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All the stuff I have written

This is a new blog where I have given links to al the stuff I have written on the web.

click I Wrote This

Rehman Baba

Known as “harbinger of peace and love” and “the nightingale of Peshawar”, Rehman Baba (1632-1707) is a poet living in the heart of every Pashtoon.

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Terrorists are guests and health workers are hostages!

The crisis of South Korean hostages enters its third week and the Taliban are still threatening to kill them if their comrades not freed.

The same Taliban were claiming of being harbingers of Islamic peace and hospitality when they attacked Kabul in 1996 and seized nearly the entire country.

When they took over power and imposed their Sharia, they give peace and hospitality to the world’s known terrorists who compelled American invasion on Afghanistan.

The same ‘harbingers of peace and hospitality’ kidnapped 23 South Korean health workers, 18 of them women, in the Qarabagh district of Ghazni province and later killed two of them.

As a Pashtoon and Afghan, as it is not our culture to kidnap women and guests, I condemn this act of terrorism and demand the Afghan government to do what they can to free the hostages.

And there is a question for the kidnappers: How do you call it ‘peace and hospitality’ to abduct and kill poor health workers and give safety to hardcore terrorists?

Meet Haji Gulzar Alam

The other day when we were returning from Bacha Khan markaz, we stopped at his shop to meet Haji Gulzar Alam. The signboard erected over his shop was portraying a bearded Haji Gulzar Alam, the once adorable Pashtoon singer.

In Bacha Khan markaz, we had seen an old issue of Pakhtoon magazine which had published Gulzar Alam’s interview. He was quoted on the title: ‘Pashto music has no future.’

I don’t know whether he quit singing because ‘it has no future’ or it was due to growing Talibanisation in the country? I should have asked him about this, but we could not meet him as the shop was closed.

My friend, who is also a singer, told me, ‘He is still a singer, but he is Talibanised!’

Some two year ago, he announced to set up a music academy, but then he ‘founded’ a Property Dealer Shop instead of music academy.

So singer Gulzar Alam is now Haji Gulzar Alam, whom you can meet at his shop ‘Haji Guzar Alam Property Dealer’ on Pajagi Road, near Bacha Khan markaz, Peshawar.

Learn Pashto

Recently, I learnt that many people in the world are interested in learning language. It was a great discovery for me, as Pashto is my beloved language and the moment I learnt the fact, I started to contribute what I can.

We are working to launch a website where we will post information and related articles, news etc written in Pashto with English translation and audio format.

Currently we have created a weblog to see how it works. Suggestions, comments and help is welcomed.

To visit the Learn Pashto, click here.

The Force of Protest

On 05-06-2007, Björn Richter from UNDP sent the following email to media:

Dear colleagues,on behalf of UNDP Seal project I am sending out this call two or three young journalists, that will produce on the “Afghan Youth Training Assembly” (see information and press-release attached) from 10th until 14th June each day a short summary of the day in Dari with two A4 pages to copy for all hundred participants. In the end these summaries should be unite with the resolution of the assembly and
pictures for a documentation, that will be printed after the assembly and hand out to all parliamentarians, media and the people involved in the youth-programme.

We are looking for two young journalists under 30 years that would like to take over this journalistic tasks and join the assembly each day at least half-time, in order to report actually. We will provide them with working-space, printing opportunities and a layout but it would be nice, if you can bring your own equipment with you – if not, we will find a solution. Of course we will pay a salary for this job, that has to be negotiated with the candidates beforehand.

