From an analysis of the interview transcripts and text, answer the research question: \u2018How might the experience of exile affect a sense of identity?<\/p>\n
Throughout give me references and at the end give me a coding index and an appendix chart <\/p>\n
Follow this structure below <\/p>\n
Introduction: (around 200 words)
\nOutline the structure of your essay and set the scene with some very brief information relating to the
\ntopic of the research question
\nPart 1 (around 800-1000 words)
\nBriefly introduce the data set for part one \u2013 the interviews and the study for which it was
\ncompiled.
\nBriefly outline the general tenants of Thematic Analysis (with reference to the analytic
\nhierarchy and relevant methodological literature), as an approach to analysing qualitative
\ndata.
\nPresent your findings and give a clear account of how you developed your codes and themes
\n\u2013 you must evidence this by including a section of your coding index and at least a sub
\nsection of your thematic chart in the appendix
\nDiscuss your findings\/data analysis with respect to others\u2019 findings on these topics in the
\nwider literature. The more directly related these sources are to your specific findings, the
\nbetter.
\nPart 2 (around 650-750 words)
\nBriefly Introduce the data set for part 2 \u2013 the newspaper article.
\nExplain which Discourse Analysis technique(s) you plan to use and why it is appropriate for
\nyour data set (e.g. discourse analysis; CDA; or a combination of techniques)
\nExplain how you have applied these techniques (how you have coded data etc.)
\nPresent findings and analyse data in light of the research question.
\nDiscuss findings in relation to what others have found in the wider literature.
\nPart 3
\nBriefly discuss and compare the findings from both types of analyses and their secondary
\nliterature.
\nConclusion: Summarise key points (around 200 words<\/p>\n
Name of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int050; UK05
\nInterviewer: Please tell me about your experiences?
\nFahima: I have lived in London for 20 years. I feel that I
\nbelong to the world. I wrote a book after the death
\nof my husband. It took me six years to write this
\nbook. The main reason for writing this book was my
\nloneliness. After his death I felt that I have to write
\nsomething. Also I wanted to leave something for
\nmy children so that one day they read this book
\nand understand where they come from and where
\nthey belong. I also wrote another book about
\nAfghanistan and I have written a book of poem.
\nInterviewer: Please tell me about your husband?
\nFahima: My husband travelled to Iran, Pakistan and India
\nbut settled in Afghanistan. He was a very successful
\nman.
\nInterviewer: Where do you belong?
\nFahima: For me and my husband being a Shi\u2019a or Sunni did
\nnot and does not matter, what is important is that
\nwe are Muslims. For many people religion and
\nethnicity are important part of their identity
\nInterviewer: Why did you come to live in London?
\nFahima: We had a comfortable life in Afghanistan. I was a
\nteacher and my husband was a journalist. After the
\nUSSR invasion everything changed. My husband\u2019s
\nwritings were against the government. It was a
\ndangerous situation, he was sent to prison twice.
\nAfter that we felt that we had to leave.
\nInterviewer: Please tell me about both your good and bad
\nexperiences here in exile?
\nFahima: I think coming here, had some positive points for
\nus. Thank God that as a refugee we had a good
\nsituation here. Fortunately all the people around us
\nwere good. This helped us to forget that we are in
\nexile. This was a positive side of my experience.
\nBut cultural and language differences have been
\npainful for me and my children. All the time I have
\nbeen worried about the future of my children in
\nexile. I have always been in contradiction with
\nmyself about what to be, where to belong.
\nAlthough I live so far away from Afghan society but
\nI can\u2019t adapt myself with the society here. We have
\n1
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int050; UK05
\nmany friends here and we do discuss this issue, but
\nI don\u2019t feel close to them because of cultural
\ndifferences. After 20 years living in the UK, I still
\nfollow my own culture. For good or bad, I\u2019m proud
\nto be Afghan. I don\u2019t feel close to many people
\nwithin the Afghan community and often ask myself
\nwhere do I belong? Sometimes I feel that I don\u2019t
\nhave anything to talk about, I feel that I don\u2019t have
\nmuch in common with many people whether within
\nthe Afghan community or various British
\ncommunities. I feel a big gap between myself and
\nmany other Afghan women. I feel that keeping to
\nyour own culture is more than to stay at home and
\ndo the housework.
\nInterviewer: Is there a generation gap among the Afghan
\ncommunities?
\nFahima: Yes, it is very painful for me. My children were very
\nyoung when they came here. If I ask them whether
\nthey are Afghan or British they become upset,
\nespecially my daughter. All the time they say we
\nare Afghans and we are proud to be Afghans. But in
\nreality I know for fact that they are more British
\nthan Afghans. They don\u2019t know much about
\nAfghanistan, but they believe they are Afghans.
\nMost families feel the same. I think we have to
\nleave our children to find themselves. Unfortunately
\nsome families insist that their children are Afghans.
\nThis is difficult for children who live, study and
\nwork in a European society, inside the home they
\ntry to be Afghan and outside of the home they try
\nto be British. This is a difficult situation for them
\nand they feel under a great deal of pressure of
\nfamily and the society. Some have to hide what
\nthey are, some are confused. We have to help them
\nto think freely. Otherwise they hate both cultures.
\nFor example, my younger son never talks about
\nAfghanistan. He doesn\u2019t like Afghan culture. This is
\nhard for me. But I try to understand and tell myself
\nthat if he grows up to be a good man it doesn\u2019t
\nmatter whether he is Afghan or British, but the
\nreality is that I want my children to be Afghans and
\nthey are not.
\nInterviewer: Are you completely Afghan?
\nFahima: I don\u2019t know where I belong. Because of this, all
\nthe time I feel I\u2019m in exile. Once my younger son
\ndid something and I told him that you shouldn\u2019t do
\n2
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int050; UK05
\nthis you are Afghan. He said No, I\u2019m not. I asked
\nhim what are you. He answered, I\u2019m Mr. Nobody. It
\nwas very upsetting for me. But I\u2019m proud of them
\neven if they are not Afghans.
\nInterviewer: Do you have a close relationship with the Afghan
\ncommunity in London or in the UK?
\nFahima: Some Afghans are very close with their community.
\nSome are not. I am moderately involved. It\u2019s not
\nright to make a wall around us to keep our own
\ncultures. We shouldn\u2019t limit ourselves. We have to
\nadapt ourselves. I think I belong to both
\ncommunities. But, sometimes both communities
\nmake me sad.
\nInterviewer: Do you agree with Edward Said who says that it is
\ngood to be outside of both communities because
\nyou can see things better?
\nFahima: I do agree with him. I really do. I like to belong to
\nthe human society no matter where we live.
\nInterviewer: Please tell me about your experiences when you
\nwent to Kabul recently after 22 years?
