal society and, through the Jirga and the Soviets, have made peace with the warring factions and ultimately. Ends of strife, war, and hostility have become essential. Therefore, in this article, citing the archives and historical sources, efforts have been made to express the role of Afghan women in War against the British and to investigate their activities.

AFGHANISTAN DURING THE PANDEMIC ERA: DIFFICULTIES, ACHIEVEMENTS, PROSPECTS

The article analyzes the specific features of counteracting the pandemic in Afghanistan, which differ from those in other neighboring countries, the essence of the “five-phase” strategy declared by President Ashraf Ghani and the stages of its implementation. It presents the overall picture of the local antivirus management tactics and the implementation of relevant large-scale organizational and legal measures by the Afghan authorities in the context of countering terrorism and extremism, armed attacks by militants on government agencies, hospitals and doctors, and deportation of Afghan citizens from Iran. The effectiveness of the infrastructure developed in the country for countering COVID-19, the successful interaction of the central authorities and provincial leaderships, the operation of counter-unemployment systems, and the general minimization of pandemic consequences are revealed. The article substantiates the need for further democratization of Afghan society, the negotiations between the authorities and the opposition, observation of human rights, continued efforts of the Afghan Ombudsperson and other civil institutions during the quarantine period, and prevention of authoritarian tendencies. The mandatory and required transformation of external borrowing and donor assistance is revealed in the context of competition of the U.S., China, India, the EU, Pakistan, Iran in the economic and political field. Finally, specific recommendations are made to step up the efforts of the state and the global community in the spheres of industry, agriculture, trade, construction, transport, communications, education, culture, health care, utilities, environment, and anti-corruption.

Muslim Clergy vs. Authority in Contemporary Afghanistan: View from Uzbekistan

Significant geopolitical changes taking place in the modern world in recent decades urge us to take a fresh look at the role of Islam and the clergy in the political processes of a number of countries of the Muslim world. This perspective is especially relevant vis--vis Afghanistan where a fierce war is being waged under the slogans of Islam for more than four decades. The purpose of this research is an in-depth study of the relationship between the state and the Muslim clergy, Islamic institutions in the development of political processes in Afghanistan since the mid-70s of the last century. The article reflects shaping of the Islamic opposition and its efforts to stand up to innovations and reforms during attempts of the Soviet stile modernization in 1978-1992, and then the efforts to democratize Afghan society, undertaken in Afghanistan since the end of 2001 with the assistance of the international community. The work is based on the study of factual historical material, a chronicle of the events of the last decade and personal observations of the author during his work in Afghanistan during the mentioned period. Analytical materials published on the pages of English and Russian mass media were used. The methodological basis of this study is the comparative historical method; the article is based on the principles of historicism, reliability and scientific objectivity. The author concludes that the conflict is based on mistakes and underestimation by the state the role and influence of the Muslim clergy and Islamic institutions of the country. It has been noted that the recently reached US - Taliban agreements, as well as the assistance of such influential players as Russia, sparkle hope for the launch of a direct inter-Afghan negotiation process, which most likely will not be as simple but thorny.

Disruption of the Stereotypical Gender Construction through Afghan Women’s Voices in Khalid Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns

The paper aims to explore Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns(2007) from the deconstructive perspective of gender construction through the untraditional and challenging role of women in patriarchal Afghan society. Hosseini is one of the acclaimed Afghan-American novelists whose art speaks against the concerns of discrimination and segregation on ethnic, religious and gender basis. His novels are deeply entrenched with his own observations and experiences to portray the grim realities and the woes of Afghan society that is badly torn by the unending wars on its soil. The deconstructive approach challenges the taken-for-granted patriarchal socio-cultural norms of Afghan society represented in A Thousand Splendid Suns. Women characters engage in diverse performances that question the stability of gender construction in the novel. The variability of gender in the novel depends upon performativity of the characters. In their actions, they generate multiple shades of gender identities while deviating from norms of masculinity and femininity. So performances of the characters in the novel determine their gender identities in their social existence, their sexual labelling has nothing to do with their gender identification. Therefore, the novel exhibits the stereotypical and patriarchal norms prevalent in Afghan society that are used as a justification for the persecution and discrimination of women on gender basis. The paper thus argues that the country’s rampant gender stereotypical standards are resisted and challenged by the performativity of women characters. Furthermore, the research presents an innovative approach to study gender construction in a feudal Afghan society through its interrogation of gender stereotyping.

