NTR (Noori Truth Reflector)

Yadgaar

2011-12-14T05:36:00.000-08:00

Withdrawal of Foreign Troops--Jeopardizing Afghans' Future

2011-09-14T05:32:00.000-07:00

If Afghanistan ever needed the assistance of foreign troops, it is now.

The system of government is one of the most dysfunctional in the world and its three branches are locked in dispute.

Click on the headline and read the article in full.

Shah Rasoul Qasimi (Dunya Main Kitna Gham Hai)

2011-03-30T14:14:00.000-07:00

USAID Creates Business Opportunities to Former Commanders and Brings Them to Civil Life

2011-02-01T22:02:00.000-08:00

USAID funded IDEA-NEW Program creates long term employment to Afghans in rural areas. In this activity, the project brought former a local commander into civil life by assisting him to create a small business that provides employment to laborers in the production of trellis posts, which can double the yield of vineyards and so increase farmers income.

Election, Islam, Women Participation

2010-09-20T02:37:00.000-07:00

By: Zabihullah Noori

While the Afghan government and international community was encouraging all Afghans—the women as one potential group of voters in particular—to exercise their rights to vote and have their elected representative in the Afghan Lower House, the Taliban tried to disrupt the process in as many possible ways as they could.

The Taliban issued night letters, threatened people to death and warned them not to participate in the elections or their fingers will be cut off.

The Taliban targeted women groups and spread messages calling women participation in the process un-Islamic. To combat these wrong and misinterpreted messages of the Taliban, the Afghan Independent Election Commission tried every method they could. The commission did not step back from any possible way of encouraging women voters to participate in the election and cast their votes, from airing dramas and promotional programs via media to organizing round tables and group discussions in the village level.

Some of the methods were repetition of stuff that had been aired in previous elections. The only new stuff in this election that worked really well was the use of mosques as a place for discussion and the use of religious elders and local women associations as carriers of the election messages.

Trying to be innovative in spreading the awareness about citizens’ political rights, a local NGO in Afghanistan used Islamic teachings and women to women connection to raise women participation in the parliamentary elections, which took place on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010. Unlike most production companies who create western looking backgrounds and use 3D and graphics for their promotional and commercial advertising, the Development and Public Awareness (DPA) used media and mosques to run this campaign. The organization’s another positive method was the distribution of posters that carried election related Islamic messages. The DPA campaign also included TV clips and group discussion in broadcast media.

Since all Afghans have very deep belief in Islamic faith, they can be persuaded to do any action as long as it is in line with Islamic teaching.

The series produced and aired by DPA talked about the time of prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and how prophet’s wife was running business and taking part in social affairs.

I decided to do a quick sample survey; therefore, I asked some twenty women who had seen the promotional stuff and said they were doubtful about their rights in Islam.

According to these women, if such quick promotional stuff continues to air in TV it will not only help them learn a lot more about their Islamic rights, but will also encourage young girls to pay more attention to their social lives in line with Islamic rules.

Among all election awareness campaign, the DPA initiative was outstanding because it connected the dots among religion, social ties, women and election.

All twenty women said they are going to vote in the upcoming elections, because it was their social and Islamic right.

Photo credit: usawc.state.gov

Corruption: One Game, Various Layers & Different Players

2010-09-20T02:32:00.000-07:00

Corruption in the Afghan administration is the number one problem for the Afghan government itself and for the international community; the involvement of high ranking Afghan government officials have put all the anti corruption efforts in jeopardy.

By: Zabihullah Noori

Afghan Ambassador to Canada illegally verifies his younger brother’s educational documents to get him appointed in high position in the government.

By acknowledging his brother’s educational certificates of Peshawar schools in Pakistan and by illegally verifying his documents, Jawid Ludin, the Afghan Ambassador to Canada commits an obvious act of corruption.

Qaseem Ludin, the younger brother of the ambassador had studied in Abasyn Institute of Management Sciences—a private education center in Peshawar city of Pakistan—between June 14.2000 and September 17.2000 and got a completion certificate for this short term course. Ignoring the existence of the Afghan Ministry of Higher Education’s Academic Solidarity Affairs Department in Afghanistan, the ambassador officially, but illegally recognized and certified his brother’s short term course certificate in place of a proper BA or BSc diploma in the Afghan Embassy in Canada on April 2010, one decade later.

According to Mohammad Hassan Rashiq, head of Academic Solidarity Affairs Department in the Afghan Ministry of Higher Education, “The Afghan embassy can only certify the stamp and certification of the Office of Foreign Affairs of a country where the embassy is located”. Strongly expressing concerns over the issue of certifying educational documents, Mr. Rashiq said that the Afghan Embassy’s act in this matter is against the rule and regulations of the Afghan Ministry of Higher Education. According to Mr. Rashiq, “The embassy is a political entity, not an academic institution”.

Mr. Yaseen Osmani proposes someone with no basic information of planning or policy as his Planning and Policy Deputy in the High Office of Oversight and Anti Corruption (HOO).

Mr. Osmani the head of HOO requested Mr. Qaseem Ludin as his planning and policy deputy ignoring the fact that Mr. Ludin has no study or work background in this field.

Mr. Qaseem Ludin’s only documents are his certificate from his three-month long course at the Abasyn Institute of Management Sciences in Peshawar, Pakistan; and his master’s degree in Environmental Studies Geography from Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada. None of these two degrees are remotely related to his previous post as senior advisor to the HOO and his current post as the Deputy of Planning and Policy for the HOO. Turning a blank eye to Mr. Ludin’s professional field and his incapacity to serve as professional deputy of planning and policy in HOO, Mr. Osmani nominated Mr. Qaseem Ludin for this post just to keep Ambassador Ludin and President Karzai happy.

Mr. Osmani’s favor to ambassador Ludin’s efforts and President Karzai’s biased decision paid off handsomely to younger Ludin’s employment attempts.
A young gentleman with a background on geography drafts plans and policies in HOO. No surprise! This is how most other high ranking officials have been hired in Karzai’s administration.

The Afghan Labor law states it clearly that no one should be hired in any governmental posts unless his documents are verified by the Afghan Ministry of Higher Education. But Mr. Osmani, the head of HOO says that when need rises he can recruit staff to fill the gap without verifying their documents first—the way he hired Mr. Qaseem Ludin.

Mr. Osmani told me on his phone interview that he hired Mr. Qaseem Ludin on direct order of the Afghan President. Now, about six months after Mr. Ludin has served as the planning and policy deputy, Mr. Osmani—coming under pressure from various media organizations—had no choice but to send Mr. Ludin’s illegally verified documents to the Ministry of Higher Education for probation.

Agreeing with the theory of Mr. Osmani, Mr. Abdul Razaq Zulali, HOO Administration and Finance Deputy says that nothing is wrong with the way Mr. Ludin was hired and nothing is wrong with his educational documents either.
Zulali claims that for an ordinary employee, it is crucial that his documents must be verified and his work background must be checked; however, according to Mr. Zulali, “such rules don’t apply to political posts like ministers and deputy ministers.” Mr. Ludin’s current post is similar to that of a deputy minister.

Currently, Mr. Ludin is drafting plans and policies for HOO to fight corruption in such a situation that his own educational documents have not been officially verified for the past six months, meaning that Mr. Qaseem Ludin has been serving as the planning and policy deputy in the HOO for the past nearly seven months with no official document in place. Mr. Zulali added that HOO has no time limit or deadline for Mr. Ludin to complete the verification process of his documents. According to Mr. Zulali, it may take up to one year to verify his documents.

The HOO was set up as an independent organization to oversee the corruption and make policies to fight it. The authorities of HOO are equivalent to that of a ministry.
President’s Office of Administration Affairs(OAA) whose sole responsibility in recruiting and employing high ranking government officials is to make sure the documents are genuine and authentic bypasses Qaseem Ludin’s three-month long certificate and accepting that as a proper BA degree equivalent.

Not only that, the OAA also ignored the fact that Qaseem Ludin had been charged with bad debt payment in his previous job at the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD). Needless to say, Mr. Ludin hasn’t paid his debt to date this article being written.

Finally, President Karzai signs off Mr. Osmani’s request letter and appoints Qaseem Ludin as the Planning and Policy Deputy at the HOO, because he knows Ludin’s older brother.

Despite the international community’s hard push for brining corruption to an end within the Afghan administration, the Afghan government, particularly President Hamid Karzai and his close allies like Mr. Jawid Ludin and Mr. Osmani have no intention to fight this bad phenomenon.

To respond to president Obama’s call for fight against corruption, President Karzai established the HOO to oversee the anti corruption efforts, but ironically the President appointed corrupt people like Mr. Osmani as the head and Mr. Qaseem Ludin as the Planning and Policy Deputy for this organization.

When convey is led by such men, no doubt it will never reach the final target destination.

How can the people of Afghanistan expect the HOO to oversee the anti corruption effort, when they commit corruption within the organization?

How can the lower level Afghan government employees be stopped from bribery and corruption, when high ranking government diplomat like Mr. Jawid Ludin does it so apparently?

How can the international community and the Afghan civil society stop corruption or fight against it, when the Afghan president commits it so visibly?

My photography of Badakhshan Province

2010-08-23T02:17:00.000-07:00

My photography of Badakhshan province has recently been posted on Tolonews.com
Click on the headline and view the photo album.

Mineral Wealth--Afghanistan's Future

2010-06-22T22:54:00.000-07:00

Matthew Rusling of Xinhua News Agency wrote an in-depth news report on Afghanistan's Mineral Wealth, in which I shared my inputs as an Afghan.
Click on the headline and read the full story.

Afghanistan The Way Forward (Panel Discussion)

2010-05-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

A panel at the Thomson Reuters Foundation,on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 shed light on the future of international community's involvement in Afghanistan.
The participants, Richard Barret, coordinator of United Nations on Al Qaeda/Taliban, Ambassador Peter Galbraith, former UN Deputy Special Representative in Afghanistan, and Hekmat Karzai, director of Center for Conflict and Peace Studies, discussed the current situation and the future of Afghanistan.
Click on the headline to read the full text on Thomson Reuters Web site.

Reconciliation With The Taliban – An Impossibly Implementable Plan

2010-04-21T23:05:00.000-07:00

By: Zabihullah Noori

Afghan President Hamid Karzai – a character out of favor not only among world leaders, but also among many Afghans -- seeks ways to regain fame by bringing the Taliban around the negotiation table.

Many Afghans consider Karzai's second term as illegitimate because of scandalous fraudulent votes in the August 20, 2009 presidential elections. Since stepping into office for a second term, Karzai's first goal has become legitimizing his government. Therefore, he has been running around in different parts of the world trying to drum up support for his administration. Going to Turkey for regional talks; attending the London Conference to present a peace deal with the Taliban; traveling to Saudi Arabia to gain support for the deal; participating in the Munich Security Conference and demanding support for increasing Afghan troops to 300,000 are
some examples of his efforts in this matter.

To continue to gain international support, Karzai has called upon the international community to allocate more resources to the Afghan government and to train the Afghan security forces to gradually become able to take control of country's security. Karzai’s reintegration initiative has
apparently won international backing, though without forming a concrete mechanism for reconciliations.

To respond to Karzai's call for supporting the Afghan security forces, President Barack Obama approved the deployment of 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in December.

There are two different perspectives that must be considered concerning the reconciliation with the Taliban. On one hand, the international community seems to have realized that the Afghan battle cannot be won with military operations alone. On the other hand, President Karzai demands negotiation with the Taliban because, according to him, the Afghan Taliban who are not associated or ideologically committed to Al Qaeda should be given a chance to re-join the mainstream society.