\nFahima: I went to visit my brother, at the time of the Taliban
\nhe went to Pakistan as a refugee. He stayed there
\nfor 10 years with his family. But he moved back to
\nAfghanistan after the fall of the Taliban. So I went
\nto visit him. I have two brothers. Both of them
\nwere in Pakistan. But one of them went to Canada
\nas a refugee. My sister is in Germany. My aunt is in
\nAustralia: Most of my families are refugees in
\ndifferent countries. I don\u2019t have much contact with
\nthem.
\nInterviewer: You said you like to belong to the world, is this
\nbecause your family live in different part of the
\nworld?
\nFahima: Not necessarily. Some years ago I was invited to an
\ninternational peace conference in Switzerland. This
\nidea of belonging to the world was discussed at that
\nconference and had a great impact on my thinking
\nand seeing the world. I think to build a better
\nsociety; we should change ourselves to a better
\nhuman being. I try to change myself in a positive
\nway and bring up my children in a positive way to
\nbe useful for their society.
\n3
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int050; UK05
\nInterviewer: What changes did you notice in Afghanistan after
\n22 years?
\nFahima: I imagined a ruined Afghanistan and that is what I
\nsaw which was shocking for me and I was very sad.
\nI was crying all the time. I was not alone but I felt
\nlonely. Everything was strange for me. The Taliban
\nfell in 2001. During these four years nothing has
\nbeen done. Everything was ruined. People were
\nlonely. The works of organisations were limited. All
\nthe time they talked about the money that was
\nsent to rebuilt Afghanistan. But unfortunately I saw
\nnothing. People are very poor, they had some
\nfreedom and they could freely talk, but poverty is
\noverwhelming. I felt nostalgic because I saw
\neconomic poverty as well as cultural poverty.
\nInterviewer: What about schools?
\nFahima: Some schools are open but students don\u2019t have
\nbooks, pens and pencils. There are no teachers,
\nchildren are hungry and they don\u2019t have clean
\nwater to drink so how can they study in such a
\ncondition? Girls who are studying in grades 8 or 9
\nare teaching smaller children. The economic
\nproblem is overwhelming. The question that I have
\nis where did all the money, the aid money for
\nAfghanistan go. Beside the ruined houses palaces
\nare built. How can they provide money to build
\npalaces, but there is no money to provide clean
\nwater, schools and hospitals? Beggars are all over
\nthe streets. Some of them don\u2019t have hand, foot,
\neye; little children are hungry and are walking in
\nthe streets. All these made me sad. I cannot
\nbelieve that government doesn\u2019t have any power to
\nput an end to all these. This made me suspicious of
\nthe government. I am sure there are honest people
\nin the government, but unfortunately their numbers
\nare few and have no voice.
\nInterviewer: How do you assess the role of international NGO\u2019s
\nor UN organisations?
\nFahima: They are overcrowding and not much is being done.
\nBefore going to Afghanistan, whenever people said
\nthat these NGO\u2019s don\u2019t help Afghanistan, I got
\nangry. I thought they are there to help, why people
\ncriticising them. But when I went there I saw with
\nmy own eyes that these criticisms are valid. I found
\n4
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int050; UK05
\nout that all the things that I heard were true. Many
\npeople feel that they are in Afghanistan for their
\nown benefit and have their own agenda. I think it\u2019s
\nthe fault of the government. The government
\nshould check their work and ask how they are
\nspending the money. Otherwise I see no positive
\nrole for them. May be I\u2019m pessimistic about
\neverything but it\u2019s because of the bad condition
\nthat I saw in Afghanistan.
\nInterviewer: What do you think about the UNDP report on
\nAfghanistan?
\nFahima: Afghanistan\u2019s development is very slow. There are
\nmany problems, such as ethnic discrimination, and
\nmassive class differentiations. The rich are richer
\nand the poor are poorer. Again different ethnic
\ngroups Hazara, Tajik, and Uzbek are fighting with
\neach other.
\nInterviewer: Which group has more members in the parliament?
\nFahima: I don\u2019t know. We have all of them in different
\nimportant ranks. But we see no positive results.
\nThey just think about the number of Hazaras,
\nUzbeks, or Pashtuns in different tasks, everybody is
\nconcerned about the numbers but not the quality of
\nthe work. No-one is concerned about economic
\nproblems which is a serious problem.
\nI like to belong to the world because I want to
\nshow to the Afghans that firstly I am a woman
\nactivist and I am as able as men. Secondly I want
\nto show to different ethnic groups that we need to
\nmove away from our prejudices and see ourselves
\nas Afghans.
\nInterviewer: What percentages of women who live outside
\nAfghanistan share your views?
\nFahima: I think I am in the minority.
\nInterviewer: Do you like to go back to Afghanistan to live?
\nFahima: I get angry when people say to me that you will
\nnever go to Afghanistan to live. On the other hand
\na part of me knows that this is probably true. I
\ncan\u2019t go back because my children are brought up
\nhere and live here. When I go to Afghanistan I feel
\nalone and stranger. I feel that I\u2019m not useful for
\n5
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int050; UK05
\nAfghan society because I\u2019m not young enough. The
\nmost important reason that prevents me from
\ngoing is because I am a woman and from a gender
\npoint of view there is nothing positive to encourage
\nme to go back. It is not possible for me to start
\nfrom the begging.
\nInterviewer: What is the most important issue in relation to the
\nreconstruction of Afghanistan?
\nFahima: Economic and education are two main important
\nissues, unfortunately no priority has been given to
\nany to them.
\nInterviewer: What about the issue of democracy in Afghanistan?
\nFahima: It is a joke; the issues of democracy and women\u2019s
\nliberation are both big jokes. In Afghanistan we
\nhave chaos and the rule of jungle. Education is pre-
\ncondition for democracy which we don\u2019t have. A
\nsociety like Afghanistan needs education, economic
\ndevelopment and discipline. The only thing that has
\nbeen adopted from the Western democracy is
\ndrinking alcohol and wearing Western clothes.
\nSimilarly on women\u2019s issues, education is the most
\nimportant thing for women and we will not achieve
\nwomen\u2019s liberation until women and men give
\nimportance to the education of girls. Women are
\ntrying hard in Afghanistan but their activities are
\nbeing suppressed by men and people in power. In a
\ndemocratic society we have university and
\ndevelopment. But in Afghanistan we won\u2019t see
\nthese things. Afghans really don\u2019t know anything
\nabout democracy. They have only seen the negative
\nsides of Western democracy and Western culture.
\nWhenever we imitated Western culture we failed
\nbut unfortunately we haven\u2019t learnt a lesson yet.
\nIlliteracy is an obstacle in the way of women
\nachieving liberation and democracy. Men are also
\nsometimes obstacle on the way of women achieving
\ntheir potential. Some men are ignorant and don\u2019t
\nlike women\u2019s activities and achievements in the
\nsociety. This way of thinking is because of lack of
\nknowledge. There are also educated men who think
\nthey are open-minded, but they pretend, they are
\nthreatened by women\u2019s activities in the society. As
\na result they say women should stay in the home,
\nbecause they cannot tolerate women in higher
\nranks than themselves. For example, they sacked
\n6
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int050; UK05
\nSima Samar as the Minister for Women because
\nshe was outspoken and critical of the government.