The Role of Sports on the Development of Tribes Unity: Afghan Society, Kabul, Afghanistan

Sports play a major role in the life of humans as well as it has social and physical benefits for the humans’ body. The purpose of this research was to investigate the role of sports, relationships between nation and Afghan community, and its impacts on the development of Afghan people life. This study employed mixed research approach, and the data were collected from seventy-nine respondents through questionnaire and interview. All participants were elected through random sampling method, and the data was analyzed through IBM 24 version of (SPSS). Likewise, the findings of this research showed that sports play an essential role in Afghan community as well as it is inseparable part in their life. Moreover, men and women are very interested in participating sports. Furthermore, the study revealed that participation in sports and physical activities play a unique role on the development of Afghan community and tribes.

LAYERS OF DISCOURSE AND GENDER RELATION IN KHALED HOSSEINI'S A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS

Purpose of the study: The research explores the gender relation and coercion on the marginalized section—women primarily due to socialized stereotypes in Hosseini's bestselling A Thousand Splendid Suns. The paper deciphers discrimination among the Muslim society of Afghanistan. It leads to how the filial and societal norms, which women are expected to upkeep, gradually develop revulsion and motivation for resilience to bring peace in filial relations.
 Methodology: In the context of postcolonial and feminist literary debates, this research is framed by Discourse Analysis of Edward Said, Gayatri Spivak, Karl Marx, and Foucauldian theories on 'Othering,' alienation, and power relation.
 Main Findings: It is found that the inflexible gendered roles in conventional Afghan society instigate the oppressed to cultivate insolence against cultural hierarchy. The female characters, three generations apart, an embodiment of Afghan women, show resilience against the discourses. Women, being more prone to being triply marginalized in the regimes of phallocentric norms—Taliban dictatorship, and western ideologies of Soviet and American government.
 Applications of this study: The novel is chosen to discuss this problem as it demonstrates Afghan women's conflicts through the heart-rendering portrayal of their positions and roles in the community. The protagonists develop a sisterhood to raise voice against the cultural institutions to seek peace in filial relations.
 Novelty/Originality of this study: The novel is thoroughly examined under discourse related to gender relations and under feministic criticism, which is far apart when we talk about the women in third world countries. They try to gain their space and share not by keeping themselves in the centre similar to Eurocentric feminism; rather, they are more concerned with filial welfare instead of the 'self.'

El Terrorismo Internacional en Afganistán (2000-2018)

Los ataques terroristas en Afganistán han ido in crescendo desde el inicio de la intervención internacional. Existen más de diez grupos terroristas, pero los talibanes ostentan el monopolio de la violencia terrorista. El objetivo de los talibanes es recuperar el poder político para volver a instaurar un régimen teocrático extremista en el país, por lo que sus objetivos se circunscriben únicamente a un entorno geográfico determinado: el territorio afgano. Los talibanes tienen como objetivo volver a dirigir las instituciones afganas y para ello han emprendido una campaña de terror a través de atentados contra la población civil, las fuerzas internacionales y las instituciones afganas actuando como un tipo de organizaciones terrorista híbrida.
 Afganistán es el segundo país del mundo en número de atentados y la afgana es la segunda nacionalidad que más muertes cuenta por ataques terroristas. El principal responsable es el grupo talibán, pero no podemos obviar que el terrorismo en el país es consecuencia directa de la intervención de los Estados Unidos y sus aliados en 2001. Tras casi veinte años de guerra, el terror se ha convertido en una dinámica habitual para la sociedad civil afgana que vive acostumbrada al horror del conflicto mientras espera una paz que nunca llega.

Comprehensive Peace Agreement and Challenges February 2020: A Case of United States and Taliban

Afghanistan remained the battleground for a long time period for number of strategic wars by external forces. Diverse and multifaceted Afghan society paved the way for external forces. Several negotiations were held for making the peace in country. Many peace agreements failed because the conflict was not addressed. There is a need to reach beyond the use of military force and to apply inclusive approach by involving the civil society in peace building. It is recognized as a crucial factor in the success of peace process. After more than 18 years of war, the US and the Taliban have reached an agreement to end the war. The central deal for the agreement is to withdrawal of US troops and counter terrorism assurance from Taliban. This study digs out, the factors involved in Afghan conflict and their demands from the peace process. The study relies on secondary sources to develop arguments.

