Over the centuries, rival tribal groups have constantly competed over rights to land, resources, power and even women. This has engendered a competitive spirit in Afghan culture and has been the cause of a great deal of recurrent violence and disharmony between tribes and ethnicities. It influences people to behave conservatively in accordance with social expectations to avoid drawing attention to themselves or risk doing something perceived to be dishonourable.
As a result, Afghans can be wary of the fact that they need to give a public impression of dignity and integrity to protect the honour of those they are associated with.
To prevent indignity, criticism is rarely given directly and praise is expected to be generously offered. The senior male of a family is considered to be responsible for protecting the honour of the family. They are often particularly concerned with the behaviour of the women in their family, as females have many social expectations to comply with. These relate to their moral code, dress, social interactions, education, economic activity and public involvement see more in the Family section.
Ethnic Relations and Politics. Relationships between different ethnic groups can be tense. Minority ethnic groups have often argued that the national identity, politics and civil service of Afghanistan exclude non-Pashtuns.
Pashtun public interests commonly supersede those of other ethnicities that seek greater recognition. This has been exacerbated by the fact that insurgency groups, such as the Taliban , are predominantly made up of Pashtun men.
The Taliban is not only a religious extremist group, but also a Pashtun nationalist group aiming to establish an Afghan emirate. In addition to the mistreatment some ethnicities have suffered under others in the recent decades of war, there are many ethnic feuds that have been passed down through generations.
For example, Pashtuns may fault the Uzbeks for the actions of the previous generations, and the violent conflict between Pashtuns and Hazaras can be traced back to the 19th century. Sometimes the Afghan sense of honour means that different groups feel old injustices need to be avenged. The loyalty to blood ties and ethnicity reflects the deep tribalism and collectivism of Afghan society.
More recently, the ethno-linguistic groups of Afghanistan have experienced a degree of unity through the shared experience of unremitting war, displacement and survival. This has given rise to cultural resilience but also national exhaustion. Millions have been involuntarily displaced to surrounding countries such as Pakistan and Iran where they reside as refugees in dangerous, marginalising and uncertain conditions.
Some have fled to the West to escape capture, torture or death. The majority of Afghan-born people residing in Western countries share this war-torn experience. Today, most people wish for peaceful relations. The Afghan people have also been slowly reclaiming their freedom of expression since the early s. Communications have improved and developed quickly in the last 10 years or so.
Today, many people have up-to-date technology and smartphones that allow them to access the internet and media outlets. Social media is also widely used, which has led to a flourishing involvement of youth who are highly politically engaged. The modern aspirations of the younger generation have changed with the arrival of the internet and mass media.
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Men may greet a girl by putting his hand above his head and bowing. Afghanistan has no pig farms, nor does it sell pigs. In , China gave a male pig by the name of Khanzir, and his female companion, to the Kabul Zoo. Khanzir and his companion had piglets, but an accident occurred when a bear attacked their cage.
The female pig and the piglets died, and Khanzir was the only survivor. Buzkashi is a centuries-old Asian game. Men on horseback fight over a beheaded goat with no hooves, which weighs about 40 to pounds or 20 to 50 kilograms. The aim of the game is to grab the goat and deliver it to a goal. Afghans usually play Buzkashi on Fridays. In Afghanistan, the Nauruz celebration usually happens on March 21 and lasts for two weeks. During this time, a huge crowd party in the streets to join the celebration of Afghan New Year.
In addition, they host parties for friends and families and cook different Afghan traditional foods. Though Afghanistan is a poverty-stricken country, people here are diligent.
They work for six days a week, from Saturday to Thursday. Friday is their only day off, because it is a Muslim holy day. Most shops and businesses are closed on Fridays. In Afghanistan, there are about 3. The lack of female teachers, especially in rural areas, is one reason for low enrollment. Most of these do not have proper sanitation facilities which also deters attendance. According to a source, the number of internet users in Afghanistan is about 7. Between and , there was an increase of , Unfortunately, having internet access in the country is relatively costly.
Generally, Afghans use their right hand for eating, and specifically their fingers for scooping food. However, the left hand should not be used to touch food. As of , Zablon Simintov, a carpet trader, is the only Jew, a person whose religion is Judaism , staying in Afghanistan. He is the caretaker of the Jewish temple in Kabul. Life expectancy in Afghanistan is one of the lowest in the world.
Based on studies made in , life expectancy is around This is mainly due to malnutrition and lack of medical facilities. The Hindu Kush is an meter long mountain range that stretches through Afghanistan.
It has several peaks, the tallest is the Terichmir at 7, meters or 25, feet. It is mainly used to irrigate the crops of Afghan farmers. Though it has a mineral build-up that lessens the advantage in watering crops, it is salt-free. The word Taliban is an Arabic word that means students.
Taliban is a political and military government that ruled Afghanistan from to It was also one of the groups involved in the Afghan Civil War. The group has been criticized internationally for the rigid execution of their Islamic laws, ending in violence in the country. He created a database recording the names of the volunteers for the Afghan War, which directed the creation of the Al Qaeda group. Moreso, the United States Military intelligence officials have classified that rebels used FW in creating bombs.
Bamiyan Buddhas are two statues that were carved on the cliff of the Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan. The bigger one measured feet in height, while the smaller one measured feet in height.
Unfortunately, the Taliban destroyed the statues in March As part of their religious beliefs, Afghans consider dogs as vile and undesirable. In connection with this belief, they do not let dogs get into areas where people pray. Tuberculosis is a contagious disease that affects the lungs.
