The Afghans in Italy; Stop genocide in Afghanistan!

To support the protest committee against the genocide in Afghanistan

The current situation of Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a country that was drown in different social and political crisis for years and now after seven years of practical presence of the international community in this country, the structure of this country is still very fragile and damageable so anytime any disastrous thing could happen to destroy it.

Although most of the problems that are not solved yet are born from the social, political and economic crisis of the past such as poverty, illiteracy and instability which are directly or indirectly resulted form the performances of the discriminating and unjust regimes of the governments but currently the deliberately and inadvertent mistakes of the current government also increase the problems.

Ethnic discrimination, admin corruption in the current administration of Afghanistan, leading of the governmental plans by a specific team of Mr. president and lack of accountability and responsibility of the governmental officials to solve these problems create obstacle and challenges for the sufficient performance of the International community and reduced the results of sufficiency of international efforts to the minimum level in the reconstruction of this country.

The east and south of the country is becoming the main lands for opium day after day but because some very important and senior governmental officials including the governors of the provinces that are appointed by the president and president’s family member are all the main dealers and controllers of drug products in the country, not many serious and useful efforts are made by the government to eradicate the opium cultivation in the country because the government does not cut its own hands.

On the other hand the Taliban insurgents fort themselves logistically using the income of the drug that they deal with the government and then fight against the people of Afghanistan and the international community in this country and this cumbersome war as continues, it tenses the situation and strengthens the needs for a long term presence of the foreign troops in this country.

Among all regions, the central highland of the country the Hazarajaat has been all the time peaceful and people who are mostly farmers and livestock keepers in these provinces have all the time been cooperative with the government in the democratization process of the country.

These people instead of cultivating opium to support the terror and war have been planting grains like wheat and vegetables like potatoes to promote the useful products in the country and help the pure economy of the country.

Hazarajaat without war, opium and violence with an open and democratic atmosphere, has been one of the main potential areas for reconstruction and implementation of development plans but unfortunately the government of Karzai has discriminated with Hazarajaat in this regard. The reconstruction of Kabul-Bamyan- Herat highway which could improve the tourism in Afghanistan on the other hand could shorten the distances between western provinces, central highlands and Kabul and ease the import and export of the agricultural products of central highland and western province is one of the promises of Karzai’s government that is not implemented yet after almost four years.
The other place in Hazarajaat that needed reconstruction is the ancient historical Buddha’s statues of Bamyan that was blown up by the Taliban in 2001, but is not reconstructed yet, which could also help the tourism in the country.

Imposing war against the Hazaras; crisis brought to Hazarajaat

Based on the ethnic tribal structure of Afghanistan, it is helpful to have supports on ethnic basis to get the absolute power in the country, although it would cause the damage of other ethnics or cause ethnic clashes in the country. Or even no matter if it destroys or eliminates the others or cause genocide or an obligatory displacement but important is how to get this ethnic support to have the power in hand.

It has been long after its election, that the Karzai administration, in order to remain on power has adopted the policy of impunity for the Taliban as an ethnic support of the Pashtoons although the Taliban have done many crimes against humanity during their five years of sovereignty and also after then.
The Taliban as the extremist forces who are practically killing the civilians should have been prosecuted and trialed in war crime courts, while today they are under mercy of the current Afghan government and Karzai administration team based on ethnic relations plays a double role policy with the international community regarding their position with the Taliban.

The current Afghan government urges the military presence of the international community in Afghanistan to fight with the Taliban insurgents while on the other hand at the same time, this government allocates a big sum of money for the “forgiveness commission” that releases the Taliban from the prisons and pay them big amounts of money as compensation and then the released Taliban misuse this advantages and go back to join the front of battles against the government, civilian Afghans and international community soldiers.

It is not yet all, the government also supports the Taliban with the opium cultivation so they empower and rehabilitate their forces again against the defenseless people, the government and the foreign troops by the income getting from opium business dealing with the senior governmental officials including the family members of the president in Kandahar.

The upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections of next year forces the Karzai administration to have Taliban with it at the same time involve the other ethnic electoral rival groups in their regional problems, so that they would not be able to prepare themselves for the elections to win.