U-6 A Stereoscopic Analysis of Afghanistan in Religious, Political and Historical Context: A Research Study

This paper aims to explore the Cultural Sufism of Khorasan. The overall culture of Afghanistan is very ancient almost two millennia old. It traces it's records to times of Achaemenid Empire of 500BC. The word Afghanistan is translated as "Land of the Afghans" or "Place of Afghans". The official languages of Afghan nation are Pashto and Dari. It is a tribal and rural society with many different regions in the country and each region having distinctive indigenous language. In spite of having some differences almost all Afghans follow a same Islamic tradition and behave accordingly. By following a similar Islamic tradition, they celebrate similar holidays, wear almost same dresses, enjoy same taste of food and music. Sufism has shaped Afghan society and politics for much of the country's history. Today, very few are aware of this legacy. The Sufis are now providing an important contribution to the stability of the state. Some of the greatest Sufi sages of the Muslim world originated from Afghanistan. They refined their insights in the country's lush plains and hidden valleys - and spread their message of peace and love to other parts of the world. The intensely personal poetry of Sufis has been expressed in Dari, Persian and Pashto, the main languages spoken in Afghanistan.

نشأة وتطور الجماعات الجهادية في أفغانستان : حرکة طالبان وتنظيم القاعدة وتنظيم الدولة الإسلامية في العراق والشام نموذجاً The Appearance and Evolution of the Jihadist Groups: Taliban, AL Qaeda and Islamist state

يتناول البحث الظروف التي مهدت لظهور الجماعات الجهادية في أفغانستان من خلال تحليل المجتمع الأفغاني ، حيث يتسم بکثرة الإنقسامات العرقية و الأثنية بسبب التنوع الأثني : الباشتون و الطاجيک و الحزارا و الأوزبک و الترکمان و الأيمک ، و نشأه الجماعات الجهادية من خلال الترکيز على کل من : الفکر - الهيکل التنظيمي والقيادات – الهدف – مراحل التطور ، و ذلک بالتطبيق على حرکة طالبان وتنظيم القاعدة و تنظيم الدولة الإسلامية في العراق و الشام ، و أسباب ظهور هذه الجماعات سواء کانت داخلية أو خارجية إلي جانب توضيح أوجه التشابه و الإختلاف بين الجماعات الجهادية المذکورة ، و الجانب الصراعي في علاقتهم ببعضهم البعض. This research interests in the conditions that facilitates the appearance of the jihadist groups through analyzing the Afghan Society that is characterized by ethnic divisions because of Ethnic diversity : Pashtun , Tajik , Aymak, Hezara, Turkman , besides the Afghan Political System, explaining it's Thought, Leadership, Organizational Structure and Aims Applies to Taliban, AL Qaeda and the Islamic state, in addition to studying problems related to jihadist groups .Besides Clarifying similarities, differences and Conflict between these jihadist groups.

ОБ ОБЩИХ ПРИНЦИПАХ И ОСОБЕННОСТЯХ ВНЕШНЕПОЛИТИЧЕСКОЙ СТРАТЕГИИ СОВРЕМЕННОГО АФГАНИСТАНА

Afghanistan has remained an area of instability in Asia for more than 40 years and the issue of the conflict settlement has reached the international level. The NATO operation in 2001 and the removal of the Taliban Government led to creation a new political system in Afghanistan and elaboration of a relevant foreign policy. The article analyzes conceptual approaches of the Afghan government after 2001 and its practical realization in the context of the remaining tribalism, clientelism, ethnic and sectarian division in Afghan society. The authors conclude that the current foreign policy of Afghanistan is caused by and interlinked with the internal conditions, which are inherent in Afghanistan’s modern political system. For instance, the authors mean the Taliban revival and a chronic dependence of Afghanistan on foreign aid. These factors determine the priorities of the foreign policy, which is guided by the primacy of cooperation with the Western countries.

СТАВЛЕННЯ АФГАНСЬКИХ СТУДЕНТІВ В УРСР ДО РАДЯНСЬКОЇ ІНТЕРВЕНЦІЇ В АФГАНІСТАН ТА ВИВЕДЕННЯ РАДЯНСЬКИХ ВІЙСЬК (1979–1989)

