Afghan Christian to Italy !

[Sixpack]

Italy has offered him asylum. Good.

Let's send 50 imams back for compensation :yep: :D

[joea]

Good news for this poor fellow. :up:

Thanks Silvio (I can't believe I said that) :88)

[The Avon Lady]

There are more fish in the sea (http://am.novopress.info/?p=1624). :cry:

[TLAM Strike]

There are more fish in the sea (http://am.novopress.info/?p=1624). :cry: ... or desert... :shifty: ;)

[Wim Libaers]

There are more fish in the sea (http://am.novopress.info/?p=1624). :cry:

Of course. Now they have confirmation that other countries will let their unwanted ones enter, so they have an opportunity to get rid of them without the negative PR associated with large-scale slaughter.

[TteFAboB]

To parody:

*Awaits for the Christophobic crowd to jump in and justify and/or apologize the killings*

[Perilscope]

... or desert... :shifty: ;):rotfl:

...:hmm: Still, there was a sea in those areas once… :D

[Sixpack]

To parody:

*Awaits for the Christophobic crowd to jump in and justify and/or apologize the killings*

Christophobic ? Hilarious ! :rotfl: :rock:

[Abraham]

There are more fish in the sea (http://am.novopress.info/?p=1624). :cry:

Of course. Now they have confirmation that other countries will let their unwanted ones enter, so they have an opportunity to get rid of them without the negative PR associated with large-scale slaughter.
What a malicious thoughts you have, Wim...
:D

[Wim Libaers]

What a malicious thoughts you have, Wim...
:D

Thanks. It's nice to know that my specialization is appreciated here :D

[Bertgang]

My welcome to Mr. Rahman.
Usually I have little love for our chairmen, but this time is different.

Out of the religious side, it's interesting to know that Afghan court never should have known his "crime" without a litigation inside his family about children's education; something really similar to what often happens here with divorced people.

[Vinay]

Memories of my Kabul visit

By Ashish Kaul
http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/06apr02/edit.htm#4

