Two western and three Afghan teachers participated in the latest round of blogging workshops. Mr. Martin (German journalist) who was supposed to teach in the first day of workshop, unfortunately failed to do so due to an illness. In the second day, first hours were dedicated to theoretical issues, in which Mr. Jeffrey Estern (young American journalist) approached weblog phenomenon from a western and modern-world perspective. Mr. Jeffrey compared visual and print media with blogging and evaluated the influence of blogging on public opinions, politics and other media, and said: “In our country, i.e. United States, along with three constitutional powers, Media is the fourth power which monitors activities of government. However, there was no body to supervise the media. After years and with the introduction of technology and internet, Weblog came into existence. Today, weblogs supervise the media, so that there have been several cases in which bloggers revealed misinformation of some prominent journalists who were consequently fired from their positions.”

After some theoretical discussions, the rest of the second day was dedicated to practical issues. According to directors, main goal of such workshops is to turn this new phenomenon into a public one so as to ensure that everybody practices the right of free speech with no censorship. Since increasing pressures of Information and Culture Ministry has led to more censorship by e-media and private TV channels, weblog may be a better choice to experience free speech as well as institutionalizing this principle in the Afghan society.

This was the second blogging workshop held in Afghanistan, and Association of Afghan Blog Writers is supposed to run similar workshops in other cities such as Herat, Mazar- Sharif, Jalalabad, Kandehar, Bamyian and Daikundi.

Blogging is an absolutely new phenomenon in Afghanistan and most of the people do not take it professionally. Therefore, such workshops directed by Association of Afghan Blog Writers may speed up the process of professionalization and facilitate it for Afghan bloggers. Today most of the youth and students have turned to this phenomenon. Though having access to internet is very problematic, the Afghan youth increasingly turn to weblog and blogging, and the number of Afghan weblogs is increasing. Up to now, more than 20,000 Afghan weblogs have been registered by Afghan people in various countries and through various blog service providers, such as Blogger, wordpress, Blogfa, Persianblog.

Barriers to the Way of Afghan Bloggers

Afghan bloggers have to deal with a wide range of problems. Due to recent controversies over Dari (Farsi) and after two correspondents in Mazar-e Sharif were sacked just for using Dari equivalents of ‘University’ and ‘Student’, Afghan Telecom has blocked two popular Persian blogger sites: Persianblog and Blogfa. Some believe that such acts are the continuation of fight of Abdul Karim Khoram(minister of Information and Culture) against Dari Persian.

On the other hand, there is the problem of power shortage. In spite of Hamid Karzai ruling for several years and presence of International Community in Afghanistan, Kabul inhabitants still do not have access to power. Power is available only 6 hours per day, and suffers fluctuations. This problem may be a big barrier to the way of Afghan bloggers and prevent them from updating their blogs.

Help Promote Free Speech

Directors of the project believe that turning this new phenomenon (i.e. Weblog) into a public issue between Afghan youth and writers can help the free speech and institutionalize democracy in Afghanistan. Today many emerging journals claim ‘independence and being free’, but they are unfortunately so associated with political trends and parties that practically come to experience self-censorship. Very often it happens that they fail to publish critical papers. On the other hand, Afghan journals and media have taken an opposition stance and the only thing they may criticize is the government, while there is a myriad of hot and sensitive issues happening all around Afghanistan neglected by such journals and media. Weblog enables the writer to publish his thoughts and criticisms freely and independently, using either real name or nom de plume.

We all know that modern state comprises of a set of security, political, cultural and economic bodies. Thus the state is more of service institution serving the people in the fields described above, and citizens, according to the law, have to take some responsibilities to it. However, Afghani state is incapable of providing minimum security. Today, armed opposition groups have given up on guerilla and limited operations used to being carried out in far located provinces and marginal regions, and target the central core of power. Carrying out attacks on military step in Hasht Sawr, raiding the prison and etc. are not just some terrorist, limited attacks; rather they reveal Karzai’s lack of authority (something that never existed from the very beginning). Given that most of terrorists who participate in such raids have been previously freed from governmental prisons, one might come to conclude that the current state is not associated with legitimate concerns and presentiments of the citizens, but with hidden, back-stage mafia groups.

Arming and urging Taliban forces to attack Hazara people, which constitutes a common ground between Taliban, state and the Islamic Party, is indicative of the state falling into the hands of tribal mafia, and reveals how the state has been diverted from its genuine origin, playing right into the hands of armed tribal mafia. Do not complain so much that poverty, corruption and discrimination is associated with current state. Be aware: there is no state at all. Rather, a mafia body works here on behalf of Taliban and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

When the conspiracy to bring down Abdul Rashid Dostum led to no result, Hekmatyar’s joining the Karzai party (or the reverse, if more appropriate to say) was delayed; however, according to which practical end, current mafia-state came to hate and bring down the very person exalted by it previously? Which practical end justifies appointing the very perpetrator who killed innocent people in Sheberghan roads to be advisor to president? And is it indeed expedient that since 6 months ago, state, Hekmatyar and Taliban try to urge, equip and arm nomads (Kuchis) of west and east to go to the lands of Hazara people, set houses on fire and destroy farmlands? Do you still believe that there is a state, and there exist a responsive system?

Economic failures, plundering public properties, lack of intellectual views within the government and provoking less important language issues, are cliché and speaking of them is just repeating the repeated and somehow troublesome. We are of no state.

General Kamal Matin Al Din, a Pakistani general, in response to Barnett Rubin said that long conflicts and wars between Tajiks and Pashtuns is the cause of instability and conflicts in Pakistan.

Lately, Pakistani’s newspapers according to their military generals posed that Pakistan and Afghanistan’s conflicts and crisis are related to setting Pashtuns aside and mentioned it as instability factor in their country. Dawn newspaper quoted general Dorrani, Pakistan ISI chief, that Tajiks unlimited power in Afghanistan government with Hamed Karzai presidency, has led Pakistani Pashtuns to quarrel in oppositions and Taliban forms and this problem has also involved Pakistan and led it into instability situation.

Mr. Dorrani had warned Americans not to interfere into Pakistan affairs since they are able to solve their own problems. Pakistan’s previous chief of ISI, recommending Pakistan government said that although United States claims that it wants to develop friendship toward Pakistan, but it has some secret plans to control Pakistan’s government completely and dissect the country, finally and also wants to have access to ISI.

Mr. Rooney Jones, a western analyst, in reaction to this Taliban-defender general in Pakistan spoke with utter frankness that Pashtuns problems are more Pakistani than Afghani since Pakistani Pashtuns population is twice.
Mr. Rooney notified Pakistanis that Islamic extremism in Pakistan’s tribal areas* is the main instability cause in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He called the development of Salafi trainings in tribal areas* and release of Sofi Mohammad, Mohammedan religion predominant leader from prison, unbelievable.

Here you can read a Pakistani newspaper article that has been written against United Stated and led also American experts to react against: ‘Pakistan never has been this much vulnerable in its history and today is very close to being dissected. Although United States claims that it wants to develop friendship toward Pakistan, but it has some secret plans to control Pakistan’s government completely and dissect the country, finally. CIA and FBI’s Pakistani intelligence agents arrest any suspicious Pakistani in cities without restrictions and send them to Bagram Air Base and Guantanamo Bay. In an interview on April 14, George Bush said that there will be another attack like 9/11, this time not from Afghanistan, but Pakistan. U.S. forces are launching operations in Pakistani tribal areas right now without any reflections in public thoughts.

After revelation of ‘War’ and ‘Pakistan News International’ newspapers in March 2008 about U.S. demands from Pakistan government, these declarations of President Bush have been expressed, which were unacceptable, these newspapers mentioned.

Washington demands direct accessing in Pakistan’s NCA**. This center (NCA) has authority and qualifies of all Pakistan’s atomic weaponries. United States has been hired an American officer in its embassy in Islamabad to have close cooperation with this atomic center.