\nInterviewer: What do you think about the availability of
\npornography in big cities?
\nFahima: Afghanistan is in chaos because of this. This is not
\nfreedom and we don\u2019t need this freedom. It\u2019s
\ndisgusting. They have to control it, imagine those
\nchildren and youngsters that come from the
\ncountryside and can access them. What will happen
\nto them? It is crazy that we have fundamentalism
\nside by side pornography.
\nInterviewer: What is the role of international community?
\nFahima: Generally most of the people have negative view
\nabout them and the role of the US. Before, they
\nhad this negative feeling towards the USSR, but
\nnow the focus is on the USA: The interesting thing
\nis that they think all the foreigners are Americans.
\nThey don\u2019t distinguish between Italian, French,
\nJapanese and German; they see them all as
\nAmericans and blame them for everything. They
\nbelieve that in the name of reconstruction
\nforeigners have created chaos in Afghanistan. But
\nthey don\u2019t say much because they are tired of war
\nand conflicts. But if the present situation continues
\nanother war will start.
\nInterviewer: How about the positive side of the Western culture
\nthat can be used in the process of reconstruction?
\nFahima: There are many positive things in the West that we
\ncan use in Afghanistan. Education and health are
\nthe most important issues that we can learn from
\nthe experience of the West. However, to follow the
\nnegative aspects of Western culture blindly will
\nhave a terrible impact on Afghan society. We should
\nlearn the positive aspects of Western culture.
\nInterviewer: Do you think changes must come from Afghans
\nthemselves?
\nFahima: During these years large numbers of Afghans have
\nlived outside of Afghanistan, they are educated;
\nthey have skills and are able to participate in the
\nreconstruction of Afghanistan. Foreign forces are
\nuseful to do a certain amount but the real
\nconstruction has to be done by Afghan themselves.
\n7
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int050; UK05
\nForeigners are not familiar with Afghan culture so
\nthey can\u2019t help Afghans. We need educated and
\nprofessional Afghans for Afghanistan.
\n8<\/p>\n
Name of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int056; USA03
\n2
\nInterviewer: Please tell me about your feeling when the US
\nbombed Afghanistan after 9\/11.
\nZamarai: I travelled to Afghanistan during the civil war and
\nTaliban. We need to understand that the Jihad
\nagainst the Soviet Union was a fight against
\nanarchy and extremism. The Mujaheddin had the
\nsupport of America and other Western
\ngovernments. The Soviet Union was defeated after
\ntwo stages of resistance. I feel that the US and
\nWestern governments wanted the complete defeat
\nof the Soviet Union and not liberation of
\nAfghanistan. In fact they sacrificed Afghanistan for
\ntheir own agenda. They could have compromised to
\nbring about a non-extremist government and
\nsystem. But their aim was not Afghanistan\u2019s
\nliberation; their aim was defeat of Soviet Union. Of
\ncourse I don\u2019t blame them because they only had
\ntheir own interest in mind; the blame is on Afghans
\nwho did not think of their own interest. We were
\nnot able to keep our friendship with the US but also
\nthink of our own interest for our own country. This
\ndid not happen. Also the problem was that the US
\nand the West only supported the extremists to
\ndefeat the Soviet Union and did not help Afghan
\nnationalist groups to be the alternative to the
\nextremists. This also allowed the regional powers
\nfrom Greece, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, China
\nand others to interfere in Afghanistan\u2019s affairs in
\none way or another.
\nAll this led to the civil war, in some ways I blame
\nus for our own problems. Then the Taliban came to
\npower. All the world powers are responsible from
\nUS, Europe and Japan for the coming to power of
\nTaliban. I travelled back and forward during the
\nTaliban. Afghanistan during the Taliban was not in
\ncontrol of Afghans. Pakistan was in control. The US
\nbombed Afghanistan in order to defeat the Taliban.
\nSadly many innocent people died. But we must
\nrealise that Afghanistan lost its independence
\nduring the Taliban. Of course Taliban did some
\ngood things, such as bringing security to
\nAfghanistan, stopping drugs and the production of
\nopium. But they were taking Afghanistan into a
\ndangerous road. So there was no other choice, but
\nof course people suffered and were sacrificed.
\nInterviewer: Tell me more about the issue of identity and the
\nway you feel a stranger in Afghanistan?
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int056; USA03
\n3
\nZamarai: Some work has been done in Afghanistan. But they
\nare not interested in involving the Afghan experts?
\nInterviewer: Who do you mean?
\nZamarai: The Afghan administration that is in power in
\nAfghanistan. There are Afghans who oppose
\nAfghans engagement in the reconstruction of
\nAfghanistan. The Afghans who are in power and are
\nsupported by the West oppose the Afghans who live
\nin the West and are prepared to go back and help
\nthe reconstruction. They feel threatened by the
\nAfghans who live in the West and want to go back.
\nI feel that all the talk about Afghans going to
\nAfghanistan to help is superficial and just a slogan.
\nThe reality is that the doors are locked to us. They
\ncreate problems for us to go back. We want to go
\nback and help our country. But they have their own
\nagenda and stop us from participating.
\nInterviewer: To what extent Karzai\u2019s administration is attached
\nto the American administration?
\nZamarai: I participated in the first Loya Jirga; I feel that
\nKarzai does not make decisions. People above him
\nmake decisions. The neo-conservatives are
\ninvolved in decision making in Afghanistan. Those
\nwho committed crimes, killed and raped are now in
\npower. We will have to see what will happen in
\nfuture. We will have to see what will happen in the
\nelections. This is not good news if we have the
\nparticipation of the warlords and those who commit
\ncrimes in the process of reconstruction. People
\ngenuinely participated in the elections, but whether
\nthe work will be done properly is something else.
\nInterviewer: Explain to me about your experiences as an Afghan
\nMuslim man in the US.
\nZamarai: I feel that if there is any other attack on America,
\nour situation will become worse. Because there is
\nalready increasing racism and threat against
\nMuslims in the US. The reality is that this is not our
\ncountry, despite the fact that they claim there is a
\nseparation of state from religion, in practice
\nChristian fundamentalists are in power and make
\ndecisions. They take any opportunity to attack
\nMuslims. In the recent elections we witnessed how
\nthese groups manipulated the elections. Of course
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int056; USA03
\n4
\nordinary intelligent Americans understand the
\nsituation. But the extremists are in power. I fear
\nthat any attack by Muslim extremists will put us in
\ndanger and make the Christian fundamentalists
\nstrong. I don\u2019t know what will happen to us
\nbecause we feel that there is no place for us neither
\nhere nor in Afghanistan.