Would be great, if you join the team and apply to my Email-adress b.richter@youthpress.org with your CV, a short letter of motivation and your availibility between 10th and 14th June until Thursday at 2 o ´clock p.m.
If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact me at  0797/953025.Thank you in advance,
Björn Richter

As stated above, they were arranging the youth assembly only in Dari. It was a clear violation of the constitution of Afghanistan. We protested it because Pashto and Dari both are national and official languages of Afghanistan, so this Assembly should be presented in both languages. We forwarded the email with to our friends with a protesting note and it got a good result as Björn Richter wrote next day:

Dear colleagues,thank you very much for raising awarness about our idea of a  newspaper, that is covering the first “Afghan Youth Training  Assembly”, which will take place next week as a joint partnership  between the Ministry of Culture and Youth, National Assembly and UNDP  Seal project. Thanks for your remarks, that the newspaper needs to be  published in Dari and Pashto as this are the official languages of  Afghanistan. We talked today with all partners and agreed to use both  languages of course and thanks to your support we even found one  Pashto journalist, that will join the team in this short time.

As I am in the country only since a few days for this youth assembly  I was simple not aware of your language situation and after talking  with your people I found out, that one language would be enough to  produce in this short time. But I found out with your help that I was  wrong and appreciate your support by providing me with contacts to  Pashto-speaking journalists. As I am a German journalist myself I  want to thank you and hope, that we realise a great youth assembly  covered by Afghan media next week.

If you have any more questions do not hesitate to call me at 0797/95302.
Yours, Björn

The force of protest changed their decision. A good protest is like a winning war. So lets raise our voice for national interests.

Media is on track to progress in Afghanistan

 

As the new model corolla car was flying on the Torkham-Jalalabad highway and passing through the rough mountains that suffered badly from hands of Russians to Mujahideen and Taliban to Americans, I was heeding to listen Nangrahar Radio.  

The three passengers in the back seat were discussing the new government and were hoping it should start an immediate construction of the road. 

The arguments among the three passengers badly disturbed me but I was still trying to listen to the programme with full attention.  

It was a programme concerning social issues. The guests at the radio programme were presenting their point of view intelligently but the presenter was spoiling it. 

 Noticing my attention in the programme, the driver said, “I like to listen Pakistani radios, especially the programmes airing live telephone calls”.  

I read his mind. This programme should have live calls but he did not know why it had not any.  

I knew it. The presenter was so unprofessional and inexperienced that she had ruined the recorded programme, then how can she handle live programmes?  

It was 2002. I listened the same radio again last month. This time, the presenter was doing his job in a great manner. The programmes were good and totally different.  

You can call
Afghanistan a country full of news. A conflict is still going on here for more than 25 years. This war has its own effects on the people and the most affected segment is the young generation.  

It started in 1973 when former Prime Minister Mohammad Daud Khan staged a coup d’état while king Mohammad Zahir Shah was in
Italy undergoing eye surgery.  

With the fall of Zahir Shah regime, there was only 50 kilometers asphalted road existed in entire
Afghanistan while financial crisis had gripped country’s economy but still a system was working and common people were thinking it okay. 

 There was a restricted media fully controlled by the government.  

Mohammad Daud Khan introduced presidential form of government and called a republic government but there was not any independent media organization within the country. 

 It was until the American-backed jihad started against Russian invasion and pro-communist Afghan government.  

The mujahedeen established their own media organizations in neighboring countries propagating their activities. Western media like BBC and Voice of America launched special programmes for
Afghanistan in Pashto and Dari and attracted people’s attention, as every Afghan was keen to about the happenings in their motherland.  

This war left several negative effects on people lives. Thousands of people were either killed by the Mujahedeen (holly warriors) or by the government in reaction. The once beautiful cities were now turned into ruins. 

 Majority of the Afghans were migrated or fled to neighboring countries and to the West and the existing government system collapsed. But it brought some good things in which the improvement of the media was the one.  

Today, the new generation of
Afghanistan, which is grown in the course of war, fear, migration and continuously changing situations, is more willing to do some thing for their country.  

But there are still many problems exist in the country. 