In the past, Karzai has repeatedly called up on the Taliban to embrace the Afghan constitution and join the political process, but none of those green lights have been welcomed to date partly because those calls did not echo with the support of the international community.

The Taliban's response to Karzai's call for negotiations has always had pre-requisites for the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan, the removal of the Taliban Supreme Leader's name from the UN blacklist, and a considerable power-sharing deal that neither Karzai nor the international community can accept.

It has been observed that any time Karzai calls for negotiation with the Taliban, the Taliban launches a series of offensive attacks as a sign of declining the offer to talk.

As recently as January 26, 2010 -- just two days ahead of the London Conference, where the issue of negotiations with the Taliban was planned to be the main focus of the conference – the Taliban launched a massive attack in central Kabul some 50- meters away from Karzai's palace, where Karzai's new cabinet members were being sworn in. In the massive offense which, according to some experts, was "a show of power", at least seven insurgents, equipped with rifles and machine guns and wearing suicide vests attacked key government locations in Kabul and fought against the US-trained Afghan forces for about six hours.

Lately, the international community and Karzai’s government have come up with alternatives to the Taliban's demands, offering immunity, jobs and other monetary benefits to encourage the Taliban to lay down their arms. This approach will be a waste of effort, as it will encourage ordinary unemployed civilians, particularly those who live in the tribal areas, to join the Taliban temporarily or to claim that they had been part of the Taliban just to return back and get the government-allocated benefits. The Taliban's ideological demands are solidly-defined -- the withdrawal of international troops and a considerable share in Kabul’s government.

A Taliban spokesman said that the Taliban’s mandate does not allow talks in such circumstances- while Afghanistan is "occupied by infidel forces."

According to the Taliban spokesman, the Taliban does not trust Karzai and his
allies because they talk about reconciliation while simultaneously increasing the number of troops that are fighting against Taliban.

Since there is no sign of willingness from the Taliban to come forward for a negotiation, Karzai's call for negotiation may therefore remain a dream that will never come true.

When It Comes To Action, No Promises Are Fulfilled

2009-12-18T20:21:00.000-08:00

Karzai’s New Cabinet Full of Old Corrupt Folks

By: Zabihullah Noori

After three times postponement in announcing his new cabinet, President Karzai finally destroyed the dream of Afghan people on having honest and clean ministers in their new government.
As predicted by most politicians and oppositions of the Afghan government, corruption has become part of Karzai’s nature and there is no way he will ever want to have clean and devoted ministers in his cabinet. According to the list of ministers published on Pajhwok most of the new cabinet members are old corrupt folks who have served under Karzai and favored him in August 20th Presidential Elections.

Ministr of Defense, Abdul Rahim Wardak, whose son owns a transport company for supplying the international troops in Kandahar, is an example of many. According to Western media, Minister Wardak’s son pays the Taliban for allowing the convoy of his trucks to make it to Kandahar base safely. While Mr. Wardak, as defense minister, sends thousands of Afghan youth to fight the Taliban, his son supports them financially, as stated in western papers and Afghan national media.

Minister of Interior, Mr. Hanif Atmar, whose police posts were used as the signboard of Karzai’s campaign posters, and whose Ford Ranger pick-ups were used to transport only those voters who wanted to vote for Karzai, is again in the list of Karzai’s new cabinet.

Minister of Public Health, Mohammad Amin Fatimi, spread the word out about Swine Flu and dismissed all schools and universities right one day before the announcement of the results of the elections, just to avoid any public demonstration on the unfair result of this fraudulent elections. Now, you can clearly guess who and how one can dare to imagine that Mr. Fatimi will not be in Karzai’s new cabinet.

The profile of corrupt ministers will go on and on, but there are only two ministers in the new cabinet one of whom is fully qualified for his post—Mr. Sayed Makhdom Raheen as new minister of Information and Culture—and Mr. Gul Agha Sherzai, a hard working man who completed lots of development projects in Nangarhar province while serving as provincial governor. Mr. Sherzai is not fully qualified for the ministry of urban development, because he does not have a degree in higher education, but as observed during his service in Nangarhar, at least he is determined to work for the Afghan people.

With only one clean and qualified minister—Mr. Sayed Makhdom Raheen—in his new cabinet, Karzai claims to bring an end to the ongoing corruption in the government.

The only hope for filtering this list is the Afghan Parliament and whether the MPs will give the vote of confidence to these corrupt ministers. The point to note is that half of the MPs also owe their seats to Karzai.

Below is the list of new cabinet published on Pajhwok

1. Defence Minister Gen. Abdul Rahim Wardak
2. Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta
3. Interior Minister Hanif Atmar
4. Finance Minister Omar Zakhilwal
5. Public Health Minister Dr. Mohammad Amin Fatimie
6. Agriculture Minister Muhammad Asif Rahimi
7. Justice Minister Mohammad Sarwar Danish
8. Education Minister Ghulam Farooq Wardak
9. Women's Affairs Hosn Bano Ghazanfar
10. Communications Minister Amirzai Sangin
11. Counter-narcotics Minister Gen. Khodaidad
12. Urban Development Minister Gul Agha Sherzai
13. Transport and Aviation Minister Dr. Muhammadullah Batas
14. Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development Daud Barmak
15. Mines Minister Waheedullah Shahrani
16. Information and Culture Minister Syed Makhdoom Raheen
17. Water and Energy Minister Ismail Khan
18. Hajj and Auqaf Minister Inayatullah Baleegh Darshad
19. Higher Education Minister Obaidullah Obaid
20. Public Welfare Minister Eng Abdul Raza Abdullahai
21. Martyrs and Disables Minister Taj Ali Sabri
22. Trade and Industry Minister Ghulam Mohammad
23. Refugee Affairs Minister Inayatullah Nazari
24. Labor & Manpower Minister Ismail Munshi

###

ECC and the Afghan Elections Mystery

2009-10-14T00:17:00.000-07:00

By: Zabihullah Noori
The Afghanistan Presidential Elections could have not been more complicated than this. Insecurity for voters in parts of the county, abuse of power by the incumbent Karzai, fraud in the process of elections and many other challenges caused the postponement of the elections’ result. The latest turn in the game seems to be masterminded by Karzai’s team, according to his toughest competitor, Dr. Abdullah’s aide. Mr. Mustafa Barkzai, one of the two Afghan members of the Electoral Complaint Commission (ECC) resigned from his post, claiming that foreigners are interfering in the process and Afghans have very limited authority.

The second Afghan presidential elections have been controversial from the first days of establishment of the Afghanistan Independent Elections Commission (IEC). The commission was created and the members were appointed by Karzai. Therefore, most of the runners in the race doubted the independence of the IEC. According to some people, Karzai’s ambition for the second term goes beyond the IEC. It looks like Mr. Karzai had placed a person or two in every corner to ensure his victory in the race.
From the first days after the elections, local, national and international observers questioned the fairness of the process, simply because of the massive fraud in the polling stations and in the IEC.

The IEC staff tried to cover up Karzai’s fraud and their inefficiency as much as they could. The IEC head the deputy appeared in almost every TV and radio and boasted about the fairness in the process. But as the fraud was done vastly, they failed to stop the media and international observers from raising their voices.
Finally, the decision was made for the ECC to recount the doubtful votes. And since Karzai’s appointed agent—Mr. Barkzai— was in the ECC, he would inform Karzai of every day’s latest reports in the commission. It seems that Karzai’s fraud was caught to a larger extent; therefore his dream of becoming the president for the second term did not come true. Karzai played his last trick —asking Barkazai to resign from the ECC— so he can claim that the ECC was not independent.

However, it has become too late for Karzai to make people believe another of his political white lies. As Mr. Registani told AP, “ Barkzai’s resignation is related to Karzai. It was Karzai’s idea.”

With all these turns and twists, the ECC is expected to announce its findings about the fraud in the elections by the end of this week.

Dr. Abdullah Abdullah who has been claiming that Karzai’s team had committed fraud in the process, believes that if the ECC does its job properly, the Afghan elections will go to the next round, in which he expects to defeat incumbent Karzai.

Shikeb Spand's Fanoos e Ishq (Ghazal)

2009-08-15T21:39:00.000-07:00

Attan (Darya's concert in Mazar)

2009-08-10T00:20:00.000-07:00

Afghan Elections and Bad Security

2009-08-04T22:27:00.000-07:00

Written by: Zabihullah Noori

From the announcement of the presidential and provincial councils’ elections onward, the security is becoming worse on daily bases. People in the north, northeast and west of country have begun to experience the insecurity that the Afghans of South and East of the country had been experiencing in the past years.

It becomes to a matter of shame for the Afghan and international security forces, when the Taliban insurgents carry out their attacks to the headquarters of these highly-equipped and well-trained national and international forces.

Media have enormously reported the increase of insecurity in different parts of the country, but according to Afghans, may be the Afghan security forces are so busy campaigning for Mr. Karzai that they even do not watch or listen to the news to know about these incidents.

Recently, the Taliban fired several rockets in Kabul early morning on Tuesday, August 4.

Afghans say they hope that the security officials might have heard the sound of rockets that the Taliban fired on their buildings at the heart of Kabul in Wazir Akbar Khan area, home to US embassy, NATO headquarter and ANA’s main compound. According to some Kabul residents, may be, Mr. Karzai and his weak security team have now come to realize that the situation is getting worse and that people are suffering the instability in the country.

National and international experts believe that a major part of the problem rests with the bad management of the Afghan president. His bad management and immature decisions strengthened the insurgent; endangered Afghans and cost the lives of thousands in south, east and southwest of the country in the past years, an international expert who did not want to be named, said.

The attack in the diplomatic area in Kabul less than three weeks before the elections sparks tensions on the increase in insurgency in key places on the eve of the polls.

The international expert said it is a matter of astonishment that Mr. Karzai still dares to come among the people and proudly announce his nomination for the second term, thinking that Afghans will vote for him again.

But people seem to have made their minds and to have known the politics of Mr. Karzai. As Ghulam Farooq, a taxi driver said, Karzai should know that Afghans have become aware and they will not let anyone cheat on them and play with their future.

Farid Ahmad, a former military officer of Dr. Najibullah’s time said, “Karzai lacks leadership potential; it was him who caused the empowerment of insurgents and brought them to doorsteps of Kabul. Karzai is to be blamed for making a weak team of security forces who cannot defeat the insurgents not only in bordering areas, but also in the Afghan Capital”.

Taking the responsibility for the latest attack in Kabul, a purported Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid said to the Associated Press, “The attack is to highlight that the Afghan security forces cannot control security around the capital ahead of the presidential and provincial council elections later this month.”

Experts believe that as we move closer to the elections the security will only get worse, because the Taliban have vowed to increase their attacks ahead of elections scheduled for August 20.

Colorful Spring, Mazar-e-Sharif city (photo Album)

2009-05-13T03:18:00.000-07:00

Northern Afghanistan is beautiful all year long, but spring in Mazar city is special. I visited my hometown recently and took some snaps.

Click on the headline and view the prettiest scenery of north

Band-e Amer and Buddha of Bamyaan

2009-04-27T04:53:00.000-07:00

I recently had a joyful trip central Afghanistan and exclusively to Bamyan where i found a brilliant opportunity to visit two famous natural sights of the province.

The imagery I made is published in a well-known Afghan new website as a gallery. Enjoy looking at them.

Islam the growing faith in the world

2009-04-14T00:01:00.001-07:00

I like this video a lot. It takes me back to the place--Tempe, Arizona-- where I spent two years of my life.

Afghanistan Presidential Elections Postponed for Three Months

2009-01-28T23:18:00.000-08:00

Written by: Zabihullah Noori

The first democratic constitution of Afghanistan got violated by the first elected president of Afghanistan. The international community is also involved in this apparent violation of the Afghan Constitution.

