Monday, April 4, 2011
Afghan MP lashes Labor
Lanai Vasek | The Australian | April 05, 2011
leader of the Unity Party of Afghanistan, Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq
A LEADING Afghan MP has blamed the Labor government’s immigration policies for self-harm and mental health problems among detainees.
As leader of the Unity Party of Afghanistan, Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq is on his first visit to Australia and will this week meet Immigration Minister Chris Bowen to discuss a “more humanitarian” approach to the processing of ethnic Hazara Afghan refugees.
Speaking to The Australian yesterday, Mr Mohaqiq attacked Labor’s plan for a regional processing centre in East Timor, saying it would not stem the flow of asylum-seekers.
“I am against people-smuggling and trafficking and people entering illegally into another country, but those who make it here do so because they fear for their lives,” he said.
“Once refugees from Afghanistan reach this region, they have already endured a lot of dangers, so if the Australian government wants to provide a facility for processing overseas they are best to establish it in the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan, like Pakistan, Iran or even India.”
Mr Mohaqiq said the memorandum of understanding between Afghanistan and Australia to return failed asylum-seekers had created despair in the refugee population. “I believe that MOU was drawn up without taking the reality of the situation in Afghanistan into full account,” he said.
Mr Mohaqiq said last year’s freeze on the processing of Afghan asylum applications was a mistake.
“Leaving people in the dark will affect them psychologically, and I believe that caused these major mental issues and problems,” he said.
“That’s why I came at this sensitive stage to put a friendly request to your government to process these people in a more humanitarian way.”
Australia’s detention centres are overcrowded, which has led to tensions and unrest. At least five detainees have committed suicide in less than a year.
Source,
http://www.wahdatnews.com/?p=361
Lanai Vasek | The Australian | April 05, 2011
leader of the Unity Party of Afghanistan, Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq
A LEADING Afghan MP has blamed the Labor government’s immigration policies for self-harm and mental health problems among detainees.
As leader of the Unity Party of Afghanistan, Haji Mohammad Mohaqiq is on his first visit to Australia and will this week meet Immigration Minister Chris Bowen to discuss a “more humanitarian” approach to the processing of ethnic Hazara Afghan refugees.
Speaking to The Australian yesterday, Mr Mohaqiq attacked Labor’s plan for a regional processing centre in East Timor, saying it would not stem the flow of asylum-seekers.
“I am against people-smuggling and trafficking and people entering illegally into another country, but those who make it here do so because they fear for their lives,” he said.
“Once refugees from Afghanistan reach this region, they have already endured a lot of dangers, so if the Australian government wants to provide a facility for processing overseas they are best to establish it in the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan, like Pakistan, Iran or even India.”
Mr Mohaqiq said the memorandum of understanding between Afghanistan and Australia to return failed asylum-seekers had created despair in the refugee population. “I believe that MOU was drawn up without taking the reality of the situation in Afghanistan into full account,” he said.
Mr Mohaqiq said last year’s freeze on the processing of Afghan asylum applications was a mistake.
“Leaving people in the dark will affect them psychologically, and I believe that caused these major mental issues and problems,” he said.
“That’s why I came at this sensitive stage to put a friendly request to your government to process these people in a more humanitarian way.”
Australia’s detention centres are overcrowded, which has led to tensions and unrest. At least five detainees have committed suicide in less than a year.
Source,
http://www.wahdatnews.com/?p=361
Afghan MP appeals for Hazaras to stay
Kirsty Needham
April 5, 2011
Mohammad Mohaqiq ... "not fair" to send Hazaras back. Photo: Penny Stephens
THE government's toughened policy on asylum claims by Afghans has come under fire from a prominent member of the Afghan parliament.
The arrival of Mohammad Mohaqiq in Australia to plead that Hazara boat people be treated humanely and given assistance on Australian soil will raise the pressure on the Gillard government's pledge to forcibly return rejected Afghans.
''I don't think it would be fair to send them back,'' Mr Mohaqiq, a Hazara and the leader of Islamic Unity Party, said in Melbourne yesterday.
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He had come to Australia to protest to the Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, about the length of time Hazaras are spending in detention and the suicides of two young Afghan men at the Curtin and Scherger detention centres last month.