Of these U.S. demands was for American personnel to have permission to enter Pakistan without Visas, but with any identification cards (such as drive license). Pakistan should accept Americans licenses such as carrying loaded gun licenses. American personnel should’ve permissions to carry guns in Pakistan and ability to wear their own military uniforms. American personnel should be judged in American courts, not Pakistanis for their crimes (this law is known as capitulation).

In addition to U.S. force direct operations in tribal areas of Pakistan, U.S. has forced Pakistan to settle one thousand of their military soldiers in these areas which they fight more aggressive than Americans. This problem has made many Pashtuns tribes in FATA (Federally Administrated Tribal Areas) annoying which led them to be in a rebellion situation against military and Pakistan government. Making Pashtun tribes and Pakistan government distrusted in each other is of U.S. policies.

Although U.S. has claims of establishing friendship toward Pakistan, but in reality, U.S. has initiated an enmity against Pakistan and also its existence. For instance, *** in July 2006, in American Military newspaper designed a scenario about dissecting Pakistan into ‘Gross Pakhtunestan’ and ‘Gross Balochistan’, Sindh province joining India and only Punjab province remaining under Pakistan name. U.S. gives prominent political, geo-strategic, and economical suggestions. The main harbor of Govadar which has been established by Chinese investments at Balochistan province is just 50 kilometers far from Persian Gulf. It is also China’s main vessel to Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf and Middle East. If U.S. takes this harbor control, it will prevent China from having access to these markets.

U.S. also enforces Iranian and Pakistani Balochs segregationists both side of borders. For instance, an Iranian Baloch group called Jondollah (God Army) formed in 2006 after a contrabandist was killed by Iranian police force. His brother, defying his murdered brother and his illegal business, provoked Sunni-Shiite conflicts. America offered his aid, military logistics and support to these contrabandist criminals. Such of these groups are being suppressed by United Stated as terrorists, but due to enmity of this group with Islamic Republic of Iran, United States supports them. Also Pakistani Balochs groups are supported by U.S., UK and India, but UK does more interference in Pakistan’s Balochistan affairs. Killing Commander-in-chief Akbar Bogti under Parviz Mosharaf command, made Balochistan situation more disturbed.

Article criticizes Pakistan secular and melki politicians such as Asef Zardari for his frequent visits of U.S. ambassador, Mrs. Paterson, in Pakistan. Also criticizes Mrs. Paterson travel to UK for visiting Altaf Hossein, MQM leader (a Sindhi party in Karachi), who has lived in UK and achieved England allegiance.

Article expresses worries about India consulates in Jalalabad and kandahar cities as Indian center of informers (RAW) and a danger for Pakistan existence. Also has criticized Afghanistan and expressed that ‘about 85 percent of Afghanistan trading is taking place through Pakistan. If Pakistan bans these trading ways, then Afghans would be in difficulty’.

After terror incident in Kabul, and declaration of Amrollah Salih, chief of National Security of Afghanistan, about Pakistan interference in which Hamed Karzai was attacked, conflicts has been increased between Kabul and Islamabad and also Afghan newspapers mentioned Pakistan as disturbing center in the region. Mr. Rooney also mentioning this point said: “It’s not to Pakistan advantage to be recognized as a horror castle and be isolated”.

At the beginning, Afghan Press established in English, but we also decided to prepare its Dari Farsi section. The Farsi section was more important than the English one, because the English section needed a source to be updated daily.

With friends and authors’ help and God’s will, we got it started. And in the ‘preface’ we wrote all was inside our hearts in just some words. If you liked that, you can start your activity with a smile and if frowned, do not forget the fairness.

Professional journalism has not taken place in Afghanistan yet and reasons are obvious to some extent, the most important of which is having no financial aid, which has become impossible to find nowadays. Those who have made typographical newspapers have seen the efforts and costs these projects have. Now you may ask how Afghan Press has gained the money to launch these websites.