The Afghan Independent Election Commission AIEC announced this morning (January 29, 2009) that the next presidential elections of Afghanistan will take place on August 20, 2009, three months later than what the Afghan constitution states.

Article 61 of the Afghan Constitution clearly states, “The presidential term shall expire on 1st of Jawza of the 5th year after the elections.

Elections for the news president shall be held within 30 to 60 days prior to the end of the presidential term.” First of Jawza of 1388 of Hijri calendar coincides with May 20, 2009.

On one hand, the postponement of elections create a gap in the leadership of the country, after Karzai's term is over; on the other hand, it has created deep concerns among political analysts about who will take over the leadership of Afghanistan, because the Constitution is clear that the president shall announce his two vice-presidents at the time of elections, which means 1st of Jawza or May 20, is the last day for two of his vice-presidents as well.

Article 68 of Afghanistan Constitution states, “In case any of the Vice-Presidents resign or die, another person shall be appointed by the President with the endorsement of the House of the People. In case of simultaneous death of the President and the First Vice-President, the Second Vice-President, [End of term according to law makers is equal to simultaneous death in this article of the constitution] the President of the House of Elders, the President of the House of Representatives and the Foreign Minister shall succeed respectively and, in that order, and, according to Article 67 of this Constitution, shall assume the duties of the President.

Now the questions at hand are:
1. Can the president legally run the county, from May to August 2009, while his term is over on May 20, 2009 by the Afghan constitution?
2. Who will take over the presidency after the completion of Karzai’s term?
3. August 20 is the Election Day, which means the ballot counting; the announcement of the winner in the race; and the power transfer will take longer than three months. What will be the position of the new replacement of the president and for how long will he be appointed?
4. What will be his legal status and the role of acting president in leading the Army?
5. Who will lead the Afghan Army, if not the acting president?

Muslims Still Victims of Racial Profiling in the United States

2009-01-09T22:30:00.000-08:00

Over seven years from the attacks of September 11, 2001, Muslims in the United States are still direct victims of racial profiling.

Despite the US constitution’s given right of freedom of speech and religious practices, not every American—Muslims in particular—enjoys such freedom.

Almost every one in the world knows what is going on in Gaza since December 27, 2008. It is our right to raise our voices to stop this unconventional war, which so far have killed 800 Palestinians and wounded more than 3200 others, according to BBC.

Given the right of freedom of speech, an Arab guy wore a T-shirt that read "We will not be silent." The Arab guy was denied the right to board in a JetBlue airplane because of the text in his T-Shirt.

Luckily, the guy stood up for his legal right and legitimate cause and won the case against JetBlue. But it is illegal and unconstitutional in the first place to pick on someone because of what is trying to express, whether by word, action, or illustration of something.

Please read the complete article about this case by clicking on the headline.

Holy Hunger in the Midst of Plenty Wins Emmy Awards

2008-12-24T22:26:00.000-08:00

Three students in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication were honored in the Emmy Awards given by the Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
The students—Stjepan Alaupovic, Jamie Murdick and Zabihullah Noori—won in the student production category for their documentary, “Holy Hunger in the Midst of Plenty,” which follows Muslim students at Arizona State University as they observe Ramadan, a month-long religious observance emphasizing prayers, fasting, charity and self-examination.

Click on the headline to read the full story on ASU Web site.

Mazar Residents’ Initiative Unify Shiite and Sunni Muslims in the Region

2008-12-22T02:29:00.000-08:00

Residents of Mazar-e-Sharif city, Balkh province, have usually taken the lead in leadership, whether poetry, politics, music or religion.

In an initiative attempt to unify all the sectors of Islam, thousands of Muslims from both Shiite and Sonny sectors got together and offered their Friday prayer following one Imam.

“It is really is the true representation of Islam. You see people praying their hands tied side by side their Shiite brothers, who pray with their hands open,” Ghulam Hussain, a residence of Mazar said.

“We have a lot in common than in conflict. Islam invites every one for unity, and that is what we are doing today,” Said, Abdul Jamil, a resident of Mazar city.

This unity in Mazar-e-Sharif city takes place in such a critical time that according to Western media thousands of Muslims in other parts of the world are killing each other for different sectors of Islam.

“Islam is the faith of unity and peace. There are no sectarian preferences in Islam. Whoever kills a Muslim under any name or circumstances will not be forgiven in the Day of Judgment by Allah (God),” Said Mawlawi Qair.

Mazar residents also got credit for another unique initiative of providing space and allowing women to offer their prayers collectively in mosques.

Every Friday hundreds of women go to Shrine of Hazart-e Ali—the fourth Caliph of Islam and offer their Friday prayer alongside Muslim men.

This initiative soon spread out and reached to another province of Afghanistan. Residents of Herat province also replicated this positive action and allowed women to offer collective prayers in mosques.

Dil Shoda (Song)

2008-12-17T02:44:00.000-08:00

Shah Rasol Qasimi sings "Tera Saath Hai Kitna Pyara" of Janbaaz in Farsi.
Poem: Bashir Shiwa
Music: Shah Rasol Qasimi
Video and Edit: Zabihullah Noori

Q&A about Public Relation and Journalism in Afghanistan

2008-12-15T22:00:00.000-08:00

Andrea Aker, the creator of Aker Imprints, is a graduate student of Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, Arizona State University. I got to know her during my time at ASU.

She is an awesome writer and a very good friend. She conducted a quick Q&A with me about the PR and journalism in Afghanistan, which she posted in her blog.

Take a moment and visit Andrea Aker's Aker Imprints, and read the Q&A.

Mesazamat, Farhad Darya's new song

2008-08-12T20:25:00.000-07:00

Farhad Darya—the top musician of Afghanistan—has dedicated his time in several important things:

Producing musical albums, in which he usually conveys the messages of unity and love. Helping Afghan children, whom he believes can bring a very positive change in the future of this country.

Spreading the message of peace, which he believes is possible to attain.

Praising those who work for peace and prosperity, Darya said, “Peace is not a miracle. It is possible. But we have to work hard to achieve it.”

On the launch of his new musical album “Yaahoo” that has five new patriotic songs, and includes a couple of his songs from his previous albums —Ha and Salam Alaik—Darya spoke to hundreds of his fans and journalists and sang some of his songs live on the stage.

When Faith Meets Healing

2008-06-26T00:56:00.000-07:00

Faith plays a key role when designing healthcare facilities with Muslim patients in mind

By Zabihullah Noori

When their mother was hospitalized with cancer, Azra Hussain and her family stayed with her around the clock in rotating shifts. They prayed five times a day in her room at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Scottsdale, Ariz. Their mother took comfort as she listened to her husband, son and daughters take turns reading verses from the Quran.

Regardless of what country or culture they come from, Muslims are usually family oriented. Whether it’s celebrating a birthday or visiting a patient in the hospital, they prefer to gather in groups. When Muslims get sick, they go to the doctor, but the family members also pray for the patient’s recovery. It’s not only the faith of the patient but also “the faith of the family members,” says Hussain, who heads the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Arizona.

Like most Muslims, the Hussains believe that faith plays a key role in the healing process. They believe that although Allah [God] is the ultimate healer, physicians or medicine can facilitate healing. In the words of Prophet Mohammad, “When the disease meets the medicine that is prescribed for it, the disease will be cured by the will of Allah.”

It’s not easy to provide patients of a particular faith with everything they need, especially when they represent only a fraction of the population. Muslims, for example, comprise less than one percent of the country’s 300 million people, according to the 2007 U.S. Religious Landscape Survey. But when faith plays a key role in healing, as with Muslims, designing healthcare facilities with these patients in mind could aid the healing process.

Demographic research would indicate the spiritual needs of the population in a given area. In places with a significant Muslim population, for example, designers could consider installing at least one Turkish (Middle Eastern) bathroom in each hospital. Each prayer requires ablution—washing the private parts, hands, mouth, nose, face, forearms and feet, as well as touching the head with wet hands. It’s easier for Muslims to wash their feet in a Turkish toilet, which is sunk into the floor, than in an American-style sink.

Within patient rooms, flexible elements could accommodate members of different faiths. Easy-to-move furniture would give Muslim family members ample space to pray. This flexibility would also allow room for those who practice Eastern Orthodoxy rituals to kneel, while facing east, and recite the Creed. The Creed is considered a statement of faith in times of hardship.

Yet even when hospitals try to accommodate Muslim patients, it’s not always easy. The chief of Dewsbury and District Hospital in Yorkshire, England, ordered the staff to turn Muslim patients’ beds so they faced Mecca. One nurse, however, found it difficult to move the beds without disturbing other patients. According to the Daily Mail Web site, the nurse said, “It would be easier to create Muslim-only wards with every bed facing Mecca than dealing with this.”

Another consideration is food. Hussain was concerned about her mother’s diet, so she reminded the staff that Muslims don’t eat pork. “[Food] brings a level of comfort to the patient,” Hussain said. “It’s one less thing they’re worrying about—and one more thing that the calories in the body could be used to heal the body.”

Hospital-issued garments can be a concern as well. Muslims value modesty, so clothing must not reveal certain parts of their body, such as cleavage and thighs. Some hospital gowns are short and therefore make women feel uncomfortable.
When patients are admitted, hospitals ask about allergies, smoking and drinking habits, but not always about religious concerns. Hospitals could consider asking about dietary needs and clothing preferences at the time of admission, which would benefit members of other faiths as well.

Interactions with nurses and doctors of a different gender can also make both male and female Muslim patients feel uncomfortable. This is of concern with nurses who wash patients, for example, but not with those who bring food or change the bed linen. If a Muslim woman has a soar throat, she’ll visit a doctor of either gender, but if she has breast cancer, she’d prefer a female doctor.

Emergencies are exceptions, of course. “When vital statistics are dropping,” Hussain said, “nobody cares as long as the patient gets the care that’s necessary.”

Designing healthcare facilities with Muslim patients in mind could help facilitate the healing process. But for the faithful, the ultimate healer remains Allah. “If we go directly to the source,” Hussain said, “we have faith that He will only do whatever is best.”

Every Second Counts

2008-06-25T21:27:00.000-07:00

Long waits in an emergency department can make the difference between life and death

By Zabihullah Noori and Tiffany Tcheng

Kelton Aker knows what it’s like to wait in an emergency room in unbearable pain. In the summer of 2006 Aker, his wife and a few cousins were camping in Arizona’s White Mountains. While playing Frisbee, Aker slipped and fell. “I knew something was wrong because I couldn’t breathe,” he said. He suspected he had a collapsed lung.

The closest hospital was in Springerville, a town about 40 miles away. Aker knew the small rural hospital couldn’t handle the case, but it was the only option. A friend drove him there as fast as he could.

Aker waited 30 minutes for a chest X-ray. The results showed that two severely broken ribs had punctured the plural cavity, causing his lung to collapse.

He wanted to be transferred to Yavapai Regional Medical Center in Prescott, closer to where he lived. But Yavapai Regional didn’t have a level-one trauma center, so Aker was airlifted to Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix. It’s one of seven level-one trauma centers in Arizona—five in Phoenix, one in Tucson and one in Flagstaff.

A small plane carried Aker and his wife to Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. By the time they landed, he had endured four hours of severe pain. A team at Banner Good Samaritan treated him immediately. Five days later, he was discharged.