''Some people are spending a year in detention and this really concerns me,'' Mr Mohaqiq said. ''I am against people-smuggling and people entering illegally, but these people whose lives are endangered and made it all the way here, I would like the government to consider their cases kindly and save them.''
No Afghans have been deported this year, but about 50 rejected asylum seekers are reaching the end of the appeals process and may soon be eligible for return. The government says it has struck a deal for the return of Afghan asylum seekers, but this has been disputed by key Afghan politicians.
Mr Mohaqiq said he was not opposed to Afghans returning home if they chose to, but he ''by no means supports their involuntary return''.
''The people in detention have come from areas where they are in contact with the Taliban. They have escaped from places like Oruzgan … where they faced bitter experiences last year. For example, in Oruzgan 1000 families have left the area and gone to unknown destinations. ''Some have made it to different corners of the world, including Australia.. We would like [the] Australian government to consider their cases under its humanitarian program and support them and assist their cases.''
A spokesman Mr Bowen said the agreement ''allows for the sustainable return of those Afghans not considered to be genuine refugees to Afghanistan'', adding: ''It's the preference of the governments of Australia and Afghanistan, and the United Nations High Commissioner [for Refugees], that these returns be voluntary wherever possible.''
The Australian National University academic Amin Saikal said Mr Mohaqiq was one of three most powerful Shiite leaders in Afghanistan.
Source,
http://www.smh.com.au/national/afghan-mp-appeals-for-hazaras-to-stay-20110404-1cyse.html
April 5, 2011
Mohammad Mohaqiq ... "not fair" to send Hazaras back. Photo: Penny Stephens
THE government's toughened policy on asylum claims by Afghans has come under fire from a prominent member of the Afghan parliament.
The arrival of Mohammad Mohaqiq in Australia to plead that Hazara boat people be treated humanely and given assistance on Australian soil will raise the pressure on the Gillard government's pledge to forcibly return rejected Afghans.
''I don't think it would be fair to send them back,'' Mr Mohaqiq, a Hazara and the leader of Islamic Unity Party, said in Melbourne yesterday.
Advertisement: Story continues below
He had come to Australia to protest to the Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, about the length of time Hazaras are spending in detention and the suicides of two young Afghan men at the Curtin and Scherger detention centres last month.
''Some people are spending a year in detention and this really concerns me,'' Mr Mohaqiq said. ''I am against people-smuggling and people entering illegally, but these people whose lives are endangered and made it all the way here, I would like the government to consider their cases kindly and save them.''
No Afghans have been deported this year, but about 50 rejected asylum seekers are reaching the end of the appeals process and may soon be eligible for return. The government says it has struck a deal for the return of Afghan asylum seekers, but this has been disputed by key Afghan politicians.
Mr Mohaqiq said he was not opposed to Afghans returning home if they chose to, but he ''by no means supports their involuntary return''.
''The people in detention have come from areas where they are in contact with the Taliban. They have escaped from places like Oruzgan … where they faced bitter experiences last year. For example, in Oruzgan 1000 families have left the area and gone to unknown destinations. ''Some have made it to different corners of the world, including Australia.. We would like [the] Australian government to consider their cases under its humanitarian program and support them and assist their cases.''
A spokesman Mr Bowen said the agreement ''allows for the sustainable return of those Afghans not considered to be genuine refugees to Afghanistan'', adding: ''It's the preference of the governments of Australia and Afghanistan, and the United Nations High Commissioner [for Refugees], that these returns be voluntary wherever possible.''
The Australian National University academic Amin Saikal said Mr Mohaqiq was one of three most powerful Shiite leaders in Afghanistan.
Source,
http://www.smh.com.au/national/afghan-mp-appeals-for-hazaras-to-stay-20110404-1cyse.html
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Burqa dilemma for Afghanistan's women skiers
by Emmanuel Duparcq Emmanuel Duparcq – Sun Apr 3, 4:41 pm ET
KHOSHKAK, Afghanistan (AFP) – Villagers in a tiny mountain hamlet in Afghanistan's Bamiyan Valley saw a remarkable thing recently -- a group of women putting on skis.