The answer is very simple: If you’ve seen the English section, it has been written since six months ago on the right corner, a declaration to help independent Afghan news and analyzing website which wants to broadcast news from inside of Afghanistan. Thus, our Western friends and especially those whom we knew in person, donated to us from ten to hundred dollars, and we achieved the money for designing the website and buying its host and domain.

Here we should offer our thanks to Esra’a Al Shafei, who had an active contribution to this project. If it weren’t for her, launching this project would have been improbable. She is a student and also an active journalist. She has done too much in recent years, such as launching Middle Eastern Youth and Village TV websites. Miss. Esra’a is of those rare people which are improbable to be found these days.

Long story short, we invite everyone to write in Afghan Press. Some sections of Afghan Press are like professional websites. Writers can have their individual page with their profile or biography and their articles in a separate URL. They can login with their usernames and passwords in panel of management of posts, and publish their articles.

Afghan Press has different and independent sections. If you are a photographer, you can send us photos; if you are an author, you can send us articles; if interested in Radio and conversational activities, you can send us Audio files; and if you’re a documenter, you can publish your Video files on Afghan Press. In short, Afghan Press is in service of Afghan friends and authors.

Despite media attentions and their journalism tumults, Afghanistan is full of banned realms, untold problems, and political, cultural and visual taboos.

Afghan Press does not claim to break these taboos in this rioted situation, but tries to reflect the untold of Afghanistan, having its doctrine, written articles, analysis and its special points of view.

Afghan Press, as an electronic newspaper, intends to reflect, analyze and evaluate Afghanistan news and related problems with a professional and journalism outlook.

Therefore, we will try to provide a “narration from inside” about culture, media, politics, political parties, economics, and higher educations for whom are wise and interested in Afghanistan’s affairs, and especially local compatriots. We are not related to any political tendencies or parties and won’t preach any special ideology or doctrine. We love this land and wish less suffering and more comfort for its habitants.

We respect comments and tender criticism of wise people. Divine grace, friends’ aspiration and consensus, comments and criticisms of concerned readers are our companions.

Q: You have been involved with Afghan Press too. What is this project about?

Afghan Press was built in order to give accurate local news to people abroad. I am the director.

As you know, we don’t have online media to provide news to the world independently. Every day we hear bad news of explosions, suicide attacks, road bombings, killings, robberies in Afghanistan, but there is no one to provide information on social issues, women’s issues, education, music, literature, culture and Afghan traditions.

When I read the news, I feel sorry for myself and wonder why our country and our people are defined as violent and tough people. I want to explain through Afghan Press that we are no different from the rest of the world; that we are forgotten, and you need to remember us today.

Read the full interview here.

Everyone is welcome to read and comment on this website. Our aim is to inform the world on the happenings of Afghanistan and expose the world to local and independent sources. Afghan Press wishes to collaborate with foreign networks for the sake of providing more accurate material and from wider perspectives, however, we also wish to maintain our independence at all times for credibility purposes.

We believe in a promising, emergent Afghanistan, and so should you.

We want to create a powerful Afghanistan through new media technologies. The internet is our only gateway to free speech and global outreach. We want to use digital media to show the world what currently goes unreported; things happening in Afghanistan’s remote villages, to people never given a chance to communicate with the rest of the world. In order to share a realistic portrayal of Afghanistan with the rest of the world, we aim to involve as many locals as possible in reporting the world around them, thus concretely enhancing the lives of Afghan people. We envision this taking the form of digital media, documentaries, podcasts, online TV, journalism, women blogging, youth empowerment via the internet and beyond.

It is time for Afghanistan to have a successful digital media outlet that is by the people, for the people, to the world and whose mission is to improve the country. Because of financial instability, independent media production is seen as a luxury and funding options for this type of visionary initiative are limited. We believe that a functioning and thriving independent media is necessary to achieve our dream of a better, safer, free Afghanistan, and we need your help to realize this vision. Please consider donating (do so, please use our ChipIn widget on the right hand side of this website.)

I am doing podcast to bring some analytic views of Afghan researchers and writers about September 11 and its importance for them and their society.

