Imprisoned by the Dutch
by Taufiq Rahim on March 8, 2008 in Live from Kabul
The other night I went to meet Peter Jouvenal, a cameraman extraordinaire who has spent the better part of the last two and half decades in and out of the region. He was referred to me by Peter Bergen, and the two of them along with Peter Arnett (why it was three Peters we’ll never know), interviewed bin Laden in 1997. In any case Jouvenal, who lives here with his family runs the Gandamack Lodge, an odd fixture in Kabul, that houses antique guns and beer and a bevy of mostly foreigners. In any case, it has been a way-station for countless journalists and others over the years. We had quite a lengthy conversation discussing the many complex challenges facing the country, and of course were not able to arrive at any definitive solutions.
The days have been going by, and soon I will be departing Kabul, back on the Red Line through Terminal Two in Dubai, and eventually coming back to Cambridge. Kabul, like Cambridge, appears to have a curfew. Last night, however, this informal curfew came a little bit earlier, as the Dutch played a role in my imposed imprisonment. As some of you may know a recent Dutch film that purportedly is anti-Islamic has been causing some consternation in many parts of the world. Coupled with the Dutch cartoons, and the flames are lit. Sporadic demonstrations near the Embassy area, meant that driving around was not going to be a great option. So instead of meeting a friend for dinner — I didn’t meet a friend for dinner (not many choices).
There are many other things to note, and point out, and I will do so as I make the journey back. As they say in Kabul, keep it real.
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Taufiq, you’re amazing, can’t wait to de-brief when you’re back!
This is awesome!