The men and children of Khoshak, tucked at the snow-covered foot of the Koh-e-Baba peaks, could hardly tear their eyes off the 10 women in headscarves and long coats laughing as they wrestled with their poles and bindings.
Here most women won't even leave the house without a full veil covering their faces.
"Women skiing? I'm against it if they do it without the burqa," declared Afzal, as he fingered his prayer beads, clearly unconvinced by what he called this "Western thing".
Nando Rollando, an Italian instructor charged by the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) with running the first skiing lessons the area has ever seen, expected this kind of resistance.
He had no trouble finding a dozen or so local boys keen to tackle the slopes, but when he suggested doing a special lesson for women with the local UN mission, he was met with reluctance, even among his colleagues.
"One of them told me he would send his son to ski but not his daughter. That dampened my enthusiasm," he said.
One of his best pupils from Khoshak, 13-year-old Said Shah, watched the women skiing from behind his flashy sunglasses.
But while he was happy to show off his fake designer shades on the slopes, he was clear that the women should dress more demurely.
"If women are interested (in skiing) they have to put hijab (burqa) or at least to cover their face," he said.
More than half of the women in the rural parts of this province -- regarded as among the country's least conservative -- wear the burqa, according to a UN official, but in the capital Bamiyan the figure drops to just over 20 percent.
The women learning to ski are the polar opposite of the rural women in blue burqas. Aged in their 20s and 30s, they are students or work in town and come from progressive families, according to the AKF.
On the slopes with Rollando, they fight through their apprehension and are soon shouting and laughing as they fall about on the snow.
"It's the first time I do something for myself," one said. Another said it had given her the chance to "discover herself".
For 28-year-old Zahra, the rough and tumble of the sport -- she fell over and hurt her back -- didn't stop her enjoying herself.
"It is very difficult to control skis, but very exciting," she said.
Naz Dana, a timid 16-year-old in a golden yellow headscarf has had to put up with snide remarks about women skiing -- from women as well as men -- but she was clear that she thought the veil was both impractical and unnecessary.
"With a burqa, it would be impossible to see the piste," she said.
"Skiing can be done without a burqa and in accordance to Islamic regulations."
On the heights of Bamiyan, mullah Said Nasrullah Waezi agreed.
"If the woman is properly covered from toe to head, with a scarf, she does not need the burqa that the Taliban and Al-Qaeda want," he said.
"It is good if the coach is a woman, or a man who keeps his distance."
It's a compromise that volleyball, the most popular sport among young women in Bamiyan, has yet to find -- without a gym where they can play away from the gaze of men, the town has no team.
Source,
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110403/wl_sthasia_afp/lifestyleafghanistansportski_20110403204127
KHOSHKAK, Afghanistan (AFP) – Villagers in a tiny mountain hamlet in Afghanistan's Bamiyan Valley saw a remarkable thing recently -- a group of women putting on skis.
The men and children of Khoshak, tucked at the snow-covered foot of the Koh-e-Baba peaks, could hardly tear their eyes off the 10 women in headscarves and long coats laughing as they wrestled with their poles and bindings.
Here most women won't even leave the house without a full veil covering their faces.
"Women skiing? I'm against it if they do it without the burqa," declared Afzal, as he fingered his prayer beads, clearly unconvinced by what he called this "Western thing".
Nando Rollando, an Italian instructor charged by the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) with running the first skiing lessons the area has ever seen, expected this kind of resistance.
He had no trouble finding a dozen or so local boys keen to tackle the slopes, but when he suggested doing a special lesson for women with the local UN mission, he was met with reluctance, even among his colleagues.
"One of them told me he would send his son to ski but not his daughter. That dampened my enthusiasm," he said.
One of his best pupils from Khoshak, 13-year-old Said Shah, watched the women skiing from behind his flashy sunglasses.
But while he was happy to show off his fake designer shades on the slopes, he was clear that the women should dress more demurely.
"If women are interested (in skiing) they have to put hijab (burqa) or at least to cover their face," he said.
More than half of the women in the rural parts of this province -- regarded as among the country's least conservative -- wear the burqa, according to a UN official, but in the capital Bamiyan the figure drops to just over 20 percent.