The article examines the political views of Afghan students studying in the Ukrainian SSR and their attitude towards the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan and the withdrawal of Soviet troops from that country. The sources of the study were KGB analytical reports from the Branch Archive of the Ukrainian Security Service, documents of educational institutions in Kirovohrad where Afghans studied, from the State Archives of Kirovohrad region, texts of the Soviet-Afghan educational cooperation agreements, notices and diary records of the USSR ambassador in Afghanistan and other Soviet officials on meetings and conversation with Afghan politicians. It was proven that the studying of Afghans in the USSR was one of the means of the Soviet policy toward Afghanistan aimed at its forced socialist modernization. The studying of Afghans in the Soviet Union led to emergence of a large pro-Soviet stratum of the Afghan society. The factors that determined the different attitudes of Afghan students studying in the Ukrainian SSR to the armed Soviet intervention in the Afghan crisis in December 1979 were identified. Most Afghans endorsed the USSR's military intervention in the "Afghan crisis". They believed that this was necessary to protect the achievements of the "April Revolution" and to counter "world imperialism". Some of them expressed concern, fear, and even negative attitudes toward the USSR policies. These sentiments were influenced by a factional affiliation: supporters of the "Parcham" and the "Hulk" group associated with N. M. Taraki endorsed the Soviet intervention, while supporters of H. Amin condemned it. The Afghan students in the Ukrainian SSR largely rejected the withdrawal of the Soviet troops from Afghanistan in February 1989. Most of them viewed it as a betrayal by the Soviet Union. They were convinced that this would lead to the fall of M. Najibullah's regime and the defeat of the "April Revolution" in Afghanistan.

Impact of Afghan Conflicts as Reflected in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner is a novel by Khaled Hosseini and one of the literary works that presents the social life of Afghan people in each political era of Afghanistan. The aim of this paper is to discuss the impact of the Afghan conflict since the end of 1970’s until the 2000’s, the author describes the impact of the conflict of Afghanistan since the time of Daoud Khan’s coup, the Soviet Invasion, the Civil War Afghanistan, and the Taliban regime. This study used a mimetic approach that compares the actual occurrence with what is found in the novel. In analyzing this novel, the author uses sociological theory of literature by Alan Swingewood, first perspective regard literature as historical documentation and the time of the literary works made. Then the author uses qualitative methods, where the research described in a descriptive form of words or experts from novel and other sources related to the Afghan conflict. This paper focuses on the condition of Afghan society’s life during the Afghan conflicts and the impact of Afghan conflicts as reflected in the novel, The Kite Runner.

Engaging Afghan men at a societal level to increase women’s access to contraception

Mother and child mortality rates in Afghan internally displaced person (IDP) camps are high. Most women have unplanned pregnancies; many are child brides. Contraception can lower maternal mortality/morbidity from unintended pregnancy and short birth intervals, but in Afghan culture men make health decisions. Using knowledge of Afghan society gleaned from Afghan health workers, we trained respected elders and imams to start men’s groups to share practical, financial, and religious facts about contraception and promote discussion. The aim was to inform and allay misconceptions and fears so informed spousal conversation could occur; the overall objective was to allow women wanting spaced pregnancies or smaller families to gain spousal understanding and approval for use of contraception. Societal responses were monitored for one year among nine hundred families in three IDP camps where weekly men’s groups were conducted. Taking photographs captured unique ethnographic aspects of the intervention especially for those involved in this research who were not in Afghanistan and hence missed being directly engaged with the community. The maternal and infant health challenges and cultural issues addressed are global in nature; this model is globally applicable to other camps and Islamic societies.

Klíčové role a zájmy Pákistánu a Indie v Afghánistánu

This review attempts to analyze in detail the specific roles and interests of the key players represented by Pakistan and India in Afghanistan. The focus of individual actors in the South Asian region was focused on identifying key objectives, defining specific national interests and strategies in Afghanistan. The aim of the article is to find out, analyze, interpret and understand information about the power relations of Pakistan and India in relation to the security situation in Afghanistan. The content focuses on the analysis of Pakistan-India relations and their intertwining in Afghan society. The aim is not to relate the content to a generalized theory or known theoretical paradigm of international relations, but to analyze the aspects of the Afghanistan in relation to Pakistan and India.

The Effect of Face-to-face Sex Education on the Sexual Function of Adolescent Female Afghan Immigrants

Background: Access to precise information about sexual behaviors is an essential need for a favorable marital life. In the context of Afghan society culture, unawareness about sex issues in offspring on the verge of marriage could lead to an undesirable sexual function. The present study aimed to determine the effect of face-to-face sex education on the sexual function of adolescent female Afghan immigrants. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a Pre-test-Post-test and a control group design. This research was conducted in the immigrant neighborhoods of Mashhad City, east of Iran, in 2018. Two charity centers with the largest numbers of Afghan immigrants were randomly selected as the case and control centers. A continuous sampling technique was applied to select the study participants. Besides, women who met the study inclusion criteria completed a demographic questionnaire and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) before and at 4 and 8 weeks after the intervention. In addition to the center’s routine programs, the experimental group received face-to-face education through PowerPoint slides, while the control group only received routine training of the center. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: There was no significant difference in the sexual function scores between the two study groups before the intervention (P=0.850), while there was a significant difference between them after 4 (P=0.003) and 8 weeks (P<0.001) of intervention provision. Conclusion: Face-to-face sexual training improved sexual function in adolescent female Afghan migrants; therefore, this training method could be used for sexual education in young female immigrants.