One of the most democrat ethnics in Afghanistan is the Hazaras and they are all the time supporting democracy, freedom of speech, equality and social justice in Afghanistan because through each of these arenas they can eliminate the discrimination that they were suffering from for years; among the Hazaras the literacy and freedom for women, involvement of the women in social and political issues, general literacy of the whole people are in development nowadays more that other ethnics in the country.

At the same time, the Hazaras are the historical victims of Afghanistan who have been under pressures such as; discrimination, oppression, tortures, obligatory displacements and genocide at least for one and half century and transiting from such periods into normal and relaxing life were possible for them with the help and interference of the international community so that the ethnic - tribal pressures of the ruling ethnic would decrease from the deprived ethnics including the Hazaras, so this relatively reduction of pressures on the Hazaras could cause the fall of the pillars the ethnic based ruling governments in long term.

The Taliban always considered the Hazaras as one of their main enemies and during their ruling time, the Hazaras face with genocide for the second time in the history and this genocide was the continuity of the same genocide they have faced with in 1880s and 90s by Amir Abdul Rahman Khan the Pashtoon tyrant king who killed 62 % of the Hazara population and forced many to escape to the other neighboring countries.

The Hazaras have always opposed the coming back of the Taliban in the political arena of the country, and since the current policy of the Karzai administration needs to have the Taliban as an ethnic support, the return of the Taliban are many times suggested by the government.

For the government, it is difficult to have at the same time, the Taliban as their ethnic support with itself and the Hazaras as one of the power balancing ethnic groups who never want the new presence of the Taliban in the political arena of the country in any condition and have always entitled them the war criminals for which they have been facing the discrimination adapted the pro-Taliban government of Karzai and have paid big prices for their opposing role.

The Karzai administrations under the specific team, who need the Taliban as ethnic support, assume the Hazaras as their man barrier against an ethnic based government so they have to weaken the Hazaras even if possible by killing them.

In the first step the government should destroy the security of the Hazaras so these people not only would not have time and chance for reconstruction, rehabilitation and getting education, but also they would not be able to oppose with the Taliban, so the war should be opposed on the Hazaras and Hazarajaat should burn in fire.

So the Taliban received the direct and indirect support of the government to weaken the Hazaras in political, social and economical arenas and the Hazaras would not be able to stand and oppose the government and the Taliban.

Taliban’s attacks on Hazaras by the name of the Kochies (nomads)
Within last two to three years, using the name of The Kochies (Nomads) the Taliban have begin their attacks on Hazarajaat by the support of specific senior governmental officials within the Karzai administration team as a result they have killed tens of people and livestock, burnt many houses, schools, and forced thousands of people including the women, the elderly and children to obligatory displacement in Behsood district Maidan Wardak province.

Who are the Kochies (nomads)?

The Kochies or the nomads are the poor and misfortunate people who are kept illiterate and vagabond for years and years by the Pashtoon politicians and are often being misused for political purposes by them, and no matter even if these purposes would harm the identity and the position of the Kochies in the society.
About more than a century back during 1880s and 90s when the Hazaras faced with genocide and obligatory displacement by Abdul Rahman khan the tyrant king of the time, he used the Kochies as a pressure force against the Hazaras and issuing a decree permitted the Kochies holding guns and pistols at anytime anywhere in the country as well as he let them use the agricultural lands of the Hazaras in the summer season as their graze.
Thereafter the Kochies became an armed group and from then until the collapse of the Taliban they have been using the agricultural lands of the Hazaras on annual basis in the summer season bringing their livestock for grazing that caused the Hazaras a lot of agricultural and economic loss every year. During the Taliban, these nomads using the power and influences of the Taliban received taxes from Hazarajaat.

The Hazaras who had their pieces of agricultural land as the only livelihood tool, how could bear the tyranny of the vagabond nomads who destroyed their everything based on a discriminating decree that is in contrast with any kind of contemporary human rights conventions and laws ?!