When we compare today’s Afghan media to the Taleban’s era, it has improved 200%. According to 2007 annual report of Reporters without Borders (http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=20759&Valider=OK) “Press freedom is one of the few achievements of the five years since the fall of the Taliban regime. However, it remains fragile as journalists feel the effects of deteriorating security, threats from the warlords, conservative religious leaders and an increasingly hard-pressed government.”Nazir Ahmad Sahar, a prominent young journalist and writer complained of the government officials, warlords and lack of professional journalists. 

 When asked about media under the Taleban, he paused and then said, “Well, the media is now a hundred times better than that Taleban times”.  

The same comments came from all the people I questioned for this article.  

Another known journalist and blogger Borhan M. Younas says: “Freedom of expression and press freedom is now, of course, far better than any other time in the past three decades. However, there is still widespread self-censorship among all media outlets, particularly for the print media.” 

“Journalists do face harassment. The most harassment comes from war lords and strongmen”. He added. 

He further states, “In addition, the government, especially its intelligence branch tries its best to keep the media under its control by any means available. Last year, the intelligence directorate called in journalists to a meeting and warned all to follow the instructions they gave to the media. A 20-item instruction letter was handed to journalists, preventing them from publishing/airing any kind of materials that can be deemed against interests of the government”.  

I remember that issue was raised by media and journalists had denied obeying the instructions given to them by officials.  

The threats were not only from government but were also from the Taleban who ordered journalists to publish every thing they say, no problem it is false or true.  

Last year a spokesman to the senior Taleban commander Mullah Dadullah phoned media outlets and threatened to kill their reporters if it failed to publish Taleban’s statements. Media and journalists did not take these threats seriously but when government tried to give them instructions, they denied and condemned it strongly. 

 Nazir Sahar explained it thus, “Journalists are brave. They don’t oblige instructions. But the problem is that if we get a ‘big’ story or report, our media is not going to publish/air it and the government harasses. And if the same story goes to a foreign journalist they can get it published easily”.  

It is to be mentioned that the Taliban, when they were in government, never gave such a freedom to media that they demand today.  

Recently Afghan parliament too tried to control media after some Parliament members complained that some TV channels were “crossing the limits”.  

This issue grabbed so much attention that Special Representative of Secretary-General in Afghanistan Tom Koenigs had to say on Feb. 19, 2007 at a press conference in
Kabul, “I have had reports of journalists being intimidated. I have seen the Head of RTA (
Afghanistan’s national TV station) being made to resign. And I hear of efforts to have the Parliament amend the proposed media law in a manner, which would harm media development in
Afghanistan. It is often said that the first victim of war is truth. We must prevent this from becoming the case in
Afghanistan. We don’t realistically expect the Taleban to stop its propaganda war, but we must on our side ensure that a space for free media is open.” 

Afghanistan is a stage of continuous conflict for last three decades and the world powers are, this or that way, involved in this conflict. That is why the world media give so much attention to
Afghanistan.  

Every minor change of situation gets headlines in the front pages of world media and that is why we can call
Afghanistan a country of more news, less media.  

There is still not the kind of print and electronic media within the country Afghans should rely on.  

Sahil Mangal, editor of monthly Wawra (snow) from Paktya province said, “There are a few TV channels like Tolo and Aryana which air good programmes but people in a few cities have access to these TV channels. In remote areas people listen only radios. Print media is also restricted to big cities because most of the people in villages are uneducated.” 

Today, there are more than one thousand media outlets including TV channels, radios, news agencies, newspapers and magazines active in
Afghanistan.  

The good aspect of the situation is this that our media is improving non-stop. For the first time,
Afghanistan has independent news agencies like Pajhwok Afghan News, popular TV channels like Tolo and Aryana and FM radios in every province. Besides this, there are organizations of journalists like AIJA (Afghanistan Journalists Independent Association).  