Aker’s ordeal lasted many painful hours because he was injured in a remote location, but he actually spent only 30 minutes waiting in the emergency department (ED)—and that was for an X-ray. Not everyone is so lucky.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Edith Isabel Rodriguez died of a perforated bowel in 2007 while waiting in the ED at Martin Luther King Jr.–Harbor Hospital in Los Angeles. A video shows her thrashing around on the floor in her own blood and vomit for 45 minutes. A janitor cleaned up around her, but no one tried to help.

Rodriguez’s case brings into question the care that patients receive in the emergency department during their most traumatic moments. Once reserved for urgent situations, EDs are being used more and more as primary care facilities. The result: longer wait times.

But pointing fingers at just one factor is unfair. EDs are complex. Long wait times also stem from staffing shortages, population growth, uninsured patients and design factors.

Shrinking EDs

In Arizona the number of emergency departments hasn’t kept up with the rapidly growing population. “You don’t see a lot of emergency departments growing in size,” said Davey Ellison, nursing director of the Emergency Department at Banner Estrella Medical Center in Phoenix.

In fact, ED staffs are shrinking. As more and more people swarm the ED, the patient-to-physician ratio becomes smaller. And the wait times grow longer.

Some 10,000 physicians were serving an estimated population of more than 6 million Arizonans in 2006, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services and the U.S. Census Bureau. Of those 10,000, only about 500 were emergency physicians.

The University Medical Center in Tucson is in danger of losing its level-one trauma status because of the limited supply of surgeons. These physicians are always on call. “The lifestyle of a trauma surgeon isn’t the one that works well with a nice lifestyle,” said administrative director Michele Zimba.

A shortage of ED nurses also contributes to long waits. “Many hospitals will not allow a new graduate out of nursing school to work in an emergency department because the patients are too sick and they don’t have enough experience,” said Dr. Bob Dietrich, an ED physician at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz.

But even experienced nurses can handle only so much. Ellison estimated that ED nurses get burned out after five years. When they leave, the ED loses valuable experience and knowledge.

Some ED nurses stay much longer. Caryn Unterschuntz, who was an ED nurse for 19 years in the Chicago and Phoenix areas, avoided burnout by moving around to different hospitals. “People either like ER, or they don’t,” she said. “The people who like ER like critical thinking and problem solving.”

To offset the physician shortage, Ellison hires nurse practitioners and physician assistants to help out in the ED so patients are seen quicker. Often, when patients are discharged from the ED, they’re instructed to follow up with a primary care physician within two to five days. But they usually can’t get an appointment in that timeframe, so they end up in the ED again.

Unterschuntz recommended giving nurse practitioners an office in the ED, where they can see referrals from busy primary care physicians. “It’d provide excellent follow-up for the patient and alleviate [trying to get into a primary care office],” she said.

Staffing at Banner Estrella depends on patient arrival patterns, such as the time of day and the day of the week, and the severity of the patient’s condition. Based on those patterns, overlapping 8-hour, 10-hour and 12-hour shifts accommodate patient and staff needs during the busiest times.

To retain ED nurses, Ellison allows them to choose between shorter shifts more days a week ands longer shifts fewer days a week. Experienced nurses screen patients to determine their acuity level. This keeps the flow of patients moving and results in higher patient satisfaction scores.

The experienced nurses also teach newer ones. “They love it,” Ellison said. “They get to teach, and they don’t have to stand” as long as they would if they were working an ER shift.

Primary care facilities

Also contributing to long waits is the fact that the ED is turning into a primary care facility. On average, 219 people visited an ED in the United States every minute in 2005, according to the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Many of them didn’t have insurance, so their only option was the ED. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that about 47 million people in the U.S. are uninsured. That includes more than a million people in Arizona alone.

But it’s not just the uninsured who are crowding EDs. A recent study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine attributed increasing ED usage to patients who have had complications after a medical or surgical procedure and then go to the ED because they can’t schedule a timely appointment with their own physician.

Dr. Dietrich estimated that nearly 70 percent of the ED patients at Mayo come in with non-emergency problems, such as the flu or back pain. Patients with life-threatening conditions are seen first, forcing those with less severe ailments to wait longer.

“Patients [should] understand that they don’t go to the emergency department unless they have an emergency,” he said.

Unterschuntz said “minute clinics,” or the medical clinics located inside Wal-Marts, might reduce the patient volume in the ED as people get used to stopping there for a backache as well as a backpack.

The time of year and holidays, such as Christmas and Thanksgiving, force people to rely on the ED because primary care facilities are closed. Wait times are also longer during cold and flu season—or during Arizona’s blistering summers, when people suffer from heat stroke.

But no matter why patients come to the ED, they should receive quality care. “We want to know that we met your expectations,” Ellison said, “regardless of what you’re here for.”

Designing an ED

To shorten wait times, hospitals across the nation are using a form of split emergency department. First, a nurse determines the severity of the patient’s condition. Those who are bleeding or showing symptoms of a heart attack, for example, are sent to acute care. The others go to the intake area. About 70 percent of admits at Banner Estrella end up in the intake area for tests, lab work and other medical screening.

People tolerate waiting better if they understand where they are in the check-in and treatment process. To keep patients informed, Banner Estrella implemented the Next Step Process in May 2008. Maps of the ED in English and Spanish are posted throughout the area. Dots indicating “You are here,” like those on shopping mall maps, show patients where they are in the ED process and what the next step will be. Patients also receive a diagram of the ED and a brochure describing each step in the process.

One time-saver is the electronic medical record system. Instead of relying on intermediaries like lab or pharmacy techs, physicians themselves order the lab work, tests and prescriptions. This reduces transcription errors. Lab and test results show up on the electronic medical record immediately, thus eliminating the need for someone to run lab results to the physician or nurse. Healthcare providers can obtain full patient histories through the electronic medical record system. Thanks to state-of-the-art medical imaging equipment, the turnaround time on lab tests is very good, Ellison said.

Scottsdale Healthcare in Scottsdale, Ariz., posts the ED wait times on the home page of its Web site for its three facilities. The information is automatically updated every 10 minutes.

Although the wait time can’t be guaranteed when the patient arrives, it helps people decide where to seek treatment.

Even with these time-savers, patients still have to wait. Comfortable surroundings can ease anxiety and pain. Banner Estrella recently recovered its weathered chairs and painted the waiting room in pleasing earth tones. The floor tiles were replaced with terracotta-colored rubber, which is gentler on the feet. Complimentary coffee and a wall-mounted television make the wait a little easier. The walls outside the ED will be covered in slate tile to make the area feel more welcoming. Additional housekeepers were hired to keep the ED tidy.

From the bottom up

No matter how comfortable the ED, the most important thing is that patients feel they’re being cared for. One way to ensure quality is by fostering good teamwork. “You can have any design, any workflow process,” Ellison said, “but they’re only going to work if you have the right people [working], and everybody does it together.”

Another way to improve quality is by soliciting feedback from many sources. “For years we’ve had people at the top telling us how to do our jobs,” said long-time ED nurse Caryn Unterschuntz. “And now we need to start looking at the workers who are doing the jobs because they know how to improve the situation….They can save the companies money and find better practices.”

The next time a hospital is considering an expansion, Ellison suggested consulting a management engineer to evaluate and assess the flow in the ED, including the nurses and staff who care for the patients. Feedback from patient satisfaction surveys could be taken into consideration as well. After a thorough study, the engineer can relay the information to the architect.

“That way, we’re not designing our process around the building,” Ellison said. “We’re designing the building around the process.”

Click on the headline to visit the Healing Web site.

Cronkite School Proud of Holy Hunger’s Recognition

2008-06-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

The 15-minute student documentary won two Awards in one year, which not only made the producers proud of their production, but also brought honor to Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and its faculty.
The article below describes how the Cronkite faculty feels about this film and its producers.

June 18, 2008

Documentary Wins Recognition for Students

A documentary produced by three Cronkite students has won awards for excellence in national and international competitions.

“Holy Hunger in the Midst of Plenty” follows Muslim students at ASU as they observe Ramadan, a month-long religious observance emphasizing prayers, fasting, charity and self-examination.

The 15-minute student documentary, produced by Jamie Murdick, Stjepan Alaupovic and Zabihullah Noori, won a 2008 Bronze Telly Award as well as a Videographer Award of Distinction.

The Telly Award is one of the most prestigious awards given for video and film production, television programs and commercials and work created for the Web. Productions in more than 200 categories are judged on their individual merits, and the best are given Silver or Bronze awards. The Cronkite School entry was honored in the category for documentary film work produced at schools, colleges and universities.

The Videographer Awards is an international awards program directed by communication professionals to honor talented individuals and companies in the video production field. Entries number in the thousands from all 50 states and multiple countries. The Cronkite School documentary, entered in the “Produced by Students” category, received the organization’s highest award.

Murdick, Alaupovic and Noori, all recent graduates of the Cronkite School, created “Holy Hunger in the Midst of Plenty” last year while students in Professor John Craft’s documentary production class.

Craft said that Noori, a graduate student at the time and a Muslim, was interested in how Muslim students try to adhere to their faith and still fit into a secular culture at ASU, especially during Ramadan. The idea grew into a semester-long team project.

“They told the story very well, and in today’s world this is an important story,” Craft said.

The documentary was aired on the premiere episode of the KNOW99 Student Film Hour earlier this month on Cox Channel 99.

It is the second documentary produced under Craft’s direction to win national recognition this year. Ray Gonzales, who received his Master of Mass Communication from the Cronkite School in December, won both a Bronze Telly Award and a Broadcast Education Association Best of Festival Award for “Lessons in Loyalty,” a documentary on the internment of the more than 100,000 Japanese Americans during World War II.

Click on the headline to read the article on Cronkite Web site.

فیصله نهایی محکمه سید پرویز کامبخش یکبار دیگر بتعویق افتاد

2008-06-02T03:25:00.001-07:00

آغازمحکمه
سید پرویزکامبخش که دستانش با ولچک بسته بود توسط دونفر—یک افسر نظامی و یک کارمند امنیت ملی— امروزیکشنبه ، اول جون به محکمه آورده شد. بعداز اینکه قاضی حکم کرد، دستان کامبخش را از قید ولچک رها کردند. منشی جلسه مقاله طولانی را، که به ادعای دادستان، تحقیق و نوشته کامبخش بود، بخوانش گرفت که بیشتر از نیم ساعت طول کشید.

جریان قضیه
سید پرویز کامبخش متهم به بی حرمتی به دین مقدس اسلام و پیامبرمسلمانان حضرت محمد (ص) و نوشتن این مقاله از هفت ماه بدینسو درزندان بسر میبرد. موصوف ازطرف قاضی محکمه ابتدائیه ولایت بلخ محکوم به اعدام شده است، اما ازاینکه محکمه بلخ علنی وعادلانه نبوده، کامبخش از شهرمزارشریف به زندان پلچرخی درکابل انتقال شد. ودوسیه وی نیز به محمکه استیناف راجع شد. کامبخش از یکماه بدینسو بیشتر ازدومحکمه را درکابل سپری کرده که در هردو بارقاضی فیصله نهایی را به محاکم بعدی موکول ساخت. درآخرین محکمه که هفته گذشته دایر شد، کامبخش وکیل مدافع خود را انتخاب کرد. قاضی محکمه ازمحمد افضل نورستانی وکیل مدافع کامبخش خواست تا دفاعیهء خودرا تقدیم کند. نورستانی گفت که قبل ازاینکه دفاعیه را پیشکش کند بایست به اعتراض که درپروسه تحقیق دارد باید رسیدگی صورت گیرد. نورستانی طی درخواست اعتراض کرد که به موکل اش درریاست امنیت ملی بلخ شکنجه صورت گرفته که باعث کسر استخوان بینی و بیجاشدن استخوان دست کامبخش شده است.

فیصله محکمه
دراخیر جلسه قاضی فیصله محکمه را چنین اعلام نمود
"بعداز غوروبررسی درخواست وکیل مدافع سید پرویزکامبخش، درنتیجه تصمیم به این شد که برای تعیین عدالت و روشن شدن حقایق ورفع اعتراض وکیل مدافع، سید پرویز کامبخش غرض معاینات به ریاست طب عدلی معرفی و اعزام گردد. بعداز حصول نظرریاست طب عدلی تاریخ جلسه قضائی بعدی تعیین خواهد شد."

Ba Ishq tu, Naim Popal (song)

2008-05-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

Will Afghanistan See Peace in the Near Future? (editorial-report)

2008-04-26T23:44:00.000-07:00

The Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his cabinet members survived another Taliban attack. The Taliban managed to open fire on him in presence of thousands of International Forces and Afghan National Army.

More than six years after the collapse of Taliban regime, the country still suffers insecurity and instability. In late 2002 and early 2003 only Kandahar and Helmand provinces were under the direct threat of Taliban, but with the increase of International Forces not only the violence increased in these two provinces, but also stretched even to capital city of Kabul.

Suicide bombers carried several successful attacks in distances within one mile of the presidential palace and the office of police commissionaire of Kabul. But today’s attack on Hamid Karzai and his cabinet is definitely an indication of their re-empowerment in the country.

Click on the headline and read the BBC report about attack on President Karzai

Afghan Journalist Wins International Award (Report)

2008-04-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi, the young and talented Afghan journalist won the International Press Freedom Award for his investigative reporting. His achievements included owning the title of “2008 Reporter of the Year”, and the membership of International Federation of Journalists.
As an Afghan and as a former colleague, I am proud of Mr. Ibrahimi.

Click on the headline to read and read the complete report.

Afghanistan—Democratic Constitution But Authoritarian Rule (Report)

2008-03-30T16:31:00.000-07:00

Tradition
The traditions and customs of Afghanistan have had several clashes with the implementation of superficial freedom of speech, namely guaranteed in the democratic constitution of the country.
Media men have been attacked up on by the conservative MPs, Islamic clerics and the country’s Attorney General to name a few. Bureaucracy still is commonly practiced in the Afghan government. Certain rules make no sense, but media organizations are forced to implement.

Native language
Funny cases like using a Farsi word in national TV stations enflames high debates, not only among the MPs in the Afghan Parliament, but also among scholars abroad for days and weeks.

Dancing
Lately, Tolo TV station aired scenes of dancing men and women in movie award ceremony in Kabul. It was highly criticized by the MPs, minister of information and culture and many more. The sarcastic point is that Tolo, as a member of media, has to inform public about the reality of the country. The medium is obliged by the ethical guidelines of the field to air such shows; to depict the ongoing reality in so called cultural events inside the country and to inform people about it. That is what such media are supposed to be for. But the bureaucrats in the Afghan government are strongly opposed to such acts.

Do we have freedom of speech?
If speaking one’s native language is a crime, if researching about Islam is crime, if reflecting the reality is crime, if talking about warlords and corruption is crime, then what kind of freedom of speech do we have in our constitution, if we have it at all?

Click on the headline and read the report about Tolo airing the dancing scene.

Yeh Mera Dil at ASU's World Festival 2008 (song)

2008-03-21T00:08:00.000-07:00

Aaj Kal at ASU's world festival 2008 (song)

2008-03-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

Dogana ASU world festival 2008 (song)

2008-03-18T22:33:00.000-07:00

What Is The Priority For The Afghan Government? (report)

2008-03-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

The Afghan government has to reprioritize its course of action in serving the Afghan citizens.
Right now, the government is dealing with strikes in Herat; Dostom’s clash with Akbar bai; and the most important of all, with Taliban.
While the Afghan government is more focused on resolving strikes and internal disputes of local commanders, the Taliban has achieved another success in implementing their claim in cutting the night service of telecommunication in parts of Afghanistan.

Photo by: Noori (Sat Kandaw, 2007)

Click on the headline to read the BBC report in this regard.

Dar Daman-e Sahra (Song)

2008-02-28T15:34:00.000-08:00

Zabihullah Jawanmard, an exact copy of
Ahmad Zahir--in look and voice--sings
one of Zahir's song at a concert in
Kabul, Afghanistan.

Yesterday’s Soviet Union Communists, Today’s Democratic Afghan MPs (Feature)

2008-02-24T14:25:00.000-08:00

In search for justice, Friba Nawa travels to Afghanistan, where she finds shocking facts about the torture in the communist era. The astonishing facts she finds are the presence of the communist era war criminals representing Afghans in the parliament in Hamid Karzai’s government.
Who is to be blamed for this injustice; the Afghans—who elected these MPs based on ethnic preferences; the authorities in the Afghan government—who approved these MPs for their political influence and support; or the claimer of democracy—the USA that backs the Afghan government?

Click on the headline to read the full story.

Arab Student Association (Dance)

2008-02-21T19:29:00.000-08:00

Arab Student Association performers dancing on Hindi and Arabic Music at ASU's 20th Annual World Festival in Tempe Campus. Feb.20.2008

Bhutto’s Assassination, An Analysis By An Afghan Fulbright Scholar

2008-01-20T10:37:00.000-08:00

Mohammad Omar Sharifi, discusses the outcomes of Bhutto's Assassination on the "War on Terror" and insurgency in Afghanistan.

Click on the headline and the read the complete report.

آزادی بیان ازتیوری تا عمل

2008-01-20T10:25:00.001-08:00

افغانستان، کشوری که بعداز سقوط طالبان حامیانی مانند ایالات متحده امریکا، انگلستان، کانادا، استرالیا،جرمنی و ...همه و همه مدعیان تامین حقوق بشر ، دموکراسی و آزادی بیان دارد، هنوزهم راه درازی درپیش دارد تا بصورت کل معنی واقعی آزادی بیان را درک و درجامعه زمینه عملی شدن آن را به سایر اتباع این کشور فراهم سازد. آزادی بیان گرچه که درقانون اساسی افغانستان بطورجامع تعریف شده، اما درعمل تعریف مشخص و محدود خودرادارد. آزادی بیان ازدیدگاه دولت افغانستان و علمای دینی که اصلاً دانش و تحصیل شان کاملاً زیرسوال بوده و مدرک تحصیلی از کدام مرجع اسلامی ندارند، به شنیدن موسیقی غربی، دیدن سریال های هندی و پخش ونشرآن درشبکه های تلویزیونی خصوصی و ملی محدود شده است. ریسرچ وتحقیق به این چنین عالم نما ها اصلاً کدام مفهومی ندارد زیرا تحقیق درست مسایل چه درمورد اسلام باشدو چه هم درمورد آیات مقدس قرآن، تفسیر نادرست ایشان را بر مردم آشکارمیسازد،که بادانستن آن مردم دیگر فریب این عالمک هارا نمی خورد. همین خوف است که این عالم نما ها میکوشند ازهرطریقی که شود راه همچو تحقیقات راسد شوند و مردم را به نام های این و آن ازدانستن حقایق بشکل علمی و اسلامی (واقعی) آن به دورنگهدارند.
علمای دینی که امروز سردمداران و داعیان ارشاد و اسلام هستند کی ها اند؟ ایشان های زیارت مولاعلی دربلخ که خود همه جزروخوانی قرآن حتی معنی و مفهوم یک آیت آن را نیز بصورت درست نمیدانند، یا استاد ربانی و سیاف که به نام اسلام میلیون ها طفل را بی پدرو میلیون زن رابی همسر ساخته اند؟
سوال اصلی اینجاست که هرگاه بپنداریم که دولت افغانستان اگر درمواردحقوق بشر، دموکراسی و آزادی بیان تجربه کافی نداشته و کاملاً جوان است، جامعه جهانی که درین مورد گرگ کارکشتهء است. پس چراایندم خاموش نشسته و خودراآگاهانه به غفلت میاندازد. جامعه جهانی و کشورهای مدعی آزادی بیان که گاهگاهی سرازگریبان بیرون کرده و صداهای درمورد حقوق بشر، دموکراسی و آزادی بیان راسرمیدهد، درهمچومواقع بخواب غفلت رفته و انتظارآن را میکشد که سرنوشت جوانانی مثل کامبخش نیز همانند اجمل نقشبندی گردد. بعدازاینکه کارازکارگذشت، روزنامه هاو شبکه های تلویزیونی آن کشورها ازخواب غفلت بیدارشده و تبصره های چرب ونرم خودرا برای نشان دادن خشونت درجهان اسلام سرمیدهند.
برماست تا جلو همچو خشونت هاو سرکشی های این سردمداران جاهل رابا جدیت کامل بگیریم.
از جوانانی مثل کامبخش که جرئت کرده درمقابل این عالم نما که معنی علم را درداشتن عبا وقبا و ریش وپشم میبینند، ایستادگی کرده، بادفاع از اصالت دانش ازطریق مطالعه، تحقیق، نقدو بررسی مسایل بادیدگاه علمی و اکادمیک ازیک جانب ازاسلام عزیز، دین روشنایی، دانش و صلح و ازجانب دیگرازاصل آزادی بیان که بنیاد دموکراسی و جوامع دموکراتیک و مردم سالار است، دفاع کنیم.

ذبیح الله نوری
جنوری 2008

Holy Hunger In The Midst Of Plenty (Documentary)

2008-01-02T22:14:00.000-08:00

My first documentary film about Muslim students practicing Ramadan in the United States and trying to avoid all the temptations around. Jamie Murdick and Stjepan Alaupovic, my ASU classmates and co-producers of the film, were the biggest support in completing this project.

Kujaee? (Ghazal)

2007-12-11T22:17:00.000-08:00

Once more I bring you Naim Popal's romantic ghazal song, exclusively recorded for NTR.
کجایی؟ درچی حالی؟ باکی استی؟
به خوابی؟ هوشیاری؟ یا که مستی؟

شـــنیدم رفتـــه یی ســوی رقـیـبان
فــــراموشت شـــده مـهـر حبـیـبان
شدی از بوی آغوش کی مدهوش؟
که آغوش مــرا کـــردی فراموش

به شهرخود زمینگیرم توکــردی
چومجنون پا به زنجیرم توکـردی
جوان بودم که خواهان تو گشتــم
خداپیرت کند، پیرم تو کــــــردی

کجایی؟ درچی حالی؟ باکی استی؟
به خوابی؟ هوشیاری؟ یا که مستی؟

شـــنیدم رفتـــه یی ســوی رقـیـبان
فــــراموشت شـــده مـهـر حبـیـبان
شدی از بوی آغوش کی مدهوش؟
که آغوش مــرا کـــردی فراموش

Ay Dard e to (A Song By Aziz Mehryaar)

2007-12-11T20:13:00.000-08:00

Aziz Mehryaar sings his brother, Rahim Mehryaar's song.
Video and edit by: Zabihullah Noori

Gar chi rafti az baram (Song)

2007-12-08T00:18:00.000-08:00

Naim Popal's nicest song ever.

Egyptian stage performance (Dance)

2007-12-01T15:23:00.000-08:00

Egyptian students performance at ASU's Tempe campus on international night, Nov.17,2007
Video by: Noori

ASU International Night 07 Palestinian Dabka (Dance)

2007-11-30T21:59:00.000-08:00

Palestinian students perform at ASU international night on Tempe campus. November 17.2007

Tajik Dukhtark & Dunya Guzaran (song)

2007-11-30T20:05:00.000-08:00

Neha Batra and Zabihullah Noori perform at ASU Tempe campus on International Night celebration.
November 17,2007

Yeh Mera Dil (song)

2007-11-23T10:46:00.000-08:00

Neha and Noori perform at International Night on ASU's Tempe campus, Nov.17, 2007

ASU International Night Open Dance (Dance)

2007-11-21T19:15:00.000-08:00

Open dance at International Night on ASU's Tempe campus.
November 17.2007

Farhad Darya Sings "Jalwaat Dar Ofoq-e Khatera..."