In Afghanistan, it is an endemic disease, with about 76, cases annually. In , around 8, people died because of tuberculosis. As such, the country is ranked 22nd in the world amongst the highest cases of tuberculosis. Afghans at any age are not allowed to consume alcoholic drinks. Violation of this law is punishable in accordance with their religious laws. Imprisonment or prescribed whipping is the punishment to the violators of the law. During the war from to , the Afghan government had no system to record the birth of their citizens.
Due to the lack of available records, Afghans born in that decade, do not know their exact birthdate. To make things easier for them, they chose January 1, since it is the easiest date to remember. Kapisa is in the northeastern part of the country, and it has a land area of 1, square kilometers. Afghan law carries a maximum penalty of death for those charged with proselytizing, if convicted. Evidence may consist of possession of non-Islamic religious material, especially in local languages.
Allegations of conversion of Afghan citizens are taken particularly seriously. The testimony of three individuals or a group is enough to convict someone of proselytizing. The same penalty exists in law for Afghan citizens who convert to another religion.
All Afghan citizens are considered Muslim from birth. Converts are subject to arrest regardless of where the conversion took place, and Afghan-U. In Afghanistan, debts and business disputes are not exclusively civil matters as may be the case in the United States.
Instead, the aggrieved party may successfully have a U. If involved in a commercial dispute, hiring an Afghan attorney early can be beneficial. A list of English speaking attorneys in the consular district of the U. The list comprises attorneys in Afghanistan officially registered with the Afghan Ministry of Justice who have expressed a willingness to carry out legal services for U.
The Embassy does not endorse any particular attorney and the list is not comprehensive; we encourage those seeking legal advice in Afghanistan to utilize other means of finding an attorney. While some countries will automatically notify the nearest U. To ensure that the United States is aware of your circumstances, request that the police and prison officials notify the nearest U.
Languages Dari Persian and Pashto are the official languages of Afghanistan. Although Pashto has quite an extensive literature, Dari is used for cultural expression and business and government transactions of the many dialects spoken. The Turkish Uzbek, Turkoman, and Kirgiz are most prevalent in the border regions.
Medical Facilities and Health Information Well-equipped medical facilities are few and far between throughout Afghanistan. European and American medicines are available in limited quantities and may be expensive or difficult to locate. There is a shortage of basic medical supplies.
Basic medicines manufactured in Iran, Pakistan, China and India are available, but their reliability can be questionable. Afghan public hospitals should be avoided.
Individuals without government licenses or even medical degrees often operate private clinics; there is no public agency that monitors their operations. You will not be able to find Western-trained medical personnel in most parts of the country outside Kabul, although there are some international aid groups temporarily providing basic medical assistance in various cities and villages.
For any medical treatment, payment is required in advance. Commercial medical evacuation capability from Afghanistan is limited and could take days to arrange. Even medevac companies that claim to service the world may not agree to come to Afghanistan. If you have medevac insurance, you should confirm with the insurance provider that medevac assistance is available in Afghanistan and which clinics they recommend for evaluation.
You can find detailed information on vaccinations and other health precautions on the Centers for Disease Control's CDC website. The WHO website also contains additional health information for travelers, including detailed country-specific health information. Tuberculosis is an increasingly serious health concern in Afghanistan. No province in Afghanistan should be considered immune from violence, and the potential exists throughout the country for hostile acts, either targeted or random, against U.
Additionally, criminal organizations such as weapons and narco-traffickers undermine peace and stability. These groups aim to weaken or bring down the Government of Afghanistan, and often, to drive Westerners out of the country.
They do not hesitate to use violence to achieve their aims. Terrorist actions may include, but are not limited to, suicide operations, bombings -- including vehicle-borne explosives and improvised explosive devices -- assassinations, carjackings, rocket attacks, assaults, or kidnappings. Violence has spiked during the first six months of , and despite numerous interdiction operations by Afghan and coalition forces, insurgents have conducted thirteen high profile attacks in Kabul City.
This landlocked country has been at the crossroads of major civilisations for centuries and that is reflected in what is on the menu. Sample its delicate ashak, a ravioli stuffed with leeks, and topped with minced meat and yogurt, or Mantu pasta filled with lamb and onions. And new influences are still emerging as Afghanistan opens its doors to the world.
If you yearn for something lighter, former Japanese journalist-turned chef Hiromi now known as Mursal which means Rose in Persian fell in love with the country, married an Afghan and is training Afghans to make mouth-watering sushi. Kandahar airfield in southern Afghanistan is said to be the busiest single runway airstrip in the world. No wonder it is also the place Nato has its first complete air traffic capability in a non-Nato country.
Last year's arrival of more than 30, extra US troops, along with more civilian personnel, added to constant landings on a base also used by non-US militaries. Of course, lots of journalists and dignitaries also fly in to one of Afghanistan's most volatile cities, the most decisive battle in this war.
Afghans have long said whoever controls Kandahar, controls Afghanistan. The world's first oil paintings were drawn not in Renaissance Europe but in the caves of Bamiyan, in the central highlands of Afghanistan around BC. Bamiyan boasted a flourishing Buddhist civilisation from the 2nd Century up to the Islamic invasion of the 9th Century.
This is where the world's two largest standing Buddhas once stood, until the Taliban destroyed them in A newly opened tourism company is trying to attract tourists back to beautiful Bamiyan. Last year, they had a grand total of two along with Afghans and foreigners who live in the country.
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