\nInterviewer: What do you think of those Afghans who always
\nstayed in Afghanistan, can they be effective in the
\nreconstruction.
\nZamarai: We have had 25 years of war and conflict; we have
\nhad no education and no expertise. A young Afghan
\nperson of 25 years ago is now a middle age
\nman\/woman. Even if they had any education, they
\nhave forgotten or are not up-to-date. They don\u2019t
\nhave the energy to do much. That is why
\ninternational NGOs are so much involved in
\nAfghanistan. So much money goes to Afghanistan
\nand comes out, because Afghans are not being
\nabsorbed to these NGOs. They employ specialists
\nfrom the West and Japan.
\nInterviewer: What do you think of the existence of internet caf\u00e9s
\nand pornography in Afghanistan?
\nZamarai: In my view these are bad for Afghanistan and the
\nWest. There are good aspects of Western culture
\nthat Afghans don\u2019t know about and can embrace
\nthem. But the only thing that people see in Kabul
\nand other centres is internet cafes and
\npornography; they see these as the only aspect of
\nWestern culture.
\nInterviewer: As a Pashtun man what is your view about the idea
\nthat Pashtuns are too conservatives. To what
\nextent do you associate ethnic conflicts with wars
\nand foreign intervention?
\nZamarai: Before the Soviet intervention and invasion there
\nwas no conflict. People were aware of diversity but
\nthere was no conflict between Tajiks, Pashtuns and
\nothers. The Soviet backed regime used different
\ngroups against each other and this gradually
\nbecame war and conflict. Of course we have
\nextremists Pashtuns and open minded Pashtuns,
\nlike all other ethnic groups around the world. Of
\ncourse the conflicts always become worse when
\npeople face economic difficulties. If we have
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int056; USA03
\n5
\neconomic reconstruction ethnic conflicts will be
\nresolved. If there is peace in Afghanistan, there will
\nbe peace in the region. The reason Afghans opened
\ntheir doors to the West is that our neighbours
\ntreated us badly.
\nInterviewer: Tell me about the perception of Afghans in
\nAfghanistan of those Afghans who live in exile.
\nZamarai: Some people in Afghanistan believe that we were
\ncowards to escape and live outside of Afghanistan
\nand now we want to return because things are
\neasier. I don\u2019t believe that we were cowards. We<\/p>\n
Interviewer: Please tell me about yourself?
\nNahid: I\u2019m married and my husband is English. I was born
\nin Kabul. My family is from Herat. They moved to
\nKabul because there were better schools for my
\nbrother and me. We left Afghanistan because of
\nviolent conflicts. First we went to India and then to
\nGermany and then to England.
\nInterviewer: Do you see yourself British or Afghan?
\nNahid: I think most of my life I had to negotiate my
\nidentity and culture. Finally I found that I will have
\nthis problem all my life i.e. to negotiate my
\nidentity. I think most Afghans feel that they don\u2019t
\nbelong anywhere. I used to be much more
\ndemanding in the past. I tried to have a fix identity
\nbut it was not possible.
\nInterviewer: Is there any time that you feel you need to have a
\nfixed identity?
\nNahid: Yes, whenever I feel weak and I feel I don\u2019t belong
\nanywhere. But now I can see that this is not just
\nmy problem.
\nInterviewer: Can you give me an example of how you negotiate
\nyour identity?
\nNahid: It depends. When I\u2019m with people who don\u2019t know
\nanything about Afghanistan, I want to tell them
\nabout it and change their ideas about Afghanistan.
\nI want to tell them this is the country that I come
\nfrom, even if they are not interested, I have this
\ndesire to explain to them and to make them aware.
\nI think I want to know what\u2019s like to be Afghan.
\nTherefore, I feel that I have identity problem. I
\nthink as a nation we have identity problem. I think
\nmy own problem with my identity reflects the
\nidentity crises in my country. I mean it is about the
\nboundaries which exist in Afghanistan.
\nInterviewer: Do you mean ethnic differences?
\nNahid: No I mean I cannot speak Pashtun, but I can speak
\nEnglish, German and French and I can\u2019t understand
\nthe different languages of my own country. It is not
\nonly me, many Afghans feel the same. We try to
\ncreate a new identity that includes Islam but it\u2019s
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int052; UK07
\n2
\nvery difficult as there are all kinds of diversities and
\ncomplexities.
\nInterviewer: Do you think the question that is often raised i.e.
\ncan Afghanistan ever be a nation is too
\ncomplicated?
\nNahid: Yes, I think the focus on ethnicity is complicated
\nand can be dangerous
\nInterviewer: Can Afghans be Afghans instead of Pashtuns,
\nTajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks?
\nNahid: I don\u2019t know, for example, why Heratis always
\nmarry Heratis?
\nInterviewer: Can exile identity help to create national identity?
\nNahid: In the West, we have discovered individualism and
\nwhen we go back to Afghanistan we forget our
\nindividualism.
\nInterviewer: What is your experience in the West?
\nNahid: When we came to Europe I was a teenager and it
\nwas a very difficult time for me. At first I tried to be
\ntotally European so I stopped speaking Dari when I
\ncame home I spoke English even to my parents.
\nBut when I integrated more into the British culture
\nI became more interested in my own culture. In
\ndifferent ways I started searching for my identity,
\none time it was Islam, one time it was reading
\nPersian literature. But then I stopped searching
\nbecause I felt identity is something that can be
\nchanged everyday. I think I belong to those people
\nwho did well. I don\u2019t think if I stayed in Afghanistan
\nI could have achieved what I have achieved here.
\nWhen we were in Afghanistan I went to school and
\nwe had a servant, a young girl who was my age.
\nShe cleaned my room. I think injustice is a fact of
\nlife. We lost many people in our family and those
\nwho have survived feel guilty and resentful about
\nother Afghans.
\nInterviewer: Is that painful for you?
\nNahid: Yes, because I feel that there is a lot to be regained
\nagain. One of my friends who recently came back
\nfrom Afghanistan said that many people are bitter
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int052; UK07
\n3
\nand resentful, especially if you want to go back and
\ntry to regain your property, land etc.
\nInterviewer: Do you want to go back?
\nNahid: Yes and no. I have given up my Afghan passport,
\nbecause I felt safer without it and I felt being
\nAfghan was the negative side of me being Afghan.
\nThere are more negative sides to Afghan culture.
\nFor example, when I was young my family forbade
\nme to talk with boys because in the eyes of Afghan
\ncommunity this was not a good thing. I somehow
\nfelt that when I was in Kabul I was freer.
\nInterviewer: Did you have problem with your family?
\nNahid: Yes, I had.
\nInterviewer: What did you do?
\nNahid: I\u2019m the only girl in my family. I have two brothers.
\nIn my family boys and girls are not equal. For
\nexample when my family is around and we are
\ntalking even about something common when a
\nwoman speaks, it is considered embarrassing but if
\na man speaks even if he doesn\u2019t know anything
\nabout anything everybody listen because he is a
\nman.
\nInterviewer: How do you negotiate about your identity?
\nNahid: I try to be more aware of my surrounding. For
\nexample I\u2019m working with a group of European
\nwomen. My behaviour is completely different from
\nmy Afghan friends. I feel that I am two different
\npersons and I think in two different ways. This was
\na difficult struggle but I think it is now less painful.
\nInterviewer: How do you feel about present situation in
\nAfghanistan?
\nNahid: I think forced modernisation will result in backlash.
\nPeople should be ready for it. There are many
\nAfghans outside Afghanistan. When they go back
\nthey can change many things. We need time. There
\nis no need to rush. Using the issue of women\u2019s
\nliberation is completely artificial.
\nInterviewer: How do you achieve this?
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int052; UK07
\n4
\nNahid: When I went to Europe and I went to school, I got
\nbad marks for my first essays. My teacher asked
\nme to explain and argue. But I was brought up not
\nto think, let alone explain and argue. In
\nAfghanistan we just memorized things. So I found
\nout that memorizing things is not good. I had to
\nthink. I came to the conclusion that three is
\ninjustice in our society, a man worth more than a
\nwoman. In the West a man and a woman are
\ntreated relatively equally. They can drive; they can
\nearn money and learn different languages. Girls in
\nmy family did much better than boys. May be
\nbecause they gave more freedom to boys than to
\ngirls. In Afghanistan boys were more responsible
\nthan boys. Girls were only waiting to be married.
\nSo I decided to drop my Afghan culture. But of
\ncourse there are also good things in my culture that
\nI appreciate. When I got married I found out how
\nmuch Afghan I was. For example I expected many
\nthings from my husband. I expected my husband to
\ntake all the responsibilities. I decided that he
\nshould be the head of the household and organise
\neverything. But he said to me that we should do
\nthings equally.
\nInterviewer: Where is home for you?
\nNahid: At the moment UK. I think it\u2019s very personal. Most
\nof my friends are here. My life is a mixture of
\nBritish and Asian. My husband is interested in Asia;<\/p>\n
Interviewer: Please tell me about yourself and when you came
\nto the USA
\nTuryalai: We first went to Germany and then we came to the
\nUSA: I was four years of age when we came to the
\nUSA:
\nInterviewer: Where do you belong?
\nTuryalai: I see myself both as Afghan and American.
\nSometimes I feel isolated by both cultures. To
\nAfghans I am American and to Americans I am
\nAfghan.
\nInterviewer: Is this good or is it difficult?
\nTuryalai: I think it is good. Sometimes I feel this is beautiful
\nas I can step outside of one and enter the other. I
\ncan step outside of American culture and criticise it
\nand vice versa. I feel that Americans are so behind
\nwith their arrogance that they cannot see any
\ncriticisms of their culture. The same with Afghans.
\nThey are so arrogant with their culture that they
\ncannot see any criticisms of themselves. I went
\nthrough hell of lot of pain to arrive to where I am
\nnow, i.e. to be happy with what I am.
\nInterviewer: Is this intellectually good or you personally feel
\ngood about it?
\nTuryalai: For a long time I did not identify either with
\nAmerican culture or Afghan culture. For a long time
\nI felt like African American or Latin American
\nAmerican. But now I can keep both sides and say
\nthat I am both Afghan and American and I try to
\nmake a balance between the two. To jump from
\none extreme to another extreme is dangerous. This
\nis what is happening in today\u2019s world politics. To
\ntotally oppose your opposition is dangerous. For
\nexample George Bush tries to prove that Bin Laden
\nis dangerous. But he is more dangerous than Bin
\nLaden and is worse than him.
\nInterviewer: Tell me about the conflicts that you went through in
\norder to arrive to where you are now?
\nTuryalai: I have had and still have many conflicts with my
\nparents, especially with my father. For a long time,
\nmy parents tried to prove that they are Americans,
\nmore than any other Afghans that I know. There
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int057; USA
\n2
\nwas less nationalism and traditionalism in our
\nhousehold in comparison with my Afghan friends
\nand the extended family. When I decided to be
\nAmerican suddenly my parents, especially my
\nfather, panicked and started saying that we are
\nAfghans. I was 14 at the time. So they did not
\nallow me to do things that my American friends did.
\nI could not understand why white Americans were
\ndismissive of us and racist towards us, although we
\nwere as rich as them. I felt alienated, I turned to
\ndrugs, and I got into trouble with my parents and
\nleft home.
\nAfghans are very proud people, expecting their
\nsons to follow their fathers. I was not doing that.
\nTherefore, I was isolated from the family. My father
\nnever stepped back allowing me to grow up from
\nbeing a child to a man. I could see that my other
\nfriends both Afghans and Americans doing that in
\ntheir own different ways. But not my father. I
\ntherefore, felt that if this is being Afghan I don\u2019t
\nwant to be Afghan.
\nI believe that the well being of people are secured
\nin young age, I feel that I had many difficulties.
\nEven, now that I have come back to my parents
\nand we are in good terms with each other, I don\u2019t
\nlike this beautiful house and neighbourhood. I don\u2019t
\nbelong here. Even now I feel that when push comes
\nto shove, I am out of here.
\nInterviewer: Tell me about where you lived when you left home?
\nTuryalai: From the age of 14 I lived on and off in St.
\nFernando Valley, where the majority is non-white
\nAmericans. I have many friends there; I belong
\nthere with them not here with my family. When I
\nwas younger and even sometimes now I feel that I
\nlive in a bubble which will one day burst. I don\u2019t
\nfeel belong to white Americans. My sisters who are
\nyounger than me can cope better.
\nInterviewer: Tell me about your feelings about 9\/11
\nTuryalai: When 9\/11 happened, I was not surprised and I
\nwas not hurt by it, because these kinds of incidents
\nhappen all the time in other parts of the world. My
\nresponse was that this is what American
\ngovernment does to the rest of the world all the
\ntime. This country is built on the blood of other
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int057; USA
\n3
\npeople. So to be surprised by it shows your level of
\nblindness. If you would have opened your eyes you
\nwould have seen it coming. But most Americans
\ndecided not to ask and not to understand why this
\nwas happening and instead they decided to
\nretaliate. I am saying this as an American and not
\nas an Afghan or an anti American person. Because
\nI can see what, not American people, but their
\nleaders are doing to America and the rest of the
\nworld. If Bin Laden did it why they attacked
\ncountries that they can not defend themselves. The
\nmedia made people believe that Afghanistan had to
\nbe attacked. It was an easy target and now we see
\nthe same thing in Iraq. They start wars and leave,
\nthere are many other examples, where America has
\ndone a half way job and keep people in darkness. I
\nsee a huge amount of ignorance. I don\u2019t see a good
\nfuture for this country. I really want to leave this
\ncountry.
\nInterviewer: Where will you go to live?
\nTuryalai: Good question. I like to go back to Afghanistan and
\nhelp to rebuild it. I have not been there and I may
\nchange my mind if I go to Afghanistan. But I don\u2019t
\nlike it here; I don\u2019t belong here because they don\u2019t
\naccept me. They see me as another non-white
\nAmerican. This country is so divided. As an Afghan
\nand Muslim they see me as a threat and enemy. I
\nwas looking in the internet and I found that 45% of
\nAmericans are in favour of taking our civil liberty
\naway. I feel that if another incidence happens they
\nwill put all Muslims in the concentration camps. So
\nI see this country as a land of opportunity for a
\ncertain kind of people and not all Americans. I feel
\nthat globalisation is changing the face of the earth.
\nInterviewer: Is globalisation a good thing or a bad thing?
\nTuryalai: It is a good thing, because the economic
\nglobalisation will open the way for revolution and
\nclass struggle. If America keeps attacking Muslims
\nand the poor people and class revolution does not
\nhappen, the revolution will be a Muslim revolution
\nand religious war. This is because we have all the
\nmoney in this country. Osama Bin Laden which I
\ndon\u2019t agree with is, in the eyes of many, someone
\nwho gave up money and fame and is fighting on
\nthe side of ordinary people. But Americans don\u2019t
\nsee any of these. My parents are also buying some
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int057; USA
\n4
\nof the American propaganda. They also want me to
\nstudy, get a good job, marry and have children. But
\nI want something more meaningful in my life.
\nInterviewer: Do many young Afghan men think like you or are
\nyou in a minority?
\nTuryalai: I am in a minority; most Afghan young men are
\ninto American dream, nice cars. May be I would
\nhave been like them, but because of the things
\nwhich happened in my life, I feel different. Most of
\nthem are so engaged about making money that
\nthey don\u2019t have the time to think about what goes
\non around them. But what is happening around me
\nis of great importance to me. I love this country,
\nbut there is something important is missing. I feel
\nthat we are not human beings, we are human
\ndoings. I think as a Muslim, praying five times a
\nday is a good thing, because we stop five times a
\nday to think and not just run around making money
\nand not having the time to think about other
\nimportant things in life.
\nInterviewer: Is there a Muslim community in Los Angeles?
\nTuryalai: Yes, I think that Islam can unify us. The problem is
\nthat we see each other as the Other and different
\nfrom each other, as Afghans, Iranians, Arabs,
\nTurks, Egyptians etc….. We have different
\nmosques. There is a lot of figure pointing amongst
\nus. But the enemy sees us all as Muslims. So we
\nshould unite as Muslims and defend each other
\nagainst the common enemy. I also don\u2019t see myself
\nas a good Muslim and I need to do a lot of work
\nmyself. We have to take responsibility for our
\nactions.
\nInterviewer: What about African American community
\nTuryalai: Yes, I sometimes feel I belong to them, in fact I
\nfeel that I was brought up in that community. They
\nare also divided, in the same way as Afghan
\ncommunity is divided. I love the Muslim and Afghan
\ncultures. I love Persian literature. I love the idea of
\nbeing kind to your kind. I hate hypocrisy.
\nWhen I was in jail, there was a lot of hostility
\ntowards Muslims, even by African Americans. I
\ndon\u2019t feel that I am a good Muslim, because I drink
\nalcohol and have a girl friend. But I feel that my
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int057; USA
\n5
\nMuslimness is strength for me and I suffer when
\nthere is hostility towards me. Most of my friends
\nare African Americans, some Afghans and some
\nIranians. We have a group and we produce anti war
\nRAP music on CD.
\nRecently I have been reading Jalaloddin Rumi,
\nabout Islamic culture and how it values quality of
\nlife unlike Western culture which is all about<\/p>\n
Name of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int057; USA
\n2
\nwas less nationalism and traditionalism in our
\nhousehold in comparison with my Afghan friends
\nand the extended family. When I decided to be
\nAmerican suddenly my parents, especially my
\nfather, panicked and started saying that we are
\nAfghans. I was 14 at the time. So they did not
\nallow me to do things that my American friends did.
\nI could not understand why white Americans were
\ndismissive of us and racist towards us, although we
\nwere as rich as them. I felt alienated, I turned to
\ndrugs, and I got into trouble with my parents and
\nleft home.
\nAfghans are very proud people, expecting their
\nsons to follow their fathers. I was not doing that.
\nTherefore, I was isolated from the family. My father
\nnever stepped back allowing me to grow up from
\nbeing a child to a man. I could see that my other
\nfriends both Afghans and Americans doing that in
\ntheir own different ways. But not my father. I
\ntherefore, felt that if this is being Afghan I don\u2019t
\nwant to be Afghan.
\nI believe that the well being of people are secured
\nin young age, I feel that I had many difficulties.
\nEven, now that I have come back to my parents
\nand we are in good terms with each other, I don\u2019t
\nlike this beautiful house and neighbourhood. I don\u2019t
\nbelong here. Even now I feel that when push comes
\nto shove, I am out of here.
\nInterviewer: Tell me about where you lived when you left home?
\nTuryalai: From the age of 14 I lived on and off in St.
\nFernando Valley, where the majority is non-white
\nAmericans. I have many friends there; I belong
\nthere with them not here with my family. When I
\nwas younger and even sometimes now I feel that I
\nlive in a bubble which will one day burst. I don\u2019t
\nfeel belong to white Americans. My sisters who are
\nyounger than me can cope better.
\nInterviewer: Tell me about your feelings about 9\/11
\nTuryalai: When 9\/11 happened, I was not surprised and I
\nwas not hurt by it, because these kinds of incidents
\nhappen all the time in other parts of the world. My
\nresponse was that this is what American
\ngovernment does to the rest of the world all the
\ntime. This country is built on the blood of other
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int057; USA
\n3
\npeople. So to be surprised by it shows your level of
\nblindness. If you would have opened your eyes you
\nwould have seen it coming. But most Americans
\ndecided not to ask and not to understand why this
\nwas happening and instead they decided to
\nretaliate. I am saying this as an American and not
\nas an Afghan or an anti American person. Because
\nI can see what, not American people, but their
\nleaders are doing to America and the rest of the
\nworld. If Bin Laden did it why they attacked
\ncountries that they can not defend themselves. The
\nmedia made people believe that Afghanistan had to
\nbe attacked. It was an easy target and now we see
\nthe same thing in Iraq. They start wars and leave,
\nthere are many other examples, where America has
\ndone a half way job and keep people in darkness. I
\nsee a huge amount of ignorance. I don\u2019t see a good
\nfuture for this country. I really want to leave this
\ncountry.
\nInterviewer: Where will you go to live?