Dynamics of Sino-Afghan Relations in the Post-withdrawal of Combat Troops

China shares shortest but significant border with Afghanistan to the south-western flank of the Chinese autonomous province of Xinjiang. This border has been creating high-security risks for China owing to the Uyghur separatist activities. To secure this edgy border China has to rely on Afghanistan and Pakistan After the withdrawal of combat troops, Afghanistan became liable for its own security. In order to make Afghanistan secure and stable the Afghan government called the non-state actors to initiate peace talks. For the first time China was involved along with the US and Pakistan in the peace process. The Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG) became dysfunctional within a year but China did not avert efforts for peace in Afghanistan. It setup a Trilateral Coordination Group (TCG) as Beijing was determined to continue mediation efforts between the Afghan state and non-state actors by taking Pakistan on board. After initiating huge economic projects i.e CPEC and OBOR, China’s concerns looms high due to militancy which can cause main hurdle in achieving economic and development goals in the region. Since reducing role in Afghanistan the United States also needs to take China on board owing to its acceptability among various segments of Afghan society. China has an image of benign power that pursue towards constructive collaboration rather than competition.

“Just one of many donors”: Canada’s engagement with civil society in Afghanistan

ABSTRACTCanada's entry into Afghanistan as a NATO ally was widely considered a necessary military venture, but Canadian operations during the reconstruction period that ensued were criticized as having tarnished Canada's reputation on the international stage. Canada's history as a peacekeeping nation and its perceived middle power status did initially allow it to act as a mediator between the Afghan government, local actors, and the international community. However, our research discovered that Canada did not fully understand the dynamics of the established civil society structures in Afghanistan, nor the ways in which they influence local politics. A limited understanding of “civil society” among Canadian officials and disproportionate focus on professionalized NGOs as its most legitimate representative meant that local civil society groups in Afghanistan and the role they could play to establish democratic structures were largely ignored. By complementing knowledge synthesis of existing scholarly and policy literature with interviews with Canadian and Afghan aid workers, this article examines the process of post-conflict rebuilding in Afghanistan, considering how neglecting Afghan civil society has resulted in less durable social structures. We also examine Canada's image as an international mediator, and identify new ways of assisting rebuilding processes to ensure more durable and peaceful outcomes.

US-Taliban Talks for Afghan Peace: Complexities Galore

The ongoing dialogue between the US and the Taliban has generated lot of interest among strategic analysts in the region and beyond. There are indications that the Taliban are hardening their position as the US appears to be in a haste to pull off an agreement. This essay argues that given the extremely fractious nature of politics within Afghanistan and the prevailing culture of mis-governance, corruption, anarchy and violence, it is important to involve diverse ethnicities, regions and armed groups of all shades including dissenting groups within the Taliban to ensure that the post-Soviet withdrawal scenario of all-against-all does not emerge again, jeopardising prospects of peace and stability in future. At the regional level, countries having stakes in Afghanistan must be involved in a separate conversation to avert the possibility of any of them acting as spoiler. Managing the course of negotiations would involve mature bargaining, efficient and firm signalling from the US, and reinforcing the values that promote human dignity, individual liberty and inclusive democracy through effective advocacy of liberally mediated/interpreted religious and cultural principles that enjoy a greater degree of acceptability in Afghan society.

“Borders made in Great Britain”: in conversation with Reza Amirkhani about his Afghanistan travelogue, Janistan, Kabulistan

ABSTRACTReza Amirkhani is a prominent Iranian novelist, travel writer, and cultural critic. He has won many literary awards in Iran and some of his works have been bestsellers. In this interview, Amirkhani discusses his journey to Afghanistan, which he undertook after the 2009 Iranian presidential election, and published as Janistan, Kabulistan in 2010. The travelogue begins with an account of the writer’s ascent to Iran’s Mount Damavand to escape politics, only to find that the political is inescapable, and closes with a discussion of elections in Iraq and Lebanon. Between the book’s prelude and epilogue, in his signature style, Amirkhani weaves a narrative of his journey, which is interlaced with social, political, and cultural commentary on different aspects of Afghan (and sometimes Iranian) society. Drawing on a rich culture and history, Amirkhani offers insights into a country that is often represented stereotypically and produces a narrative that challenges much of the conventional wisdom on Afghanistan.