Suns Khaled

A Thousand Splendid Eras

Finishing up Khaled’s Hosseini’s “A thousand Splendid Suns” got me thinking about Afghanistan and its people.

Faces of Afghanistan

Afghanistan has historically been the link between Central Asia, the Middle East and the Indian sub-continent. It is therefore a nation made up of many different nationalities – the result of innumerable invasions and migrations. Within its current borders there are at least a dozen major ethnic groups – Baluch, Chahar Aimak, Turkmen, Hazara, Pashtun, Tajik, Uzbek, Nuristani, Arab, Kirghiz, Pashai and Persian. It is perhaps surprising that it is the Middle Eastern influence (Iranic past and Arab invasions) that has defined modern Afghanistan, while its Greek, Central Asian nomadic, and Zoroastrian/Pagan/Hindu/Buddhist past have long since vanished.

Pashtun nationality has been the most dominant. The term Afghan, for example, generally is viewed by other peoples in the country to refer to the Pashtuns. The royal families of the country were Pashtun, and today the Pashtun represent about 50% of the total population. Tajiks come in second with 25%, and the rest make up considerably smaller percentages. Vast majority of this people are Muslims – and in fact many ethnic groups consider Islam to be one of the defining aspects of their ethnic identity, this is true of the Pashtun for example. Islam was brought to Afghanistan during the eight and ninth century by the Arabs. Prior to that the nation had been ruled by various Persian, Greek, Sassasian and Central Asian empires. until 1747 that Afghanistan was able to free itself.
Islam played perhaps the key role in the formation of Afghanistan’s society. even a warrior as formidable as Genghis Khan did not uproot Islamic civilization; within two generations, his heirs had become Muslims. This was the year that Nadir Shah, an empire builder from Iran, died and left a vacuum in central Asia that a former Afghan bodyguard, named Ahmed Shah, was able to fill. Ahmad was a Pashtun, and his Pashtun clan was to rule Afghanistan, in one form or another, for the next 200 years.
In 1980’s Taliban sought to create a theocratic state based on their interpretations of the Koran. Though already severely repressed by the various Mujahadeen warlords, the plight of Afghanistan’s women was made even worse under the new regime. The veil became the law of the land, and women were forbidden from attending school or holding employment outside of the home. Television was banned and an effort was made to purge the country of any signs or remnants of secular or Western influence. The country became politically and diplomatically isolated. It’s hard to say how much longer the Taliban will continue to fight, or when the U.S. will end its war. Afghanistan’s future, like its past, looks very dark indeed. Currently Northern Alliance warlords, southern Pashtun warlords, opportunistic émigré politicians, and even supporters of the aging deposed autocrat King Zahir Shah, are arguing about who will be the exploiter-in-chief of the devastated land. Most likely they will come up with some sort of coalition government – that will perhaps hold the different factions together, perhaps not. In the end it matters little, since none of the figures involved represent the people of this country, and none of them seem to have ever had their interests at heart.

I sit here in sheer frustration to see what time unfolds for this tragic country and its people! I leave you with a Video from a friend andVideo Journalist at NYTimes!

About the Author

A native of Pakistan, Safia R Khan has been living in United States wither family since the age of 11. Safia completed her bachelor’s of science in field of Behavioral Psychology and went on to medical school to pursue a Masters in Basic Sciences. Currently at New York University, Robert F Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, Safia is completing her Master’s in Public Administration with concentration in Public and Nonprofit Management and minor in International Health Policy.

Recently, Safia managed Academic and Science Research in field of Pathology at NYU School of Medicine. Currently, Safia is the Assistant Director of PM&R residency program at NYU’s Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Furthermore, Safia has served as a president of NYU Public Health Alliance and active member of UNA-USA and Foreign Policy Women’s Group. In her spare time Safia is an active volunteer with the American Red Cross, Disaster services, and a member of non-profit, Human Development Fund, serving specifically in area of education in rural Pakistan.

Safia is fluent in English, Spanish, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto and intermediate Arabic. Special Interests include International Development: Southeast Asia Region and Cross Cultural communications.

A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini