Bloody Ashura in Kabul

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Ashura, the 10th of Muharram is a holy day for Muslims and especial day for Shi’a. This day is a remarkable day of Muharram in Islamic calendar, the day of mourning for the martyrdom of Hussian the son Ali and the grandson of Muhammad in the unequal battle of Karbala in the year 61 (AD 680).

Hussain was the son of Prophet Muhammad’s daughter Fatima in which Muhammad said: Hussain is from me and I am from Hussain, may God love whoever loves Hussain. Apparently Hussain with his 72 colleagues whom were all from his own family and relatives killed in the battle took place in Karbala in the land of Iraq on the shore of the Euphrates River.

Ashura is a fasting day for Sunni Muslims; they cook food such as Nazr and distribute it to their neighbors and poor people. In Afghanistan, Sunni take this as a holy day; they respect and believe in the sacrifice of Hussain, the grandson of Mohammad.

Last year Ashura was a bloody day in Herat, the ceremony turned to violence and killed tens of people. This year in all circles and Takyakhana where the people hold the ceremony they were taking tight security measures.
This year in Ashura, the priests of both sides, Shi’a and Sunni, had speeches including the government authorities, legislators, leaders and President Karzai.

As you see in the video, people are beating on their backs, shoulders and chests with sharp knives at the end of chains. They make bloody like, slaughtering to show their feelings in Ashura and Hussain’s martyrdom. Although making bloody is banned from Shi’a Muslim leaders but this still goes on and never stopped. This is not only for the people in Afghanistan but different countries like; Pakistan, Iraq, Palestine and Iran.

I got a chance to ask questions of a few of them - why are they beating and making bloody.
A young man said; I have wishes to gain, before I bloody myself I have reasons for that. When I asked him to tell me what your wishes, he to me; is I want to get marry, I don’t have money.

Another told me I am not using chains with the sharp knifes at the end because I last year I did in order to get the result but I didn’t.

Some people believe using chains with the sharp knifes at the end is a passion more than mourning on Husian and his 72 colleagues sacrifice. Many get naked in public and want to show their body and arms. Some times if you asked them the reason they will give you no reason except their personal nonsense beliefs.

Look at the pictures of Ashura here

Died from exposure

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Children are playing soccer by the river of Kabul, while others are running on the streets to sell matches, cigarettes and plastic bags in order to earn money for their families.

This winter, three children with their mothers died from exposure, who were lying down in front of a giant building in which the bottom contained the Cinema Pamir, a place which shows Indian Bollywood films.
Not very far away are UN offices and other international NGOs who drive by in their modern luxury cars every day.

I Need help

I am working on my Podcast to launch it as soon as I can. I would broadcast in two languages: English and Farsi. Programs will be different like, interviews, discussion with civilian and international, may be if I had access to ISAF military I will go to them to interview and also US military in Afghanistan. I had already contact with two US military commanders but lost them. If you have any contacts with them please provide me. I would also have Video Podcast from Kabul and some times in rural areas. But you shouldn’t expect me good quality in Video because I am catching video with 5.00Mig handy camera that I always use it for my photography.

What I need is your help. First, if anyone knows about jingles, sound effects and soft harsh melodies to use in my Radio Sohrab

Second, I kindly asking you if anyone knows how to make the Paypal account. Third, how is it possible to get Net MD recorder or any voice recorder I will pay through western union bank, because in Afghanistan these tools are not available.

Cock Figh in Kabul

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Cock fighting is a new sport in Afghanistan; it dates back years ago, not only in Afghanistan but throughout Europe, Latin America and Asian countries.

Morgh Janngi which means cock fighting is a traditional winter sport as is dog, Camel fighting and donkey racing. In Morgh Janngi, men (only) come from all over Afghanistan to enter their prized cocks in the Kabul arena. Morgh Janngi is highly complex in its rules, brutal in its savagery and can be expensive for the gamblers involved. Most competitors have a non-formal support group of men who help raise the stakes in betting and argue for or against a decision of which cock wins. The cocks fight until blood is drawn, then the owner will pull his chicken out of the ring, for repairing the animals wounds and refreshing its vitality with a mouth of water, blown into the cocks face.

The competition is not cheap, men risk money on the result of each fight, sometimes betting 100,000 to 200,000Afghanis ($2,000 - $4,000 US). Sometimes the betting exchange becomes so heated that groups will bet amount exceeding $5,000.

See the rests of Cock fight pictures here and the gallery here

Kabul Express

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An offensive parts of Kabul Express a Bollywood Movie which released on December 15, 2006 by Kabir Khan an Indian documentary filmmaker. This video record after september 11 but it's very weird that they are following the story so cruelly. For example part of this film is about Hazara people which always humiliated and genocide in the country. Part of the movie is focused on them and telling how the Hazara are wildest than US troops plane.
The movie is a complete humiliation and insolence for Afghanistan in common and Hazara in particular. In the movie, they refer to Hazara as bandits, looters and sodomites.



Dialogue of the movie

- If we escaped from the Americans, we can not escape from Hazaras.
- What is Hazara?
- This area belons to Hazara mujahideen. They are the most dangerous tribe of Afghanistan. Looting is their business.
- What’s he murmuring?
- He says they are Indian journalists. They were kidnapped by Taliban. The Taliban escaped.
- Keep smiling at them… I feel something is wrong.
- Take them
- take them to the commander.
- Commander, they are journalists…
- What if they are journalists? We take them.
- He says he is the man of a great commander. He takes you to make a report about Taliban.
- Not you! These two.
- He says I am not needed… you have to go.
- Be careful.
- What is going on?
- They were Hazaras. They would have looted and naked you. Then would have hit you in the head with the nail. Then would have sold your car in Pakistan.
- Light a cirgarette!
- Thanks for saving our life.
- No need for thanks. If you got killed, getting on the road might have been difficult for me.
- Son of a bitch! What’s the difference between you and these dogs? You people can shoot anyone for your interest…Bastard! You pissed in front of me. Now I will shoot you and throw you among these dogs… before dying, tell who started the war first?
- We did!
- What?
- Pakistan…
- Take his gun!