2007-11-18T23:49:00.000-08:00

A really nice song by Farhad Darya.

Afghanistan's Reality--Sad But True (Report)

2007-11-18T13:59:00.000-08:00

Photo by: Noori
When it comes to development, Afghanistan has a very long way to go. Currently, Afghanistan stands the fifth least developed country in the world.
Click on the Headline and read the detailed National Human Development Report (NHDR) on this ranking.

Another Terrorist Group Carries Attacks in Afghanistan (Report)

2007-11-06T08:13:00.000-08:00

A very huge suicide attack was carried on in Baghlan Province. According to uncertain reports the number of human casualties on this attack reaches 80.

Click on the Headline and read the complete BBC report about this incident.

Unique Exhibition In Balkh (Report)

2007-11-05T18:31:00.000-08:00

To encourage the farmers to grow legal crop, Balkh Agriculture Department arranged an exhibition in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif.

Click on the headline and view the photo album of this unique exhibition.

Gate's Anger May Cause A Positive Change In NATO's Policy (Report)

2007-10-22T18:31:00.000-07:00

The US Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, is unhappy with NATO. Gates said that NATO has not fulfilled all the promises they made in regard to improving the security in Afghanistan.
To read the complete report, click on the headline.

The Kite Runner Movie Causes Fear Among Afghan Actors (Report)

2007-09-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

Photo from: virtualafghans.com
The best selling novel--The Kite Runner-- portrayed a story of two friends from two ethnicities of Afghanistan. Lately, a movie was shot based on this novel. The novel contains a scene in which one of the two friends are raped in a street in Kabul. But when it comes to filming that scene, some characters seem to worry a lot.
Click on the headline and read the complete report about it.

Cronkite Newswatch At A Glance (Report)

2007-09-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

Cronkite Newswatch is a student run news agency that covers the latest news in Arizona.
Click on the title and watch the archive of Cronkite Newswatch online.
To see my report on Ramadan, you need to click on September 20, 2007 and fast foward the timeline to 0:16:40.

President of Iran Comes to New York (Report)

2007-09-23T21:08:00.000-07:00

Ahmadi Nezhad, the president of Iran and the man who loves to meet the challenges, comes to the US. Read the report and see in the picture how the most so called civilized people welcome him.
Click on the head to read the BBC report in regard to this trip.

Farhad Darya's New Album Tease (HA!)

2007-09-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

Photo from: virtualafghans.com
Click on the headline and listen to Darya's new album teaser.

Ahmad Zahir, King of Afghan Music (Research Report)

2007-09-13T16:50:00.000-07:00

Ahmad Zahir, the legend, is one of the ever shining stars of the Afghan Music. An interesting research report about his professional life will obviously add to your knowledge about this legend.
Click on the headline and invest some minutes to explore the astonishing facts about Ahmad Zahir.

Restriction on Parties in Balkh (Report)

2007-09-07T16:56:00.000-07:00

Photo by: Noori
Click on the headline and read the complete report.

Aana Jaana by Shah Rasoul Qasimi (Song)

2007-08-31T10:09:00.000-07:00

Video by: Noori

Mahtab-e Dil by Shah Rasoul Qasimi (Song)

2007-08-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

Video by: Noori

Hanoz Ham by Shah Rasoul Qasimi (Song)

2007-08-28T16:00:00.000-07:00

Video by: Noori

Parda Hai Parda by Shah Rasoul Qasimi (Song)

2007-08-24T16:39:00.001-07:00

Video by: Noori

Khorshid-e Man Kujayee (Song)

2007-08-23T10:36:00.000-07:00

Afghan Women Soccer Team Beats Pakistan (Report)

2007-08-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

Photo from BBC

The victory of Afghan Women Soccer team in Pakistan is a sign that if supported Afghan women can be good in any field, same as they have proven their talent in soccer. The Afghan Women Soccer Team defeated Pakistan by one Goal in M. A .Jinnah stadium in Islamabad.
Click on the headline to read the report and watch the pictures of the game.

Insecurity In Kandahar (Report)

2007-08-17T17:21:00.000-07:00

Photo by: Noori

Zhiri is one of the most instable districts of Kandahar province. The local drivers deny carrying government workders and reporters to the area because of the fear that Taliban would kill them if they knew drivers were serving government and pro government people. I offered twice as much of the price to a local taxi driver to take me to this district about three weeks ago when I was in Kandahar, but the driver denied. When I asked him what was wrong with taking me to the district. He said that he will be killed for doing so, if Taliban would know he had taken me to the district.
The latest BBC report about the killing of Zhiri district governor and his three children is a big proof of insecurity in the area. Now the question is, if the district governor is unable to save his and his children’s life; how can he ensure the security of others like taxi drivers and ordinary residents?
Click on the headline and read the complete BBC report about the murder of Zhiri district governor.

Forgiveness Is Better Than Revenge (Report)

2007-07-15T05:09:00.000-07:00

Photo from BBCPersian.com

Afghan President Hamid Karzai forgave the Pakistani 14-year-old suicide bomber, who was arrested when he had worn his vest and was ready to blow himself up in Khost about a month ago. Rafiqullah of South Waziristan of Pakistan was arrested in Khost about a month ago. In an interview at Khost National Security Department (NSD), Rafiqullah told me that he was told by Mullah’s in his madrassa in South Waziristan to kill the governor of Khost. He added that he was also told that the governor of Khost was an infidel(non-believer), and that if he kills the governor, he will go to heaven.
President Karzai forgave Rafiqullah and let him go back to his village in his country.
To read the complete report about this action of the President Karzai, click on the headline.

(His video interview will be posted on NTR in August.)

Instability Increases in Khost (Report)

2007-07-02T23:32:00.000-07:00

Khost Jame Mosque

Khost deputy education chief was assassinated during the day time in the city. Khost, Afghanistan’s south-eastern province is about 30 km away from lawless South Waziristan area of Pakistan. The province is under severe threat of suicide bombers and terrorist attacks. It is hard for government officials and staff of international organizations to walk around in the city. I start to worry about my safety in the city, as I am doing a documentary on the return of Taliban in the area. I am not sure if I will be able to return to Kabul alive. I could be their target any moment. They are every where in the area. Three days ago they shot and burnt three trucks on Paktia-Khost highway at 8 a.m. in the morning. The distance between the burnt trucks and police post was about 500 meters. The assassination of deputy education chief in Khost is another sign of Taliban’s existence in the area.
Click on the headline and read the news report of Khost deputy chief assassination.

سومین مجموعه شعری اسد الله عفیف باختری نقد شد

2007-06-13T01:22:00.000-07:00

باختری شاعر مستعدیست که تا کنون سه مجموعه به علاقمندان شعر عرضه داشته است. من بازبان دریا سومین مجموعه شعری باختری است که به تعقیب سنگ و ستاره و آوازهای خاکستری بچاپ رسیده است.

برای خواندن متن کامل گزارش بی بی سی به سرخط کلیک کنید

Instability Reaches Northern Afghanistan (Report)

2007-05-30T14:14:00.000-07:00

Souterhn view of Sheberghan central park

Sheberghan residents demonstrate against the governor of Jawzjan, Joma Khan Hamdard, a former commander of Hikmatyar’s Hezb-e Islami. The three days demonstrations caused instability in Northern city of Sheberghan and resulted to the death and injury of demonstrators.

Looking at Hamdard’s background, it seems that he does not have the qualifications to be a governor. Hamdard was not welcomed as the governor of Baghlan province two years back. Baghlan residents demonstrated against him; Hamed Karzai’s government transferred him as the governor of Jawzjan province. But looking at the three days demonstrations, it seems that he has to face the same destiny in Jawzjan as he faced in Baghlan.
To read the BBC report click on the headline.

Amended Afghan Media Law Guarantees Freedom of Speech (Report)

2007-05-23T01:08:00.000-07:00

Photo from BBC

The controversial issue of Afghanistan’s Attorney General with the private Tolo television station caused amendments in the Afghan Media Law. Analysts say that the new Afghan Media Law guarantees the freedom of speech, if acted upon properly.

Click on the headline and read the BBC report about this topic.

U.S. Supports Terrorists By Paying Pakistani Military (Report)

2007-05-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

“Every thing is fair in love and War” is a very famous saying, but it should be, “Every thing is fair in politics.” The U.S. government pays $1 billion a year to Pakistan to fight terror, but reports find that the Pakistani military uses that money to fight counter terror troops. Report reveals that American and NATO forces have witnessed Pakistani military fighting in support of Taliban and Al-Qaeda against Afghan and Coalition forces.
Is this the way Americans want their tax money to be spent?
Click on the headline to read an analytical report by the New York Times via International Herald Tribune.

The World Realizes Masoud's Role In Fighting Aggressors (Report)

2007-05-18T15:39:00.000-07:00

The world realizes the struggle of Ahmed Shah Massoud, against different aggressors, such as USSR, Pakistan, Taliban and Al Qaeda. Massoud, 48, was killed in a suicide blast two days before the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

To read the complete report by LATimes, click on the headline.

Ham Ko Kis Ke Gham Ne Mara (Ghazal)

2007-05-13T01:02:00.000-07:00

CronkiteZine (Web site)

2007-05-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

Cronkite Zine, a world of various issues and topics, is a class project in which students posted their preferred topics. The Zine is one of best multimedia products. It contains, text, pictures, audio and video.

Click on the headline and enjoy the interesting topics of Cronkite Zine.

قانونیت درافغانستان تشکل میابد

2007-05-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

براساس گزارش بی بی سی، پارلمان افغانستان دووزیرکابینه را استیضاح نموده و صلاحیت ایشان رابنابر تضعیف درعملکردشان مورد رای گیری درپارلمان افغانستان قراردادند. این عملکرد پارلمان نشانه از حاکمیت قانون وبازی کردن نقش پارلمان و اعضای آن دردولت فعلی افغانستان بشمار میرود.

جهت خواندن راپورمکمل بالای عنوان کلیک کنید.

New Strategies To Fight Insurgents In Afghanistan (Report)

2007-05-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

Five days of anti-American demonstrations in West Afghanistan made the Afghan government and its international supporters find out better ways to fight insurgency. The U.S. coalition forces and their Afghan counterparts will start their new trainings to fight insurgents in such a way that will not harm civilians in Afghanistan.

To read more about this issue, click on the headline.

How To Play Billiard (Video)

2007-05-01T22:44:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in billiard game, then watch the introductory lesson by Joan.
He provides you with basic information about the rules of the game.

Click on headline and watch the video.

Nice Afghan Rap Song (Video)

2007-04-29T23:28:00.000-07:00

This is a very nice rap song by an Afghan guy. It is the repetition of Ahmad Morid's song.
Click on the headline to watch more of such video

Tribal Leaders Condenm Video of Little Boy (Report)

2007-04-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

In a video, the Taliban showed a young boy beheading a man, who was accused of spying. In reaction to the video, tribal leaders condenmed Talibans' action, calling it un-Islamic.

Click on the headline and read the complete reporter by REUTERS.

Shiite-Sunni Friendship Never Gets Media Attention (Video)

2007-04-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

While most Media report the conflict between Shiite and Sunni, the friendship among a local restaurant staff contradicts it.

Click on the headline and watch the video about this topic.