The women learning to ski are the polar opposite of the rural women in blue burqas. Aged in their 20s and 30s, they are students or work in town and come from progressive families, according to the AKF.
On the slopes with Rollando, they fight through their apprehension and are soon shouting and laughing as they fall about on the snow.
"It's the first time I do something for myself," one said. Another said it had given her the chance to "discover herself".
For 28-year-old Zahra, the rough and tumble of the sport -- she fell over and hurt her back -- didn't stop her enjoying herself.
"It is very difficult to control skis, but very exciting," she said.
Naz Dana, a timid 16-year-old in a golden yellow headscarf has had to put up with snide remarks about women skiing -- from women as well as men -- but she was clear that she thought the veil was both impractical and unnecessary.
"With a burqa, it would be impossible to see the piste," she said.
"Skiing can be done without a burqa and in accordance to Islamic regulations."
On the heights of Bamiyan, mullah Said Nasrullah Waezi agreed.
"If the woman is properly covered from toe to head, with a scarf, she does not need the burqa that the Taliban and Al-Qaeda want," he said.
"It is good if the coach is a woman, or a man who keeps his distance."
It's a compromise that volleyball, the most popular sport among young women in Bamiyan, has yet to find -- without a gym where they can play away from the gaze of men, the town has no team.
Source,
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110403/wl_sthasia_afp/lifestyleafghanistansportski_20110403204127
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Bamiyan: a hidden gem
by Sarah-Jean Cunningham on 04 2nd, 2011
When people think of Afghanistan they think of the war, of the dirty politics, of the corruption and the images of poverty, death and misery.
I like to show a different side to the story in my blog. A side that is positive, optimistic and beautiful; a side that exists both, in an overwhelming abundance and in the most unexpected corners of the country. Bamiyan, best known for its historic Buddha statues blown up by the Taliban 10 years ago, is one of those gems of beauty. A short but turbulent helicopter ride to the central highland’s province took me and the talented photographer, Lorenzo Tugnoli, on a mini ski adventure in the glorious mountains that surround the centre of Bamiyan.
Rah-e-Abraisham, an Afghan tour company based in Bamiyan, is one of the first in country which specialises in outdoor activities. Bamiyan is one of the safest provinces in the country and the relaxed vibe of the small town makes for the perfect weekend get-away for us Kabulis. The thing about tourism in Afghanistan is that inevitably you end up hiking through minefields. Cleared ones, but nonetheless, minefields. Actually I have learned a lot about navigating my way through minefields since arriving in Afghanistan. You are supposed to stay between the white rocks and avoid the red ones. Unfortunately, the red and white rocks lay scattered in a haphazard way after the winter rains and snow washes them away, leaving us guesstimating the correct path.
Besides the excitement of dodging land mines, the sight of the forgotten Shahr-e-Gholgola (the City of Screams) was stunning and instantly took us back to the thirteenth century when the massacre of the city by Gengis Khan took place in revenge for the murder of his favourite grandson, which eerily lead to the city being renamed the City of Screams.
So then came the skiing. And when I say skiing, what I actually mean is a hell of a lot of hiking up a snowy mountain with heavy equipment and then a short but sweet ski downhill. Despite the physically strenuous challenge of going up the mountain, it was undoubtedly enthralling to be the only people on the mountain absorbing the fresh air and stunning views. Although, I must admit, that the strong, spring sun made skiiing difficult as the snow had started to melt.
Our ski guide, Nando, was an Italian mountaineer flown in by the Aga Khan Foundation to support this tourism project and promote skiing in the province. Our Italian certainly was a character, whipping his Afghan team into shape with in a harsh but pedagogical tone while warmly admitting that they had become like family to him during his three months in the country.
The local children looked on in amazement at the foreigners dressed in strange outfits, while they comfortably walked around in the snow in flimsy-looking shoes and a shalwar kameez. One boy had ingeniously put together a pair of make-shift skis, made from planks of wood bound to his boots with rope. Apparently Nando spotted some raw talent in the boy and immediately arranged for him to join the Bamiyan ‘ski school’ and be trained to become a ski guide in time for the next ski season in Afghanistan. The boy, although somewhat reserved, seemed to show a hint of excitement at the prospect.
