Connie Frisbee Houde- Women in Afgahanistan

Connie Frisbee Houde is a photojournalist who has traveled to Afghanistan 4 times since 2003; her last trip, in late 2009, was with “Code Pink,” an activist women’s organization, spending 10 days in Kabul.

 

     She began with a slideshow of a visit to Kabul’s street of music stores, focusing on one musician in particular, whom she labeled “the essence of Afghanistan.” His music education was familial, handed down among generations; music, poetry, and story-telling are crucial to Afghan culture. Houde told of her surprise to learn of their “poetic nature”. However, music was outlawed under the Taliban – the extreme Islamist regime ousted by the 2001 U.S. invasion. People buried their instruments; some were later recovered, some were lost forever [like the giant ancient Buddha statues at Bamiyan that the Taliban destroyed as un-Islamic: FSR]

 

     Houde presented some sobering Afghan statistics:

87% lack access to clean water

53% live below the government’s poverty line [the Afghan government’s – not the far higher U.S. poverty line.]

40% are unemployed; or 80% if you count women

70% are malnourished

Infant and childbirth mortality: both the highest in the world

More than ¼ of children die before age 5 (unclean water a major factor)

Life expectancy: about 43

Literacy: 35% for men, 10-20% for women

3.7 million Afghans are still refugees in neighboring countries [as against total Afghan population of 12 million]

 

     Houde spoke glowingly of Kabul’s wonderful street markets, mentioning grapes in particular. The Taliban regime had seen the grape-growing region as hostile, and hence attempted to destroy the industry by poisoning the vines. Houde never expected grape growing to recover, and expressed surprise that she turned out to be wrong.

 

     Another aspect of Afghan culture banned by the Taliban was “wedding palaces.” For Afghans, with huge families, weddings are a very big deal and are celebrated lavishly. With the Taliban’s ouster, the “wedding palaces” are back.

 

     The Afghans also have a great thing for birds, and sellers of birds and cages were legion in Kabul. Now, that is; under the Taliban, guess what? Yup, banned. What a bunch of killjoys.

 

     Houde also talked about an orphanage she visited; Afghan orphanages are full not only for the obvious reasons but because many parents simply cannot afford to care for their children. This particular orphanage was featured in an MSNBC story, resulting in over $100,000 in contributions. Houde saw this as evidence for the proposition that we Americans “really want to do good there.”

 

     Not everything in the country reflects progress. There was much controversy about recent enactment of a new Family Law for Shias (about 10% of the population) which has been called a “marital rape law” since it requires, among other things, that women submit to spousal sexual demands four times weekly. But women have mobilized in opposition. One was Soraya, 52, a gynecologist, who fled Afghanistan upon the Taliban’s advent and was one of the first to return after their ouster. She currently leads a women’s rights organization, insisting that women need to become political. To that end, Soraya is now working toward a Political Science degree. Houde also spoke about a peaceful protest march by women against a big Madrassa (religious school); when the marchers were met with stone-throwing, the police protected them, and no one was hurt; a perhaps surprising and encouraging outcome.

 

     Houde observed that most Afghan men have grown up in what is fundamentally a culture of violence; but they actually want another way, and welcome it when it is shown to them.