Impact of foreign media

Although most of the people rely on BBC, Voice of America and Radio Azadi (Radio Free Europe) radio programmes, there are some more media outlets, which have impact on Afghans. Particularly Pakistani and Irani media impressed people in the areas bordering their respective countries. Shafiullah Mussawerr, a young shopkeeper in Jalalabdad city read daily Wahdat every day. He also read daily
Mashriq, Pakistan and other dailies from
Peshawar. When asked about Nangrahar newspaper of Nangrahar province, he said, “It is not a newspaper, but only a brochure. I read it once a month only to know if it is improved, and every month it disappoints me”.  

He also complained that Pakistani, particularly Urdu newspapers often exaggerate news stories about
Afghanistan “But still I have to read them because they are full newspapers”.  

In
Herat and other cities bordering with
Iran, Irani media and culture has firm impact on people. Despite that,
Afghanistan still had more freedom of press than its neighbor countries
Pakistan,
Iran,
Uzbekistan,
China and
Turkmenistan in 2006, according to Reporters sans Borders (http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=4116)  

Pashto and Dari

Although both Pashot and Dari are official languages of
Afghanistan, most of the existing media sources are Dari language. That is because Dari speaking people are more educated and their provinces are more developed.  

Pashtoons are unhappy with this situation and call themselves ‘deprived’ in
Afghanistan. 

 President of the country, Hamid Karzai, belongs to a Pashtoon tribe, so I enquired a friend who wants to remain anonymous, why Pashtoons are ignored, he replied, “They are not ignored by anyone, they are responsible themselves for the situation. There is conflict and explosions in all Pashtoon dominated areas, and when they burn their schools and don’t let their children to be educated, then how can they improve themselves in these fields!” 

I think, lacking of Pashto media within the country created an opportunity to become popular for daily Wahdat, AVT Khyber and other Pakistani media outlets among Pashto-speaking Afghans.  

In the Internet World

As the young generation becomes more educated and the people get more access to technology, their young minds go the new ways and prove their presence in this world. 

Today there are more than one hundred Afghan websites in English, Pashto and Dari languages on the Internet and thousands of people visit them to get free information and express their point of view.  

Sami Shor is a student of

Kabul
University and he spends 10 hours a week in net cafes.  

The cost of using internet is as high as 60 afghanis (nearly one U.S. dollar) an hour, still he goes every day to net café, check his email, visit Afghani websites regularly for news, chat, discussion forums and new information. He says, “I have addicted to it. I feel freer and I can say what I think more freely in the forums.”It is a good sign of improvement and we can predict that if the same pace continued for some more years, we will see big changes in
Afghanistan. Particularly the media is winning here.

Annual celebration of Rahman Baba starts

Rahman Baba is the great Pashto poet who has a wide and deep popularity among Pakhoon. His annual celebration starts Today in Peshawar.
A seminar, arranged by Rahman Baba Literary Organization, was held Today in Khana-e-Farhang Iran, Peshawar.
A mushaera (poets gathering) and Urs will be held tomorrow and the day after tomorrow (07 and 08 April 2007). Thousand of poets and people attend these gatherings and recite the meaningful poems of Rahman Baba

DOTCAM

DOTCAM (Development Organization For Transnational Culture And Media)

Great philosopher, great poet, writer, artist, sculpture and freedom fighter Khan Abdul Ghani Khan with reference to “Ghani Khan Festival” celebration.
· Conventions for culture development
· Music conferences on National and International level
· To convene the national convention for new and old musician and artists
· Organizing Pukhtoon various tribal and regional traditional dances
· Print and electronic media conference for peace and harmony on transitional level
We request to our all respected elders, writers, poets, intellectuals, journalists, musicians, artists, peace activists, human rights activists, socio-political activists, the torch bearers of democracy. Our comrades and friends to whom we appeal to achieve these events and to convene these conferences and great events.
We need your support, cooperation and help. Many thanks.
Executive Coordinator
Qaisar Khan advocate
Cell# 0300-5929206
Ph#091-5845599
Email: khan_kaiser2000@hotmail.com
kaiserpushtoon@yahoo.com
kaiserpushtoon@gmail.com