\nTuryalai: Good question. I like to go back to Afghanistan and
\nhelp to rebuild it. I have not been there and I may
\nchange my mind if I go to Afghanistan. But I don\u2019t
\nlike it here; I don\u2019t belong here because they don\u2019t
\naccept me. They see me as another non-white
\nAmerican. This country is so divided. As an Afghan
\nand Muslim they see me as a threat and enemy. I
\nwas looking in the internet and I found that 45% of
\nAmericans are in favour of taking our civil liberty
\naway. I feel that if another incidence happens they
\nwill put all Muslims in the concentration camps. So
\nI see this country as a land of opportunity for a
\ncertain kind of people and not all Americans. I feel
\nthat globalisation is changing the face of the earth.
\nInterviewer: Is globalisation a good thing or a bad thing?
\nTuryalai: It is a good thing, because the economic
\nglobalisation will open the way for revolution and
\nclass struggle. If America keeps attacking Muslims
\nand the poor people and class revolution does not
\nhappen, the revolution will be a Muslim revolution
\nand religious war. This is because we have all the
\nmoney in this country. Osama Bin Laden which I
\ndon\u2019t agree with is, in the eyes of many, someone
\nwho gave up money and fame and is fighting on
\nthe side of ordinary people. But Americans don\u2019t
\nsee any of these. My parents are also buying some
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int057; USA
\n4
\nof the American propaganda. They also want me to
\nstudy, get a good job, marry and have children. But
\nI want something more meaningful in my life.
\nInterviewer: Do many young Afghan men think like you or are
\nyou in a minority?
\nTuryalai: I am in a minority; most Afghan young men are
\ninto American dream, nice cars. May be I would
\nhave been like them, but because of the things
\nwhich happened in my life, I feel different. Most of
\nthem are so engaged about making money that
\nthey don\u2019t have the time to think about what goes
\non around them. But what is happening around me
\nis of great importance to me. I love this country,
\nbut there is something important is missing. I feel
\nthat we are not human beings, we are human
\ndoings. I think as a Muslim, praying five times a
\nday is a good thing, because we stop five times a
\nday to think and not just run around making money
\nand not having the time to think about other
\nimportant things in life.
\nInterviewer: Is there a Muslim community in Los Angeles?
\nTuryalai: Yes, I think that Islam can unify us. The problem is
\nthat we see each other as the Other and different
\nfrom each other, as Afghans, Iranians, Arabs,
\nTurks, Egyptians etc….. We have different
\nmosques. There is a lot of figure pointing amongst
\nus. But the enemy sees us all as Muslims. So we
\nshould unite as Muslims and defend each other
\nagainst the common enemy. I also don\u2019t see myself
\nas a good Muslim and I need to do a lot of work
\nmyself. We have to take responsibility for our
\nactions.
\nInterviewer: What about African American community
\nTuryalai: Yes, I sometimes feel I belong to them, in fact I
\nfeel that I was brought up in that community. They
\nare also divided, in the same way as Afghan
\ncommunity is divided. I love the Muslim and Afghan
\ncultures. I love Persian literature. I love the idea of
\nbeing kind to your kind. I hate hypocrisy.
\nWhen I was in jail, there was a lot of hostility
\ntowards Muslims, even by African Americans. I
\ndon\u2019t feel that I am a good Muslim, because I drink
\nalcohol and have a girl friend. But I feel that my
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int057; USA
\n5
\nMuslimness is strength for me and I suffer when
\nthere is hostility towards me. Most of my friends
\nare African Americans, some Afghans and some
\nIranians. We have a group and we produce anti war
\nRAP music on CD.
\nRecently I have been reading Jalaloddin Rumi,
\nabout Islamic culture and how it values quality of
\nlife unlike Western culture which is all about<\/p>\n
Name of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int058; USA05
\n2
\nMalalai: My parents don\u2019t force me to pray, but if I have a
\nboyfriend I am not allowed to talk about him or
\nbring him home. They also trust me. My mother is
\nmore open-minded than my father. My brother has
\na girl friend but he does not talk about it.
\nInterviewer: Do you have white American friends?
\nMalalai: I have American friends but they are not white. I
\nhad a few when I was younger. I always was
\noutspoken so nobody ever dared to tease me. I
\nalways said that I am proud for where I come from
\nand I defended my culture. Since 9\/11 things have
\nbeen difficult. My university is a liberal institution
\nbut even there, sometimes someone says let us go
\nand bomb them all. In this situation I don\u2019t
\ncomment because they are ignorant. I feel that if
\nthey are ignorant let them remain ignorant. It is
\nlike our president he is just a total ignorant, no-one
\nis able to convince him of anything. I am not anti-
\nAmerican. I do understand that in Afghanistan and
\nthose parts of the world there are also very
\nignorant people. This is not an excuse that Bush
\ngoes and drops bomb in my country.
\nInterviewer: Where do you belong?
\nMalalai: Sometimes I feel Afghanistan is my country,
\nespecially when I am with my family and Afghan
\nfriends. When I am with my American friends, I feel
\nthat America is my country. But I know that none
\nof them alone is my country. They are both my
\ncountry.
\nWhen 9\/11 happened, I felt that Afghanistan was
\nthe weakest country that is why they attacked it.
\nThey are really after resources not Bin Laden.
\nOtherwise they would have bombed Saudi Arabia: I
\nfeel that I would like to help Afghanistan by
\neducating myself. Some Afghans think that Bush is
\nbad; but they may be doing some good things in
\nAfghanistan. I feel that he really is a bad man and
\nwill attack everywhere so we cannot sacrifice other
\ncountries for the sake of Afghanistan.
\nI don\u2019t think I want to go and live in Afghanistan
\nnow, but I like to help. There are things that I don\u2019t
\nlike about Afghanistan like wearing the chaddari.
\nBut I like to be able to help.
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int058; USA05
\n3
\nInterviewer: Do you believe that there are ignorant Afghan
\npeople as well?
\nMalalai: Yes, there are stupid and ignorant people in
\nAfghanistan as well as in America. I don\u2019t think I
\nam big enough to go and change people. I feel I
\ncan help by being a good Afghan American and a
\ngood Muslim, this way I can help. I feel that I am
\nall three of them Afghan, American, Muslim. For me
\nreligion is a personal thing it is between me and my
\nGod. I don\u2019t think when I die and go to heaven the
\nGod will open his calendar to see how many times I
\nprayed. I am studying hard and I believe I can help
\nAfghanistan. I want to use the good education
\nsystem here and make a lot of money and go and<\/p>\n
Name of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int058; USA05
\n2
\nMalalai: My parents don\u2019t force me to pray, but if I have a
\nboyfriend I am not allowed to talk about him or
\nbring him home. They also trust me. My mother is
\nmore open-minded than my father. My brother has
\na girl friend but he does not talk about it.
\nInterviewer: Do you have white American friends?
