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Wait you look like an Afghan…

by Taufiq Rahim on March 4, 2008 in Live from Kabul

Khosh Amadid! It is now Tuesday evening here in Kabul and the temperature drops fast. It also signals the end of the work day. One of my Afghan friends/colleagues at the Embassy wanted to invite me to his place for dinner, but of course that is out of the question. Most expats are in severe lockdown, and nighttime is better deferred by simply doing more work.

Hustle and Bustle in Kabul
Hustle and Bustle in Kabul

Alas, the security situation has deteriorated over the last couple years, and what used to be possible is simply not so. A simple walk in the market is too much. Rather than a Baghdad greenzone, there are a number of secure places where one goes to. However, the effect of two cities is much the same - one Kabul for the West, and another for the rest. Yet, the gloom and doom of the security situation should not dominate. As seen by the picture on the left, locals are out in full force, and commercial activity has not been halted by the threat of Taliban attacks, which have generally targeted Western or international affiliated locations.

It is a shame that when you drive around, you cannot even open your window (at least for me when I am with an Embassy

A beautiful backdrop for bombs
A beautiful backdrop for bombs
vehicle). It’s all very controlled. Before you get to the Embassy compound entrance itself, along that road there are incredibly 5 heavily guarded checkpoints within 500 meters. Gun-toting Afghan guards are as ubiquitous here as Lyndon Larouche flyers in KSG (er HKS) mailboxes. Amidst the uncertainty , and the restrictions, you forget the beautiful backdrop that is Afghanistan, its physical beauty and cultural prowess (although the Bollywood songs all over the radio would tell you they have also adopted some external elements as well).

Just in Case
Just in Case

My research has been going well, and luckily I have not yet had to don the traditional Afghan dress (seen here). I have been to ministries, and embassies, multilerateral orgs, and private companies, trying to garner multiple perspectives on the issues at hand. Whether it is that I haven’t shaven, or that I look like the ‘good kind of brown,’ everybody breaks out the Dari (farsi) when speaking to me, thinking I’m Afghan; when I don’t understand, they break out the Pashtu. I doubt U.S. Customs will do either.

For now nothing sensational - like a women in blue burqa driving a Hummer - to report, but rest assured, you will be the first to know.

Written by Taufiq Rahim · Filed Under Live from Kabul 

Taufiq Rahim, who hails from Vancouver, Canada, is a 2nd year Master's in Public Policy student at the Kennedy School of Government. As part of his degree requirements, he is currently researching for his Policy Analysis Exercise (PAE), a joint-project with the Embassy of Canada in Afghanistan. He is, as a result, spending the week (Mar. 2-8) in Kabul.

Comments

One Response to “Wait you look like an Afghan…”

  1. Sitora on March 11th, 2008 10:20 pm

    I like how you write your mini stories. I was in Kabul a year ago and can totally relate to everything you say. Try to travel to Herat and Mazar and may be some other places, if you can. And yes, you do look like an Afghan (and Persian in general). So, you better start learning Farsi soon…:) Khudafiz….

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