Another Side of Afghanistan

I’ve been reading a lot of news and things and it’s really interesting to see such a discrepancy between what you hear from people and what you see in the media. I think on some level it’s the difference between politics and people – even in Pakistan when chaos was happening with the elections, people still went about their daily living. I think government, while much as it can claim to represent the masses, instead often tailors to specific groups and lobbyists who are the ones busy ‘running the country.’

There's a similar bias from urban to rural - when I was in India there was a huge difference between lifestyles, resources and even the presence of 'modern thinking.' Similarly, the rural areas have a much more challenging environment then a city like Kabul.

I asked colleagues about the law that made headlines around the world earlier this year to see what their thoughts were. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/31/hamid-karzai-afghanistan-law) They said Kabul was full of demonstrations (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/18/afghanistan-womens-rights-politicians)- especially to the two key elements of law that the international community took offense to (restricted movement and forced intercourse). They were unsure of the status of the law but apparently the law had been modified or the President had balked, a little, under pressure. Whether that means the law has been repealed and the situation resolved remains to be seen.

FYI: A really cool news article showing the different perspectives of people in Kabul.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/11/afghanistan-kabul