\nMalalai: I have American friends but they are not white. I
\nhad a few when I was younger. I always was
\noutspoken so nobody ever dared to tease me. I
\nalways said that I am proud for where I come from
\nand I defended my culture. Since 9\/11 things have
\nbeen difficult. My university is a liberal institution
\nbut even there, sometimes someone says let us go
\nand bomb them all. In this situation I don\u2019t
\ncomment because they are ignorant. I feel that if
\nthey are ignorant let them remain ignorant. It is
\nlike our president he is just a total ignorant, no-one
\nis able to convince him of anything. I am not anti-
\nAmerican. I do understand that in Afghanistan and
\nthose parts of the world there are also very
\nignorant people. This is not an excuse that Bush
\ngoes and drops bomb in my country.
\nInterviewer: Where do you belong?
\nMalalai: Sometimes I feel Afghanistan is my country,
\nespecially when I am with my family and Afghan
\nfriends. When I am with my American friends, I feel
\nthat America is my country. But I know that none
\nof them alone is my country. They are both my
\ncountry.
\nWhen 9\/11 happened, I felt that Afghanistan was
\nthe weakest country that is why they attacked it.
\nThey are really after resources not Bin Laden.
\nOtherwise they would have bombed Saudi Arabia: I
\nfeel that I would like to help Afghanistan by
\neducating myself. Some Afghans think that Bush is
\nbad; but they may be doing some good things in
\nAfghanistan. I feel that he really is a bad man and
\nwill attack everywhere so we cannot sacrifice other
\ncountries for the sake of Afghanistan.
\nI don\u2019t think I want to go and live in Afghanistan
\nnow, but I like to help. There are things that I don\u2019t
\nlike about Afghanistan like wearing the chaddari.
\nBut I like to be able to help.
\nName of project: SN 6065 – Afghan Women\u2019s Resistance and Struggle in
\nAfghanistan and Diasporic Communities, 2004-2005
\nDepositor: Rostami-Povey, E.
\nID: 6065int058; USA05
\n3
\nInterviewer: Do you believe that there are ignorant Afghan
\npeople as well?
\nMalalai: Yes, there are stupid and ignorant people in
\nAfghanistan as well as in America. I don\u2019t think I
\nam big enough to go and change people. I feel I
\ncan help by being a good Afghan American and a
\ngood Muslim, this way I can help. I feel that I am
\nall three of them Afghan, American, Muslim. For me
\nreligion is a personal thing it is between me and my
\nGod. I don\u2019t think when I die and go to heaven the
\nGod will open his calendar to see how many times I
\nprayed. I am studying hard and I believe I can help
\nAfghanistan. I want to use the good education
\nsystem here and make a lot of money and go and help Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
Source Background: This article comes from US News and World Report which
\nis an American news magazine published from Washington D.C. The magazine
\nis now only available online. US News and World Report is considered to be
\npolitically positioned on the centre-right.
\nText: This article was released on April 7th, 2008
\nThe Colors of Islam
\nI was not tempted to fit in with American kids
\nBy Saif ur Rahman Qargha
\nBorn in Afghanistan in 1971, Qargha, 33, was a boy when soldiers from the invading Soviet Army
\nbroke into the family home and abducted his father and five uncles. He never saw them again. After
\nfleeing to Pakistan, Qargha, his mother, and two brothers came to the United States in 1986 as
\npolitical refugees. He is now a transportation engineer for Prince William County, Va.
\nBefore we came to the United States, we were concerned about preserving our identity. We felt that
\nAmerica was a good place. You didn’t feel like somebody was watching you, like the feeling we had
\nin Afghanistan during the Russian occupation. But at the same time, America is spiritually devoid.
\nPeople were concerned mostly about image.
\nI was not tempted to fit in with American kids. By the age of 15 or 16, I was fully grounded in Islam. I
\nwas on the soccer team so I got to know a lot of people, but I didn’t socialize with them. Drinking
\nand other things did not attract me. When you have an Islamic worldview, and you want to protect
\nit, especially as a young man, it’s very difficult. In Islam, the idea of dating as we know it here doesn’t
\nexist. There is no playing around. When you’re ready, you can meet people for the sake of marriage.
\nMy uncle, Sibghatullah Mojaddedi, is a political and spiritual leader in Afghanistan who declared
\njihad against the Russians. He helped me put things in perspective, and that is why I am grateful to
\nhim. The fact that they were fighting, but they did not hate the Russians, they just hated what they
\ndid, that is an Islamic worldview. It is a misconception that jihad means holy war. It can have a
\nmartial aspect to it, but it has other aspects, like a struggle with yourself, your ego.
\nI saw the events of 9\/11 on the news, when I was taking my aunt to social services. The first thing we
\nsaid was, “Oh God, please don’t let this be a Muslim.” It was a shock to anybody who had a heart,
\nwho had any humanity. But to know it was a Muslim was a bigger shock. It had a big impact on the
\nMuslim community. When you went to the store, you were eyed with suspicion. We felt like the
\nblacks of the 1960s, especially women, who are displaying their religion by covering their hair. We
\ndidn’t have to defend the terrorists; we had to defend ourselves.
\nAs a result, there was the Patriot Act and the FBI coming to people’s houses. They came to my office
\nbecause I’m involved in the community and asked me questions. Some were ridiculous: “Do you
\nknow anybody interested in weapons of mass destruction?” Islam does not teach you to kill yourself
\nor take innocent life. There is no justification for that in Islam. What happened has to do with people
\nwho are frustrated with the foreign policy of the United States. But America did change for Muslims
\nafter that. A lot of people were intimidated.
\nBut it also showed the beauty of America. In the days after 9\/11 we had cards and flowers and
\ncandles from neighbors and other people just to let us know that we still had friends and that they
\ndidn’t think we were like the terrorists. It was very consoling, a beautiful gesture.
\nAmerica is a good land. I got to meet the Islamic world in America. In Afghanistan, there were only
\nAfghan Muslims. Here, there are Egyptians, Moroccans, black Africans. I saw all these colors and
\ncreations. This is God’s land, and God chose me to be on this land, so I desire good for America. On a
\nmore practical level, I wish that nothing changes our freedom here. Let America be America the way
\nit was intended.
\n-As told to Bret Schulte
\n(found at http:\/\/www.usnews.com\/news\/religion\/articles\/2008\/04\/07\/the-colors-of-islam – <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
From an analysis of the interview transcripts and text, answer the research question: \u2018How might the experience of exile affect a sense of identity? Throughout give me references and at the end give me a coding index and an appendix chart Follow this structure below Introduction: (around 200 words) Outline the structure of your essay […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"disciplines":[16],"paper_types":[],"tagged":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writemyessays.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/questions\/18570"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writemyessays.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/questions"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writemyessays.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/questions"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writemyessays.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writemyessays.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18570"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.writemyessays.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/questions\/18570\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.writemyessays.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18570"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"disciplines","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writemyessays.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/disciplines?post=18570"},{"taxonomy":"paper_types","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writemyessays.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/paper_types?post=18570"},{"taxonomy":"tagged","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.writemyessays.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tagged?post=18570"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}