Still lacking electricity, decent roads, and other amenities, Bamiyan is still a long way from being a top tourist destination. However, it’s moving in the right direction and has the perfect mix of relaxation, stunning scenery and fun activities. Who knows, with the arrival on the long-rumoured international airport, Bamiyan in the future could be bustling with tourists hungry for an adventure and a dose of the peaceful side to Afghanistan.
Sarah-Jean Cunningham is half-Egyptian, half-British who recently moved to Afghanistan to pursue her passion for development. Trying to understand the country is her newest and most difficult challenge yet! She blogs at: www.sjcunningham.com
Source,
http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/02/bamiyan-a-hidden-gem.html
*Photography by Lorenzo Tugnoli
When people think of Afghanistan they think of the war, of the dirty politics, of the corruption and the images of poverty, death and misery.
I like to show a different side to the story in my blog. A side that is positive, optimistic and beautiful; a side that exists both, in an overwhelming abundance and in the most unexpected corners of the country. Bamiyan, best known for its historic Buddha statues blown up by the Taliban 10 years ago, is one of those gems of beauty. A short but turbulent helicopter ride to the central highland’s province took me and the talented photographer, Lorenzo Tugnoli, on a mini ski adventure in the glorious mountains that surround the centre of Bamiyan.
Rah-e-Abraisham, an Afghan tour company based in Bamiyan, is one of the first in country which specialises in outdoor activities. Bamiyan is one of the safest provinces in the country and the relaxed vibe of the small town makes for the perfect weekend get-away for us Kabulis. The thing about tourism in Afghanistan is that inevitably you end up hiking through minefields. Cleared ones, but nonetheless, minefields. Actually I have learned a lot about navigating my way through minefields since arriving in Afghanistan. You are supposed to stay between the white rocks and avoid the red ones. Unfortunately, the red and white rocks lay scattered in a haphazard way after the winter rains and snow washes them away, leaving us guesstimating the correct path.
Besides the excitement of dodging land mines, the sight of the forgotten Shahr-e-Gholgola (the City of Screams) was stunning and instantly took us back to the thirteenth century when the massacre of the city by Gengis Khan took place in revenge for the murder of his favourite grandson, which eerily lead to the city being renamed the City of Screams.
So then came the skiing. And when I say skiing, what I actually mean is a hell of a lot of hiking up a snowy mountain with heavy equipment and then a short but sweet ski downhill. Despite the physically strenuous challenge of going up the mountain, it was undoubtedly enthralling to be the only people on the mountain absorbing the fresh air and stunning views. Although, I must admit, that the strong, spring sun made skiiing difficult as the snow had started to melt.
Our ski guide, Nando, was an Italian mountaineer flown in by the Aga Khan Foundation to support this tourism project and promote skiing in the province. Our Italian certainly was a character, whipping his Afghan team into shape with in a harsh but pedagogical tone while warmly admitting that they had become like family to him during his three months in the country.
The local children looked on in amazement at the foreigners dressed in strange outfits, while they comfortably walked around in the snow in flimsy-looking shoes and a shalwar kameez. One boy had ingeniously put together a pair of make-shift skis, made from planks of wood bound to his boots with rope. Apparently Nando spotted some raw talent in the boy and immediately arranged for him to join the Bamiyan ‘ski school’ and be trained to become a ski guide in time for the next ski season in Afghanistan. The boy, although somewhat reserved, seemed to show a hint of excitement at the prospect.
Still lacking electricity, decent roads, and other amenities, Bamiyan is still a long way from being a top tourist destination. However, it’s moving in the right direction and has the perfect mix of relaxation, stunning scenery and fun activities. Who knows, with the arrival on the long-rumoured international airport, Bamiyan in the future could be bustling with tourists hungry for an adventure and a dose of the peaceful side to Afghanistan.
Sarah-Jean Cunningham is half-Egyptian, half-British who recently moved to Afghanistan to pursue her passion for development. Trying to understand the country is her newest and most difficult challenge yet! She blogs at: www.sjcunningham.com
Source,
http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/02/bamiyan-a-hidden-gem.html
*Photography by Lorenzo Tugnoli
Friday, April 1, 2011
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