Disadvantages of nomadic life style in current situation of Afghanistan

We live in twenty first century, in 2008 when the world is moving a head towards its highest advancements and nomadic life style and distancing from the modern civic cultures is a social deficiency and is socially and economically harmful for the rest of civic citizens.
In the current situation of Afghanistan, when there is lack of identified border lines with the eastern neighboring country Pakistan, at the same time empowerment of the religious extremists in that country has changed the nomadic life style as a serious challenge for Afghanistan. When the borders are not controlled, the Kochies are armed and the religious extremists enter Afghan in huge numbers from Pakistan, the nomads are being misused very easily and become a real threat for the national security of the country.
On the hand, from the environmental aspect, the uncontrollable ramping of the nomads in the grass lands and green areas damage the greenery and the safety of the environment in different areas.

What the Afghans in Italy want in this regard

In the current situation of Afghanistan, nomadic life style is nothing except threats for the civic life of the other citizens, a reason for security instability, destruction of environment and the cause of illegal entrance of extremist forces from Pakistan.

So the Afghans in Italy want the disarmament of the Kochies as the other ethnics of the country according to the article no 22 of the Afghan constitution that denies any kind of discrimination and distinction among the Afghan citizens, and says that all citizens have the same rights and responsibilities according to law, so based on this article the Kochies should not be distinct to hold weapons with themselves freely to threaten the social security in the country.

The other demand of the Afghan protestors in Italy is the permanent solution of the nomads’ issue by placing them in appropriate locations provided by the government based on the article no 14 of the Afghan Constitution that obliges the government to assist the Kochies for the permanent locating but there should not be any other plot behind it, so the government should locate them based on their needs that is the greenery and grass in this case the evergreen land of Mashriqi the eastern provinces and the tropical southern provinces which have a lot of forests and greenery would be the most suitable places for the permanent locating of the Kochies. But if the government would again, try to locate the Kochies in the areas of the country to displace the other ethnics; it is again discrimination, distinction and violation of social justice in the country and violation of the Afghan constitution.

And also the demonstrators demand the absolute annulment of all discriminating decrees and documents that were issued more than a century ago for the purpose of genocide and obligatory displacement of the Hazaras in Afghanistan and are still in force.

For this purpose the Afghans in Italy forming a committee “the committee to protest genocide and obligatory displacement in Afghanistan”, condemn the discriminating attitude of president of Afghanistan with this issue which was rooted from wrong counseling of his surrounding team.

This committee emphasizes to demand the government of Afghanistan, the UNAMA office in Afghanistan and the other delegation offices of international community member states in Afghanistan not to ignore this genocide and make efforts for a fundamental solution for this issue with clearance, transparency and justice.

This committee especially asks the government of Italy as a country that is involved in the reform and reconstruction of the judicial system of Afghanistan, to interfere in this issue with a deep insight to the depth of the issue and help the Afghan government resolve this issue considering the laws, human rights conventions and contemporary legal and judicial standards.

We ask the government of Italy to ask the Afghan governments for the absolute annulment of the discriminating decrees from more than a century back that causes violence and extend the continuity of ethnic enmity, bloodshed, genocide and obligatory displacement of people in certain parts of Afghanistan.

Conducting a peaceful demonstration in Rome- Italy by presence of hundreds of Afghans in Italy this committee contributed its share to the reality of social justice process in Afghanistan so that Afghanistan would become a common house for all its citizens with equal rights and responsibilities in its real meanings.

We hope this committee would continue its continuous struggles and efforts for the realization of social justice in Afghanistan.

Amin Wahidi

Another version of this writing in Kabul Press.org

Images of demonstraion in Kabul against nomadic attacks on Behsood

Images of damages in Behsood by the Kochies in Behsood

A day and half in Rome

Where is justice?!

A few days ago, I heard that the Afghans in Italy will be getting together to protest against the Taliban genocides under the name of Kochi’s (nomads) in Behsood district of Maidan province.

When I was thinking, how I would help them, I received a call from an Afghan in Rome who invited me and provided the two sides train tickets but I insisted to stay there only for a short time, because I had other things to do in Milan.

The train tickets were for night and I had to time to think and imagine what I could do for them.

The night passed and I was on and off sleeping and the train arrived in Rome at seven in the morning. Oh what an accident, I met Basir Ahang in the station, he was also invited there.