Related to Shiite-Sunni (In-depth)
Zabihullah Noori

While thousands of Muslims kill each other over the sectarian fights in Iraq, many Shiite and Sunni Muslims live in peace and brotherhood in different parts of the U.S.
They say that the tension in Iraq is not as deadly as it is being reported by the media.
Amirah Ismail, an Egyptian-American sophomore at ASU believes that the media is not lying about the sectarian fights in Iraq. However, she said, “The media is biased when it comes to Islam.”
Ismail said that she had serious discussions with her Shiites friends, but they all ended peacefully. She said, “If we notice, we have more similarities in both sectors than the differences.” She does not prefer one sector over the other, as she said, “Each Muslim has his/her own relation with Allah. No one is better than the other.”
Faraz Khan, a Pakistani Sunni, is a software developer at ASU. He never had any discussions with his Shiites friends about religion. Khan believes that the differences in both sectors are not deadly. It is just a matter of preferences in practice.
Khan said, “Once I invited some of my Sunni and Shiite friends at my house. The Sunnis prayed collectively, while the Shiites offered there prayers individually.”
The reason why Shiites did not join the prayer is because Shiites do not pray after any individual unless they know that person’s background up to three generations. Sunnis attend collective prayer, regardless of who is leading it.
Khan said that there are Shiites and Sunnis living in Pakistan, but their relations are brotherly and peacefully. Khan also believes that the media is not fair about this issue. He said, “The issue of Shiite and Sunni is over-exaggerated in the U.S. media, for the most part.”
Hani Rahal, is the public relation officer for Al-Mahdi Community Center, the only Islamic center for the Shiite Muslims in the Valley. Rahal said that the relations between Shiite and Sunni in the valley are excellent. He said, “We pray with each other and hang out with each other.” As for the issue of Shiite and Sunni in Iraq, Rahal Said, “Anyone who is killing any innocent claiming to be either Shiite or Sunni has no religion at all.”
According to Rahal, since the U.S. policy failed in Iraq and Middle East, they are causing these sectarian fights to legitimize their stay there. Rahal said, “There is a failure of American policy in Middle East; the only way to succeed is to cause sectarian fights.” He believes that the sectarian war in Iraq is a political issue, not a religious one. As he said, “It is a political issue that people of different sectors are fighting in Iraq or elsewhere in the Middle East. It has got nothing to do with Islam.”
The sectarian war between the Shiite and the Sunni in Iraq maxed out after the U.S. Marines entered the country. Iraq, having a Shiite majority population was ruled by Saddam Hussein, a dictator from a Sunni minority. Shiites were suppressed throughout Hussein’s regime. After the presidential election of Iraq with the support of U.S., Shiites took over the power, but it was not accepted by Sunni minority. This power shift was the main reason behind this bloody sectarian war, which resulted in the death of insurgents from both sides, but also cost many innocent civilians including women and children, to lose their lives. Since it is an ongoing war, there is no exact figure of casualties, but according to a report on CNN Web site, the number of civilians killed in Iraq in the first half of 2006 is 14,000.
Firas, who would only allow his first name to be printed, is an Iraqi-American engineer living in the U.S. for the past 25 years. He looks at the issue a bit differently. Firas said that the situation in Iraq was different before the collapse of late Saddam Hussein’s regime. He said, “There weren’t sectarian wars back then. They didn’t feel any difference.” But, he said that after the collapse of Hussein’s regime, Shiites became powerful, and this was not accepted by the Sunni minority. On the other hand, Firas said that the U.S. military force is not welcomed by all Iraqis. According to Firas, “Some people are upset with the presence of U.S. military because they have lost their friends and family members in the air strikes and bombings.”
As for the relations between Shiites and Sunnis in the U.S., Firas said, “It is friendly.” However, he admitted “There is some sensitivity, but both Shiite and Sunni understand the level of their argument and discussion.”
The Shiite and Sunni sectors did not exist before 632, the time when the Prophet Mohammad was alive. During this time, all Muslims were following one path. The sectarian division took place after the Prophet Mohammad’s death in 632.
Sunni Muslims agree with the position taken by many of the Prophet's companions—Imams, that the new leader should be elected from among those capable of the job. The Prophet Muhammad's close friend and advisor, Abu Bakr, became the first Caliph—the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the leader of the Islamic Ummah, which means successor or representative—of the Islamic Nation. The word "Sunni" in Arabic comes from a word meaning "one who follows the traditions of the Prophet."
Yet some Muslims share the belief that leadership should have stayed within the Prophet's own family, among those specifically appointed by him, or among Imams appointed by God Himself.
The main disagreement between Shiite and Sunni seem to be Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Mohammad. Shiites claim that Ali was the first rightly guided Caliph, while Sunnis regard him the fourth one in the row following Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman. Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali were the four closest companions of the Prophet Mohammad who run the Islamic state of the time after Prophet Mohammad’s death.
Despite the disagreement over the issue of the first Caliph of Islam, Shiite and Sunni Muslims were living in peace. They both followed their preferred practices. There were Shiites and Sunnis living together in many countries like Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, but there were no sectarian wars and killings. Even in Iraq, it wasn’t until early 2006 when the Al Aksa mosque was bombed, that sectarian violence exploded.
Chris Sheppard, a graduate student at ASU, served in Iraq twice. He said that the Iraqis were fighting the U.S. troops until the February of 2005, when he left Iraq. Sheppard said that when he was in Iraq he noticed different colors of flags in Shiite living areas. He admitted that back then he didn’t know what those flags meant, but he learned about it when he came to the U.S. Sheppard said, “It was Shiite’s pilgrimage, Karbala, Muharram.”
Muharram is the first month according to the Islamic Lunar calendar. The significance of this month lies in the fact that in this month the Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad and the son of Ali, was martyred along with his companions in Karbala. Shiites mourn this month by designing their mosques with flag of green, red, white and mostly black color. They recite Holy Quran and read rhythmic poems about the event of Karbala.
The flags are signs of Shiites pilgrimage, which they offered for the first time after the collapse of Hussein’s regime. This could be another reason for the sectarian war because in the time of late Saddam Hussein, Shiites were not allowed to perform such pilgrimage in the month of Muharram. The tension in Iraq cannot be solved easily. As Sheppard explains, “The Shiites want strong American presence because it is to their benefit,” while, “The Sunnis don’t want Americans on the soil.” Concerning the existence of American troops in Iraq, Sheppard said, “It is in America’s best interest right now.” Referring to American troops, he said, “They have created a mess, but it will become much more of a mess, if they pull out.”
Lately, the tension has spread out to parts of the U.S. A report in the Feb. 4, 2007 ediction of The New York Times said Sunnis broke the windows of Shiite owned businesses in Dearborn, Mich. Luckily no signs of such tensions and hatred have been observed in ASU or in the Valley.
Rema Nasaredden, a senior and the elected president for the Muslim Students Association (MSA) at ASU is a Sunni Muslim. Nasaredden says that from the time she came to ASU, she never remembers having any problems with Shiites. She said that MSA represents all Muslims and there are Shiites in the MSA. However, she admitted that there are no Shiites on the board of directors of MSA. But she said that the election for the board is based on the members’ involvement in the MSA’s activities, not on their religious affiliation. Nasardden said, “There is no sectarian preference in the election process in MSA.”
Shifa Al-Khatib, A Palestinian Muslim focusing on Justice Studies, at ASU is so neutral about the religious sectors that she doesn’t know the difference between the two. She said, “I have Muslim friends, but I don’t know if they are Shiite or Sunni.” Al-Khatib said, “I feel bad to ask people about their religious sectors. I think it is too personal.”
Everyone interviewed noted that the general solution to sectarian conflict is to educate Muslims of both sectors about the similarities of the two sectors. As Ismail said, “Muslims from both sectors must notice the similarities between the two sectors rather than focusing on differences.”

Tolo TV Debate Causes Reformation of Afghan Media Law (Report)

2007-04-22T00:15:00.000-07:00

The controversial issue over the arrest of Tolo TV staffs, by the order of Afghanistan’s Attorney General, caused lots of debates among Afghan and international media, as well as civil society organizations. The issue became so intense that it led to the reformation of Afghan Media Law.

Click on the headline and read BBC report about the issue.

Afghanistan's Attorney General Jabbar Sabet in Tolo TV (Video)

2007-04-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

Watching the controversial interview of Afghanistan's Attorney General with the reporter of Tolo TV, which resulted to the arrest of three Tolo TV staffs, may provide you with more information about the case.

Click on the headline and watch the video
(link courtesy of Shafiq Mirzazada)

Sabet's Working background as Attorney General (Video)

2007-04-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

The Afghanistan government and most Afghans have always blamed Pakistan and Iran for their involvement in Afghanistan’s affairs. But the issue of Afghanistan’s Attorney General and Tolo TV goes way beyond the neighboring countries of Pakistan and Iran.

Click on headline and watch skyreporter's video in regard to Sabet's past.

CANADA HELPS KARZAI COVER UP TV RAID (ANC)
Harper Claims Ignorance Of Beatings At Tolo TV
www.skyreporter.com

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper claims to be unaware of what happened at Kabul’s Tolo TV offices Tuesday night – despite the fact that the man who ordered 50 armed police to raid the station, Afghan Attorney General Abdul Jabar Sabet, enjoys Canadian residency. As well, skyreporter.com has been submitting detailed questions about Sabet to Mr. Harper’s office since April 5th, two weeks before the raid. Spokespeople for Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Peter MacKay, have been receiving the same detailed questions since mid March. Specifically, the questions deal with Sabet’s role in the Kabul Airport heroin scandal, his mysterious status in Canada and his work with Information Minister Karim Khoram to restrict media freedoms. (See the AFGHAN HEROIN series of film reports here at skyreporter.com.) Strange, then, how Mr. Harper answered QR77 Radio’s Dave Rutherford Thursday, when asked this question in relation to the violent raid: “This isn’t what we’re fighting for, is it?” (Canada has 2,300 troops fighting the Taliban in Kandahar province.) “I’ve just sort of heard about it,” the Prime Minister said, “I’m not aware of what the details are.” Which is simply not true – skyreporter.com phoned the Prime Minister’s office two days earlier, about three hours after the Tolo TV raid took place, to ensure his staff was aware of the incident. A detailed email account was sent two hours later, followed by a further email and phone call the next day. And an article in the Ottawa Citizen Thursday morning - before the radio interview. And “details?” How about seven journalists taken away by police and beaten, some with rifle butts. Three held in Sabet’s office. No search or arrest warrants issued. Protests the next day at the Afghan parliament. Even more revealing, though, is what the Prime Minister went on to tell Dave Rutherford’s listeners. ““In Afghanistan there is an extremely free press,” he said. “There’s all kinds of media outlets.” Mr. Harper continued: “President Karzai is constantly criticized in the media and in the national parliament. And look, as I told him, you have that and you don’t even have the CBC.” This last reference, to Canada’s respected public broadcaster, is a regular complaint of Mr. Harper’s Conservative Party, namely that the CBC is biased and out to get him. One expects anything of a politician, but to be reading from Sabet’s script? While Canadian troops are fighting and dying to promote democracy in Afghanistan? But of course all of this begs the question: if Mr. Harper, as one of President Hamid Karzai’s leading foreign sponsors, is not against Sabet’s violent assault on Afghanistan’s leading private TV station, is he for it? Significantly, neither the Canadian Embassy in Kabul nor any of Mr. Harper’s ministries has joined the United Nations in condemning the raid. The U.N. mission in Kabul released a morning-after statement expressing concern about “police actions against Tolo TV and the accompanying manhandling and detaining of Tolo TV staff.” The U.N. insisted: “Complaints against the media must be dealt with in accordance with established legal norms, not by unlawful physical intervention.” But nothing like the U.N.’s statement came from Messrs. Bush, Blair or Harper. Which explains why President Karzai himself found it easy to keep mum over the outrageous breach of democratic rights perpetrated against Tolo TV. If Karzai’s patrons – his bankers and protectors – aren’t too troubled by jackboot tactics to silence the media, well then, why shouldn’t he just sit back, have another puff and savour the possibilities of suppressing the media. Oh – except for one small thing. The people of Afghanistan are fed up to the teeth with a government that displays only chronic and contemptible incompetence and corruption. Hamid? Mr. Harper? You are public servants. Do something today to earn the public trust. Like punishing those who would send policemen into the night to rifle-butt unarmed young reporters, whose only crime is searching for the truth in the mess we’ve all made of Afghanistan.

