The Hazaras who Create Afghanistan's Arts

While other ethnic groups in Afghanistan are trying to stay busy fighting and killing each other, the Hazaras of Afghanistan are doing something different, the art. Here is an example, Anahita Ulftat is a Hazara girl who last year participated in Afghan Star - Afghan idol - has just released a new video clip, which is astonishingly beautiful and artistic in post-modern context.

By Afghan standard, this kind of art is astoundingly rare and new. This is an example of how freedom, education, and liberalism benefit the very people who Ms. Ulfat belongs to, have been excluded from all basic rights. It has been only a decade since the Hazaras have been through a period of relatively peacefulness, which bestowed freedom under the protection of the U.S. and the international community. Hazaras are proud of their identity and country. In sport, Hazaras have often took their country's flag to the international stage and garnered gold medals for their country.

Last year, in February, I published a blog post about Anahita Ulfat and her talents. Here's that blog post:
Anahita Ulfat, Sings Songs of the Oppressed

Anahita Ulfat, Sings Songs of the Oppressed

Anahita Ulfat in traditional Hazaragi dress performing live on stage 

Solemnly, but smiley, Anahita in her unique traditional Hazara dresss, gently walks up onto stage. When she turns her charming smiley face towards the audience, her beauty pervades gloom all over the place, and as soon as she starts singing, the audience goes wild. Anahita sings with a vital rebellious voice against discriminatory attitudes towards her ethnic group. With her voice, she expands the horizon of hope for the Hazara women, for those who have long dreamt to bid defiance to limitations, and ignoring.

Anahita Ulftat is back on the stage of Afghan Star, the Afghanistan’s pop idol that broadcasts on a local TV channel, “Tolo TV.” She is a Hazara girl from Ghazni who rings the bravery bill of all Hazara women. With her unique serene gesture, but exciting voice, she melodizes unwritten songs; songs of silence, songs of an oppressed minority that for centuries has been deprived from their basic rights. Anahita sings the crying songs of thousands of innocent people who have suffered from ethnic cleansing, historical discrimination, prejudice, and exclusion.

Calm and vigilant, Anahita sings love songs, the ones that could recall the tale of a Hazara boy who is enslaved by a Pashtun, and he grieves for his lover who is taken away into a slavery market in Central Asia by bandits of Uzbeks and Turkmen who also plundered their villages. Anahita has a pain in her heart, the pain that is shared by all Hazaras throughout the history. Anahita suffers from the same pain that every Hazara has suffered and suffers today; the pain of being ignored, being discriminated, and being excluded. She sings the song that is buried in fears; laughed at, and being condescended.  She cries out the pain of a minority that has suffered from overpowering deprivation.

Finally, Anahita Ulfat’s voice has a lasting impact, and deeper like sun. Her voice illuminates the hearts, and tranquilizes the minds. The star of the 9th season of Tolo TV, must be Anahita Ulfat, and everyone should vote for this courageous, rebellious young girl, who dares to ring out the sinner voice of the Hazara women. Anahita represents a minority group, and the bravery and liberality of women, and the young generation who wants to fly high.

Here are two video links to Anahita's outstanding performance:
Anahita Ulfat sings Qatma Qandahari from Farhad Darya
Anahita Ulfat sings Norband