Rome is really wonderful, the city of the Roman Empires, the reminders of ancient glory, the grower of Artists, the host for Vatican state attract hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world annually, and if someone wants to see the real history before his eyes, he should once go to Rome.

Actually it was my forth time going to Rome for different purposes. The first time, when I went to Rome a few months ago, I saw a little part of the CINACITTA (The Italian Hollywood), the second time I was invited by the Afghan Cultural and Social Association in Italy for the Afghan New Year Celebration in March, the third time I was there for the hearing commission on my status a few weeks ago and this was my forth time being invited by the Afghans in Rome.

The people, who have things to say but need a tone to say with, and I and Basir Ahang could be a tongue for them.
Now we were two and we let the Afghans know that were already in Rome and some people came to pick us up.
They were good, friendly and sympathetic people. They explained us the situation in Behsood as some people had already lost their family members in these attacks and some others were worried about their family members and relatives in Behsood.

I and Basir Ahang already knew about the situation, but still did not know why UNAMA, the Human Rights Organizations and the world media are all quiet about the genocide and obligatory displacements of the Hazaras in Behsood.

Whether it would be social or a political activity, but we felt responsibility to reach the voices of these people to the others when we are committed to fight against fundamentalism, extremism, and Talibanism in our country and our only weapons in this fight are our pens and now is the time to reveal these genocides and organized crimes against humanity.

On Thursday August 07 2008 they will have a peaceful demonstration in Rome to condemn the genocide of Behsood people by the Taliban under the name of the Kochies, like hundreds of thousands of people did in Kabul, Mazar and Bamyan.

Through this peaceful demonstration they will also say; “Wake Up Karzai! You are elected to bring peace and justice not genocide and obligatory displacement.”

And what we two can do is to reflect their voices to the world we communicate with through internet.

I came back to Milan leaving Afghan friends behind in Rome.

I hope they will have their demonstration and let the Italian people, the Italian authority and the world know about this genocide and crimes against humanity that is going on in Afghanistan under the name of democracy and elected government.

I will post about this demonstration in detail the soon I have their photos and reports.

Note: I do not have the every day internet connection until August 18th, so when I find internet somewhere I have to post at once as many things as comes in my mind to write.

“Sto cercando lavoro’ I say these days.

A very personal story

Since I am notified recently that I am allowed to work to live independently, I repeat the same sentence with my broken Italian when I enter the job agencies in the city;
“ Buon giorno, singora/ signore, mi chiamo Amin e sto cercando lavoro, volevo chiederela se c’e un lavoro qui?”

Seeing my Italian the first question they ask is where I am from.
Usually I surprise them when I say “ sono Afghano” and then I see more curiosity in their interaction.
Perhaps they wonder what kind of Afghan I am without beards and a turban as they have known my people only with these specifications, or they would be more careful so I wouldn’t be dangerous person or so.

Some say okay and ask me if I have a curriculum vitae and I respond yes.
They have a look at my CV and surprisingly look at me and then nod their head;
“Mmmm, vediamo cosa possiamo fare, ci sentiamo fra pochi giorni”.
Although I know, some of the job agencies do not offer jobs for foreingers which is called “Stranieri” here but most of them ask to return in September when one month of summer holidays will be finished and I say; “ Va bene, ci sentiamo dopo, grazie arreviderci.”

And these days when I receive calls from unknown numbers first I assume it must be from one of the job agencies; therefore I answer with “Pronto?” instead of “Hello?” that I used before to show them that I speak Italian. Ha ha ha ha ha

These days some naughty or better to say funny friends, tease me, when calling from unknown numbers, they pretend to play the role of a job agency staff and ask me to come to work tomorrow, but soon I understand their voices and their accents then burst laughing on each other.

Because nowadays I have to practice my Italian more and more and I write you the last sentence in Italian which may be wrong;

"quando avrò qualcosa nuova, metterò qui per I lettori di questo blog, ci sentiamo dopo, ma sperò che sara una buona novita subito!"

I wish you forgive me if there are mistakes in my Italian.

Here is Afghanistan; he is punished who tells “The Truth”!

Just imagine how difficult it is when we hear a friend or a former colleague, a person of the same field we work is being arrested, punished or sentenced for punishment just for his activities in his professional field and more important when this field is public awareness.