For the first parts of my Podcast I brought in Jeffery Stern, an American freelance journalist who came recently in Afghanistan. He lived in the USA when September 11 happened. I asked him about his immediate reaction to September 11, the day of the attacks.

The next question I asked him was about the September 11 impact on American cultures. For example how media, movies and TV programs have been affected? Do people in the USofA think movies and TV programs should maybe emphasize more patriotic themes?

Conspiracy theories about what happened on 9/11 began to circulate just days after the attacks, but in the last six years, they’ve become a phenomenon with up to 75 percent of Americans believing their government hasn’t told them the whole truth about that tragic day.
I also asked him about conspiracy theories of some American professors that have been pointed out last year at the fifth anniversary of September 11, that 9/11 was a USofA government conspiracy.
What do American people think about these theories and what are his personal thoughts on the matter?

I asked Jeffery about four crashed planes and none of the passenger lists containing any Arabic name?

I asked him about the US troops fighting in Afghanistan against Al Qaeda and Taliban. Are they in power or are NATO troops weak?
Day by day the Taliban become more powerful. They even have access to major cities like Ghazni that recently dealt with the South-Korean government over receiving 20million dollars.

September11 is an important event in the world especially for Afghanistan. If September 11 wouldn’t happened today Afghanistan was in control of wildest and brutal regime of Taliban. Almost 90% percent of the country was under their control. Today many Afghan says God bless Osama Bin Landin who attacked the twin tower and drove the world to look at our country which was in burning and also they say God bless America that saved our live and brought democracy, freedom and security. I am not talking about how the NATO troops and international forces fulfilled their tasks and how much they are successful. I am talking about the importance of September 11 for Afghanistan and its people. Many Afghans says it is not important for us how many people have been killed in September 11 in twin tower in New York and Pentagon outside Washington but it is important that US saved our live and released our country.

I met Bashardoost a member of Afghanistan parliament in his office in the camp in front of the Parliament building. Earlier he had his camp at the Shahr-e Naw park. Since 2003, Bashardoost is a critical figure, he talks loudly about corruption, and human right abuses.

Bashardoost believes that while the Mujahiden was in power, they committed much crime. In that time the USA and international community had forgotten Afghanistan. There were no human rights, nor women rights, nor freedom of speech. When the Taliban captured almost 90% of the country and Afghanistan became a home for terrorists still no one was caring about this country, until Al Qaeda attacked the Twin Towers. This was an alarm for the international community.

Afghanistan welcomed the US and international forces in order to build a free and prosperous society, but unfortunately after six years we do not have the results that we hoped for.

Right now the Taliban insurgents are controlling the districts of Helmand and Kandahar provinces. Bashardoost believes that this is a failure for the international community, and especially for the US and its strategy in Afghanistan. “September 11 is still and important date for Afghanis”, he says, “September 11 was a success for Afghanistan but US and the international community failed in their goals.”

Bashardoost believes that Human rights were abused by the warlords who came in power, just as the ministers and high ranking authorities now. I asked him about the process of democracy and human rights in Afghanistan. After September 11 Afghan was promised human rights, freedom and democracy. If so, how is the condition right now?

I asked Bashardoost what he thinks about Conspiracy theories over what happened on 9/11. He says, “I am not specialist but I know that these were the hands of terrorists, and not the CIA.”

Bashadoost says that September 11 was an important event in his live. It was then when he became popular and elected as legislator.

The current situation is not comparable with the last four years. Especially since the Mujahiden were empowered and entered to government. He believes it was a catastrophe when Mujahiden warlords, previous communist criminals and Taliban leader entered the government.

For the people the Karzai government has lost its honor and future promises. Bashadoost says that today many warlords are running private jails. Some times these warlords kidnap women and girls.

And why the Mujahiden who destroyed the country and committed lots of crimes are back into power now? Who supports and supported them, and why are they still powerful? Bashardoost blames the United States of America that the US doesn’t want Afghanistan to become peaceful.