Playing With Media=Playing With poisonous Bees (Video)

2007-04-20T16:59:00.000-07:00

Playing with poisonous bees will eventually hurt the player, simply because, even if they graze you, they will transfer poison on to your body. Playing with media will have the same poisonous effects, as it had to Afghanistan’s Attorney General.
A Canadian reporter reveals Sabet’s background, while the famous Afghan poet and human right activist Dr. Samey Hamed condemns Sabet’s action in public rally in Kabul.

Click on the headline and watch Dr. Samey Hameed’s video.

TV station raids make Afghan corruption hard to ignore (ACN)
The Ottawa Citizen 04/19/2007 By Arthur Kent
The Harper government has been caught off guard by a deepening scandal in Afghanistan's justice system, following a police raid Tuesday evening on the country's most popular TV channel. The operation was ordered by Attorney General Abdul Jabar Sabet -- who is also a former resident of Montreal.

For more than a month, officials at Foreign Affairs, Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Prime Minister's Office have dodged questions about Mr. Sabet's entry into Canada in 1999, and exactly how he was able to gain residency. Mr. Sabet has a history of association with Afghan extremist groups, and his earlier attempt to move to the United States was denied by American authorities.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai's accident-prone attorney general first created a potential problem for Canadian Forces personnel last autumn, when he abruptly suspended Kabul Airport's respected police chief. Gen. Aminullah Amerkhel was an accomplished drug-buster, and his removal triggered a resumption of heroin trafficking through the airport, according to senior Afghan lawmen and legislators. Heroin profits help finance the Taliban's war effort against NATO forces, including Canadian troops based in Kandahar province.

Yet Canada and its NATO allies acquiesced to the crisis, despite calls from the Speaker of Afghanistan's Senate to have Gen. Amerkhel reinstated, and choruses of demands from Parliament that Mr. Sabet himself be removed from office. There, legislators lament that President Karzai's international sponsors appear content to be spectators of the corruption and ineptitude wracking their client administration in Afghanistan. Tuesday's raid may change that.

"The international community now has an obligation to act," says Saad Mohseni, head of Tolo TV, the channel whose offices were raided by 50 heavily armed policemen. Several Tolo journalists were badly beaten, and three were arrested. Four Associated Press employees covering the raid were taken away and roughed up as well. Mr. Mohseni says: "Sabet has shown that he is totally unfit to hold his position. Our international allies must tell the president this type of official is not acceptable to the Afghan people."

Witnesses say police lacked any form of warrant for the incursion, so Attorney General Sabet stands accused of breaching both Afghanistan's criminal law and its constitution. Yesterday the United Nations' Afghan mission denounced the "manhandling and detaining of Tolo TV staff" and called on the Karzai government to ensure that "unlawful action against media outlets is prevented in the future."

But it's not Mr. Karzai who holds the keys to Kabul. It's his foreign sponsors -- especially the Bush administration. Officials from Washington were behind Mr. Sabet's bizarre rise to high office. Mr. Sabet was a longtime aide to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, once the United States' most-favoured anti-Soviet guerrilla leader, but now on their most-wanted list of terrorists. In 1992, Mr. Sabet's continuing links with Mr. Hekmatyar led to his dismissal from a job at the Voice of America. He was denied re-entry to the United States.

Mr. Sabet turned next to Canada, immigrating to Montreal and becoming a familiar face in the local Afghan community. He returned to Kabul in 2003, working as a lawyer for the Interior Ministry. Then, in an ironic twist typical of U.S. policy in Afghanistan, he formed a relationship with a U.S. Justice Department adviser seeking favourable reviews of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. As a result, Mr. Sabet led an Afghan government inspection of the site, declaring afterward that there were "only one or two" complaints from prisoners, and that "conditions of the jail were humane. The rumours about prison conditions were all wrong."

Soon after, both the U.S. and British embassies in Kabul began lobbying for Mr. Sabet's promotion, according to an aide of President Karzai's who witnessed the sessions. Mr. Sabet was nominated as attorney general just months later. In Ottawa, a Foreign Affairs spokesman denies any Canadian involvement in Mr. Sabet's appointment, but declined any comment on the attorney general's Canadian residency, or his role in the Kabul Airport heroin scandal.

Meantime, efforts by reform-minded Afghan lawmakers to restore order in the airport's anti-narcotics policing are being thwarted, they say, by corrupt individuals at the highest levels of the Karzai administration. "We are trying each week to persuade the president to address this issue," says a high-ranking official of the Senate, the Meshrano Jirga, who asks not to be named due to the dangers posed by Afghanistan's heroin trafficking gangs. "But it is clear that others at the Presidential Palace are counselling Mr. Karzai against taking action."

Here, too, Afghans appeal for help from Mr. Karzai's Western sponsors, including Canada. "These cases stand in the way of our democracy," says the Senate official. "If the Canadians are serious about helping us, they must begin their work in Mr. Karzai's office."

As for Mr. Karzai's attorney general, officials who know and have worked with Mr. Sabet wonder why Canada, while placing troops on Afghan battlefields, turns a blind eye to disruptive figures in high office. One Interior Ministry supervisor says: "Sabet is able enough to prepare a legal brief, but he is totally incapable of exercising executive authority."

An Afghan Foreign Ministry official puts it much more darkly: "As his past shows, the man is unstable." And, by all indications, soon to be unemployed.

The question is: Will Mr. Sabet's next port of call be Montreal?

Arthur Kent has reported regularly from Afghanistan since 1980. A series of his film reports is now appearing at skyreporter.com.

Virginia Shooter Poses For Media (Report/photo)

2007-04-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

The Virginia Tech shooter sent his different poses for NBC after he killed two students in the dorm early Monday morning. Then he went to Norris Hall, where he killed 31 innocent people, including students and professors.
Click on the headline to read NBC's report on his background, and watch his photos.

These People Will Be Part of U.S. History (Report)

2007-04-17T23:18:00.000-07:00

The massacre of Virginia Tech cost of the lives of 33 people.
Click on the headline and read each individual's profile in MSNBC.com.

Scheme on suppression of ideas (Report)

2007-04-16T23:05:00.000-07:00

As the death of Afghan journalist Ajmal Naqshbani lift up criticism on government’s stake, now the Afghan government is paving the way for its tricky scheme to suppress people’s thoughts and freedom of expression. It has started at the government level, but in no time, will reach the civilians and ordinary Afghan citizens.
Click on the headline and read the BBC report about this issue.
You may also find the related link interesting.
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/avconsole/nb_wm_fs.shtml?nbram=1&nbwm=1&ws_storyid=070317_fb_afghanistan&ws_pathtostory=http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/wsindex/int/sg/persian/-/persian/news/avfile/2007/03/&bbram=1&bbwm=1&lang=fa)

International Night at ASU (video)

2007-04-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

The celebration of international night in ASU, one of the most diverse universities in the U.S., provides international students with an opportunity to share their cultures with their fellow students.
Click on the headline and watch the video.

University shooting, Virginia (Breaking News)

2007-04-16T13:34:00.002-07:00

University shooting history repeats itself after four decades. A gunman shot at least 31 people in Virginia Tech this morning, April 16, 2007.

Professor Ed Sylvester of Arizona State University said that the only incident of such nature that he can recall is the shooting at the University of Texas Tower in Mid 60s.
Sylvester said that the Virginia Tech shooting was the only big incident at the university level after the shooting of University of Texas.
According to memory archive, "Charles Whitman killed 15 people and wounded 31 from a tower of Univeristy of Texas in 1966."
Sylvester said, "There had been single anger killing, but not any incident of such nature."

Click on headline and read the latest CNN report about the Virginira Tech.

Farhad Darya Represents Afghanistan In Supporting Children In Hunger (Video)

2007-04-15T00:07:00.000-07:00

Farhad Darya, our pride in music and culture of the country, represents Afghanistan in

global efforts for poverty erardication, supporting children in hunger.

Click on the headline and watch Darya's video.

(Youtube link courtesy of Javed Sidiqi)

Pollution in Kabul (Environmental Report)

2007-04-13T21:49:00.000-07:00

What is the solution to Kabul pollution issue? A report from BBC discusses this topic.

Click on the headline and read the complete report.

PSA Performs At International Night (Video)

2007-04-13T19:36:00.000-07:00

Palestinian Students Association at Arizona State University represent their country’s traditional dance at International Night.

Click on the title and watch the video.

Who is involved in Ajmal's death? (Developing Story)

2007-04-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

The exchange of an Italian journalist with five Taliban and the lack of reaction concerning Ajmal Naqshbandi, seem to be an unforgivable deal of the Afghan government.

Click on the headline to read the IWPR analytical report in this regard.

American Journalists Talk About Afghanistan (Video)

2007-04-11T12:45:00.000-07:00

The war torn Afghanistan had a lot to offer to American journalists.
Click on the headline and watch the video.

An Open Letter To Afghan Government (Report)

2007-04-11T00:16:00.000-07:00

KABUL, Apr 10 (Pajhwok Afghan News):

A group of Afghan students in the United States have condemned the killing of Ajmal Naqshbandi and poured scorn over the government for its failure to save his life.

In an open letter to the Afghan government, the students said Taliban had killed a man who was out to earn bread for his family.

"We condemn in severest terms the Taliban and their sponsors who brutally murdered our brother, a husband, a would-be father and the son of a mother," said the students in their open letter.

They said this 'inhuman' act of Taliban was against the "noble principles of Islam that value human life and human dignity".

The students said "the Taliban and their international terrorist supporters have a malicious strategy to destabilise Afghanistan's nascent democracy through murdering innocent civilians".
They also expressed anger over the handling of the situation by the Afghan government.

They asked the people of Afghanistan to join them in demanding an explanation from the government.

The students said the government should have treat Ajmal Naqshbandi and Daniele Mastrogiacomo on an equal footing. "However, you, the Afghan government, demonstrated that you put more value on the life of non-Afghans than on the life of the very people who elected you. You showed to us that in fact, in your eyes, the life of an Afghan is still worthless and his blood cheap."

At the end of their open letter, the students posed the following questions to the Afghan government:

Why did you negotiate with the terrorists in the first place, putting at risk the lives of numerous aid workers, journalists and other friends and citizens of Afghanistan?

Even if there were valid grounds for negotiation, why did you not secure the release of both Afghan and foreign citizens?

They also asked the government to extend compensation to the widow and family of the slain journalist.

Dating Culture Reaches Afghanistan ( Yahoo Video)

2007-04-10T00:56:00.000-07:00

Dating, the only Western culture most Afghan parents have always feared, reaches the capital city of Kabul.
Click on the title to watch the ABC News video.

To read the NPR report about Cellular Love...in Afghanistan, please click on the link below.
(Text report, courtesy of W.N.)
http://www.bivingsreport.com/2006/cellular-lovein-afghanistan/