Lately Nasir Fayaz a former friend and colleague of mine in ATN in Kabul Afghanistan is being arrested by the NSD (National Security Department) of Afghanistan for his program Haqiqat or “The Truth”.

Nasir Fayaz, as one of the best Dari newscasters in ATN produced and presented a criticizing weekly program titled “Haqiqat” that means “The Truth”.
This weekly program mostly criticized the arenas where the government of Afghanistan had weaknesses in its performances such as; administrative corruption, lack of enough work done by the government, bribery, former Mujahedeen and justice process, Taliban’s empowerment, rule of law, function of the three branches of the government, useless projects implemented, mistakes in Afghanistan’s foreign policy, Afghan – Pak relationships, embezzlements by the ministers and etc were mostly the main issues discussed and analyzed in each episodes of this program.

Apparently the NSD (National Security Department) of Afghanistan, has illegally arrested Nasir Fayaz accusing that the council of ministers and cabinet members has complained against him for baseless accusations against the senior governmental officials including some ministers in his program Haqiqat, while in reality it is not the responsibility and jurisdiction of NSD staff the deal with the media and press issues. Even if this accusations of council of ministers is to be dealt with, it is the commission on media law violations to take the responsibility and deal with such issues not the NSD but unfortunately, who presides this commission is one of the most fundamentalist figures of Afghanistan; Karim Khoram the current minister of Information and Culture who has already been acting against the journalists of free media in passed year, in this case the NSD should not have arrested this journalist.

In 2006, Nasir Fayaz received the of the best journalist-newscaster award of the year by the Ministry of Information and Culture, while nowadays this ministry is still quiet and has not yet acted for his immediate release.

This journalist is being arrested while Parviz Kambakhsh, the other Afghan journalist is still suffering being imprisoned for some months without a clear final decision of the judicial branch of Afghanistan, which is an apparent act against freedom of media and press in an emerging democracy in this country.

It is to say that so far some journalists of Ariana Television were beaten up by members of parliament and in some cases by the police or army.

In addition to threats by the governmental departments against the Afghan media activists, on the other hand the Taliban and other fundamentalists who are some how being supported by the government as tools are also still a big part of threats against the media activists and journalists.

Hanif Elham another producer - journalist from ATN who runs brightening human rights programs for radio and television on this channel, has been repeatedly threatened to death for several passed months by the Taliban and thus he has to live in hidden and has to change his commuting routs time to time in order to be safe from the reach of the fundamentalists.

Unfortunately lately we got that filmmaker Zaki Merzaiye who made his documentary about the life of the only Jew in Afghanistan was threatened by the extremist Islamists and has escaped to an unknown place, this was emailed to us by his close friends and family members.

Confining the freedom of speech and expression in Afghanistan is a deliberately created obstacle by the government in order to achieve some of its political goals illegally while on the other hand the religious fundamentalists and extremists take more advantages for their own goals out of this policy of the Afghan government; as a result fundamentalism is promoted once again in the country with the direct and indirect help of the government.

As the preparations begin for the upcoming elections, the ruling government applies more pressures especailly on those free media that criticize the it and point out its weaknesses.

For this reason it is expected that more of free media activists would be suffucated in this period.
Therefore we want the family of media and press in Afghanistan to object against this policiy of the government of Afghanistan as well as ask the interference and efforts of the International Community member states for the immediate release of Nasir Fayaz and Parviz Kambakhsh two journalists who are illegally arrested and are imprisoned without any clear reasons and for more protection to free media activists of Afghanistan.

Another short break for some days!

Dear readers,

Thank you for reading this blog and sharing your useful comments.
For next few days you may not see any new posts due to lack of internet connection.

The technology we use makes the life very easy, on the other hand the life is very dependant on it, so without it nothing we can do.

I use public internet in a center which will be closed for summer holidays for about a month and in this period without internet I can not post here what I write.

But the soon I have internet, I will begin again to post.

Enjoy your summer vacations and

Be evergreen!

The Drum of Democracy is played once again this year!