Are you sure !" was my first reaction when I was asked to visit Afghanistan. I could see vivid pictures of the war and the glitter of Scud and Patriot missiles flash before my eyes. Having dealt with the terror of Hijbul-mujahideen and the likes of JKLF in my hometown in Kashmir it was easier to brush aside the horror of war and terrorism. The sense of excitement of visting Kabul to formalise our presence in Kabul was enough to forget the ordeal of flying with our National carrier and a before dusk flight via Delhi. There was more to Kabul than an emotional attachment. I had grown up hearing the tales of valour, courage and honour of Afghan's alongside the tales of Ram and other Indian legends. I would like to believe that the tale of 'Kabuli wala' is still one of the most interesting tales popular among Indians. I had always wanted to be in the land where courage, honour and valour are not merely words but a code of daily existence.
A land of incredible and raw beauty is what Afghanistan is. Certainly not like Kashmir which is rich with pristine beauty but with a beauty of third kind I was to experience very soon. The flight from Delhi was fun filled, as expected, with the entourage of Jagjit Singh, the famous Ghazal singer from India. The flight attendants were generous with the beer cans, hospitality, smiles and for a while I thought it couldn't be the "Indian" but some private airline. Was it the Afghan effect ? I wondered for a while. I did SMS my friend Jitendra Bhargava who is at the helm of national careers but he didn't respond. Perhaps he thought I was pulling his leg. Anxiety gripped all of us when the flight prepared to land while negotiating snow clad mountains, in the middle of nowhere, in central Asian deserts. First welcome came from mother nature with a chilling 4 degree centigrade rattling us all but I was quick to acclimatize as I was used to much severe temperatures. We were quickly escorted to the exit and there it was, our first brush with humanity and peace in a strife torn country. Camera crews, children and many people greeted us with flowers. Jagjit Singh was clearly the Hero and I am sure he was equally surprised. The next two days Jagjit Singh was mobbed where ever he went, and ended up getting photographed a billion times and more. Men, women and children wanted to touch and feel him and had it not been for the fear of being called kafir ; he was the God who had descended in Kabul to take all their worries away with his magical voice!. We left for the Hotel, Kabul Sarena, in a carvan fully manned by about 16 Commandos, ready to kill anyone attempting to come anywhere near us.
Barren streets, houses in ruins and dust present a grim reminder of an era gone by. It was something similar to what I had seen in Kashmir; two heavens destroyed by hatred and terrorism. I switched on the TV as I unpacked and to get ready for a dinner in the night. I was pleasantly surprised to see Zee Network channels alongwith aajtak and many music channels with contemporary music. "Taliban had finally gone"; the TV seemed to talk to me. The Dinner was attended by almost every important dignitary of the Afghan Government. They all sang praises for the people of India and Indian entertainment Industry. I was not too much impressed though, protocol demands - I told myself. While all made merry, Jagjit Singh continued being clicked and clicked. As a typical Mumbaite, too much of formality started getting me restless and I went to the lobby and thought of taking a stroll outside the Hotel. I was politely told that I cant do that, not that it is not safe but they didn't want to take chances. I said Hell ! it cant happen to me at 10.30pm. I was a prisoner in a Hotel in Kabul. I had two options as a prisoner, one to be in the restaurant or second one , to be in the party. I created a third one and went into the hotel room and literally waited for the dawn. I was getting restless now and I had to get out and bingo ! where there is a will there is a way; I found one - How ?; is a secret !
The streets of Kabul were almost like the streets in any remote village in Northern India. Roads did resemble the ones in Mumbai and it was quite comforting to walk on familiar terrain. I kept meandering in the streets and bazars of Kabul and I was home. Music from Hindi films, posters of Hindi film stars are the most common sight. It was for the first time that I realised the power of entertainment. It was Indian entertainment Industry that has kept the flame of hope alive. In every song and in every artist they see peace and happiness. Amidst devastation I saw gleaming hope in every Afghan eye and a smile on their faces. There is undoubtly courage, valour and honour spread everywhere and in every soul. I felt this great desire to talk to them and I walked upto a dry fruit vendor. I started asking for prices and told him that his stuff was expensive. With a smile he explained in Urdu/Hindustani with a pathan ascent that it was a poor country. I asked him how much will he give Kishmish and Pista to a "mehmaan' in his country. He was quiet for a while and then asked me if I was 'Hindustani' and I said yes. I was experienced multiple and overwhelming feelings of joy, pride and honour at the same time when he said "Hindustani mehmaan ke liye to sab muft me dega' { I will give everthing free to my Indian guest}. The point is not that it was good salesmanship, but I am confident that it was a reflection of what Afghan's feel for India. All those two days I kept on experiencing their love and passion for India and the Indian entertainment. One of the journalists with a TV channel told me that he feels uneasy if he doesn't watch Devdas 3 to 4 times a week. India literally rules and I was quite proud of the fact that we have conquered the world, this far, with our love. Indian entertainment Industry was present in every nook and corner of Kabul. Even the driver of our car was a fan of Indian music and would always have Hindi films songs playing in the car. He even managed to sing quite a few of them amidst the tales he told us about Taliban and the horrid 6 months he had spend in their captivity. It is amazing to see how I could effortlessly converse and relate to all of them and that too in a land so far away and separated by a vindictive neighbour. Perhaps the answer lies in history, in the times when India and Afghanistan were neighbours. Anyone having seen the famous serial Mahabharta would know that the mother of Kaurava's hailed from Khandhar. Sikhs have woven themselves perfectly into the social system as a minority. From a distance, it is extremely difficult to spot a difference between a Sikh and an Afghan on the streets of Kabul. India means a dream to Afghans. The very mention of India lights up their eyes and immediately they all want to know of a city called 'Bambai'. Top officials of the Afghan Government attended the press conference wherein we expressed our desire to strengthen the presence of Zee Network Channels, offer programmes in Afghani and Dari language and eventually be able to offer local programming through a dedicated channel for Afghanistan. Afghan officials lauded the role of India in development of Afghanistan and also shared with great affection the role Indian media and entertainment played in their land. I was also surprised when I was politely briefed in private to abstain from 'praising' Pakistani artists. For a change Pakistan was a hated word in an Islamic Country. People of Afghanistan are much wiser today and a decade of war has taught them the difference between religion and terrorism against mankind of which they too are a part. Today Afghanistan is much mature in its worldly affairs as one can see even condoms being sold in the streets of Kabul, perhaps the first and only Islamic country with such an achievement and then there was, perhaps, the largest ever money changing market on the roadside stretching to over half a Km. Afghans in torn cloths with millions of currency notes changing and exchanging dollars and other upwardly mobile currency in a fear free environment. Something like this was unimaginable in India. Another important surprise was to see computer institues and the craze for learning english the American way. I can write with great conviction that Afghans can speak absolutely first class English with a typical American accent. I wouldnt be surprised if Afghanistan becomes the next big BPO industry in the world, perhaps far more bigger than India. I have often spoken to them in English over the phone and thought I was speaking to an Amercian.
That evening, we were escorted to Kabul Polytechnic's famous auditorium which was made by Russians. It can accomodate about 2500 people and by God, it had more than that and double the number of people waiting outside to get in. Each and every Ghazal sung by Jagjit Singh was popular and I was stunned to see a group of women singing along with him. The evening was rocking and so was I and largely because this was the Afghanistan that not many people would know of. The flight back to Mumbai next day was fun as usual, this time not because of the generosity of the crew but a technical failure in the AC of aircraft and we kept on pulling up the crew with our fast ones. Perhaps, I knew the answer why my friend Jitendra Bhargava had not acknowledged my previousSMS full of praise - he wouldnt have believed it. However, in those few peaceful moments on the plane I was sure that I was proud to be a part of this great Nation and have been here among the people who have lived in man made hell for decades and yet not forgotten to smile. It is in such great lands that one feels ashamed to abuse the freedom that we have in India. Personally, I have felt this way before when we lost the right to live peacefully back home in Kashmir and Kabul brought back all those memories and above all a reassurance of my personal belief - Peace shall win one day.
(The author is Senior Vice President of Zee Telefilms Limited.)