This year when the attacks of Taliban under the name of the Kochies or nomads began again in Behsood, Sharistan and Nahoor districts of Hazarajaat and forced many families to abandon their houses, the governmental officials still play their drum of democracy and make namely commissions to solve this dispute which do not function well.

Last year in these days when the Kochies attacked Hazarajaat by the direct support of the Taliban and president’s team, Academy of Art and Cinema Education produced a documentary film on this issue titled; “The drum of democracy” and screened in this center.

This documentary compared the current policies of Karzai administration like playing a drum that is interesting from outside and far distances and when you approach it, it pierces the ears and that is the drum of democracy they play for the people of the world and talk of democracy in the country and when we see the issues nearer from inside, it is just a deceiving sound of drum for the people outside and the international community.

This documentary compares the two sides of Karzai administration’s policies which protects the Taliban as a potential supportive ethnic, under the name of democracy in one side while on the other side this administration disarm the other non-Pashtoon people under the name of democracy and arms the Taliban by the name the kochies or nomads.

This documentary contains clear images of the displaced people, the burnt houses and farms and the panic that is overshadowing the area of Behsood after the Taliban attacked under the name of Kochies to this district, some people are interviewed also.

The director of this documentary entered Behsood and filmed this documentary after the Taliban Kochies temporarily retreated from the area, where still the sounds of gun shooting is heard from far away but they did not go to the front line of the Taliban kochies.

This film questions the current definition of democracy that exists in Afghanistan and asks if democracy is only for the protection of the Taliban when the president says; “in democracy every one has the right to participate in social-political decision makings of the country, even including the Taliban who are discontented with the government” or it has to be realized in bigger aspects in which all the citizens would be able to share their opinions on the important decision makings in the country, in which equality would be the norm when the rights of all citizens are being discussed, in this case no one want the Taliban back on power.

This documentary also raises many questions like; how is democracy defined in Afghanistan? Do we really have democracy in Afghanistan? Is it the democracy that the people were looking for or is it for the favor of only a specific group of people? If it is the real democracy then why no one hears the voices of people? In which democracy is it recommended to support a specific group of people against the others?

It also asks the president, if Afghanistan will be prosperous with the Taliban back on the power and then it brings the examples of five years of Taliban regimes sovereignty and asks why the current government again supports and protects those Taliban; will the Taliban help the reconstruction process of the country while they do not have anything else except killing, terrifying and intimidation in their five years period of ruling the country? Will not support of the Taliban by the name of Kochies harm the identity of the poor Kochies? Aren’t the Kochies themselves the poor - kept and misfortunate people who are misused by the Pashtoon politicians? Then if the government does not support either of the sides, it won’t be difficult to solve this dispute; it is what in this documentary discussed.

It is to say that last year in these days, some of the television channels also made some programs and documentaries about this dispute for instance Shamshad television took the side of the Kochies and defended them in this dispute while in “drum of democracy” documentary neither of the Hazaras or the Kochies is being blamed for the dispute but this reality is depicted that the Kochies are the poor, depressed and oppressed people who are being misused as object of dispute by the Pashtoon rulers in order to reach to their political goals, that is the role of a documentary film.

Finally this documentary reaches to say, considering the last decades of oppression when some specific ethnic groups were under pressure of the different regimes, if the real democracy exists now, the government should rather work for the social justice and the unity of different ethnics of the whole nation so that there won’t be any ethnic clashes because no one wants civil wars anymore in this land.

What happened to “Opium War”?

a scene of Opium War (Photo from Barmak Film website)

A: Do you know something about Afghanistan?
B: Is it not the country where there is always war and the people plant opium and …..

Oh, how shameful I am when people know my country with these identifications!

Opium, drugs and war are the terrifying words that are written on the forehead of Afghanistan as identification marks in the recent years instead of the good things which also exist in this country from years back.

And if you ask about the cinema of Afghanistan, most of people name Osama the Afghan feature film that won some international awards, which is also a bad title for identification of Afghan cinema because if its similarity with Osama Bin Laden

These three words, “war, opium and Osama” reminds me of the title of an Afghan feature film that was in post-production last year by the director of Osama, Siddiq Barmak.

Opium War poster (from Barmak Film website)

Last year I read about production and post production of Opium War the second feature film by Siddiq Barmak the Golden Globe winning Afghan director, in one of Kabul’s weekly papers but then I didn’t hear anything about its premiere, award winning and media banging like this director’s first feature film Osama.

Osama Siddiq Barmak's Golden Globe awards winning film

Possibly it was premiered or won many awards may be I didn’t hear anything about it?!

I am curious to know about what happened to this film because it is important to know what happens to the second and third films of a Golden Globe Award winning Afghan director.

On the set of Opium War (photo from Barmak Film website)

Since I read about post production of “Opium War” at the end of 2007, I kept following the news of international cinema events, awards and festivals to hear how this film glitters in these festivals but so far nothing I heard about Opium War while almost one year passed from its production; in none of the awards and festivals such as; Golden Globe Awards2008, Berlin International Film Festival 2008 and Cannes International Film Festival 2008 Opium War is not heard but I still expect this film for the 65th Venice International Film Festival in 2008 within next two months.

Why it was not premiered yet in Kabul or why wasn’t it sent to international film festivals of the world yet?
Is this film not ready for premiere after one year from its post production?
Was it not eligible to enter these film festivals? And why didn’t it bomb in the media as Osama the first film of this director did? Is it because of Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s role?
Or there could be some reasons beyond it?

Seddiq Barmak and his multi - national crew members on the set (photo from Barmak Film website)

During the production of this film, as it was revealed in one of papers in Kabul in August 2007, the story of this film is about crash of a helicopter of the American forces in the middle of an opium field in Afghanistan and continues with friendship and relationships of these injured soldiers with the local people after they are being helped by them and ……(But I am not sure if it is the story of the film or not)

On the set of Opium War (photo from Barmak Film website)

Some people say, lately Siddiq Barmak and Mohsen Makhmalbaf the world known Iranian director have broken their friendship while in Barmak’s first feature Osama that won a Golden Globe award, Mohsen Makhmalbaf had the main advising role for Barmak and supporting role for the marketing and media coverage of the film, thus feature Osama was a success and won many awards including Golden Globe.

Siddiq Barmak

A couple of months ago, when welcoming Rakhshan Bani Etimad the Female Iranian director to Second Take International Film Festival of Kabul Barmak has indirectly blamed some Iranian filmmakers for taking advantages from Afghanistan and misusing the Afghans with untrue stories that scorn the dignity of Afghans in their films and reflect wrong information about Afghanistan to the world, which he meant Mohsen Makhmalbaf who made many feature and short films within Afghanistan or about Afghanistan.

In early 2007 Makhmalbaf and other crew members of his film were attacked with hand grenade by unknown people in Saripol city north of Afghanistan when filming his latest film in Afghanistan, “The two legged horse” then some crew members were wounded and they stopped filming in Afghanistan.

Barmak on the set of Opium War (photo from Barmak Film website)

This time the second project of Barmak is done without Makhmalbaf’s interference and support, which could have caused its postpone or may be failure but still it may be early to judge about it, so lets wait for the time that reveals the truth.

But it really teases me when I see even our cinema is so touchy and vulnerable that it can not stand and progress without hands from outside; which are sometimes the hands of friendship and sometimes the hands of malevolence and enmity .

This is the news item that I read in cinema page of Kabul Weekly in August of last year.

KABUL WEEKLY, Wednesday, August 15 2007

“Opium War is in post-production and will be soon ready for premiere”

Opium War the second feature film of famous Afghan filmmaker Seddiq Barmak is going to be ready for premiere.

As said by Barmak, the film is washed in Almata Kazakistan about a month ago and it will be edited in Tajikistan which takes a period of thirty to forty days and then the final version will be printed in Madras India.

Barmak says when the film is ready; it will be premiered first in Kabul for the Afghan people.

Then Barmak plans to introduce it to two or three international film festival including Cannes in France.

The filming began in June 24th near Karkar coal mine in the north of Afghanistan and it took fifty days.

The multi-national crew for the second feature film of world known Afghan director was composed of Russian cinematographer, Indian make up artist, Iranian sound director* and Tajik set designer in addition to Afghans.

Barmak expects to premiere his second feature by mid September this year. (Kabul Weekly)