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One Year Later:
"West of Kabul, East of New York"
With Tamim Ansary
Author
Friday, Sept. 6, 2002; 2 p.m. ET
Many people did not know Afghanistan existed until the day al Qaeda terrorists hit the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Tamim Ansary, an Afghan American living in San Francisco sent out an anguished e-mail in response to a radio talk show with raging callers blaming the people of Afghanistan for the attacks.
"Born of the marriage between an Afghan man and an American woman, Ansary grew up in the "lost world of pre-war Kabul." The Afghanistan that callers had railed against was nothing like the Afghanistan that Ansary remembers. His e-mail message stating his perspective as an Afghan American circulated the Internet and "reached and touched millions of people around the world." For Ansary, the war is not against his homeland but against the Taliban, "the Nazis of Afghanistan."
A year after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., Ansary wrote "West of Kabul, East of New York," a personal account of reconciling a life lived in two divergent cultures, the Islamic Afghanistan and the secular West.
Author and writer Ansary will be online to discuss Afghanistan now, the state of Afghan refugees and the Afghan American experience on Friday, Sept. 6, at 2 p.m. ET.
Since the publication of the memoir, Ansary has visited the Afghan-Pakistan border as an envoy of the American Friends Service Committee, helping to distribute blankets and other relief aid to Afghan refugees. His journey to Kabul is due to appear in Parade magazine on September 8.
Ansary is a columnist for Encarta, an online encyclopedia site, since 1989.
He has written numerous nonfiction books for children such as the three-set "Cool Collections," "Holiday Histories," and "Native Americans," and several novels and nonfiction anthologies for teenagers including "Spiders From Space," "The Lost Boy," "Creepy Creatures," "Great Crimebusters," and others. He is currently working on
"What Endures?" a meditation on the writing of a historical novel about Omar Khayam, the 12th century Persian poet and mathematician.
Below is the transcript.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Tamim Ansary: Hello everybody. My name is Tamim Ansary. This spring I published a memoir called West of Kabul, East of New York, an account of my bicultural life: I was born in Afghanistan, the son of an Afghan father and an American mother. I left Afghanistan when I was 16 to study in the United States and have lived here ever since. This spring, after writing my memoir, I went to the border area between Paksitana nd Afghanistan to deliver aid to Afghan refugees in the camps; and this summer, after 37 years, I finallys et foot in Afghanistan again. I would be happy to answer any question you might have about my book, the two cultures I am part of, or either of my recent journeys.
Bethesda, Md.:
I am interested in hearing about the warlords that control various sections of the country, were they supporters of the former government? If so, what is the current relationship with the new government?
Tamim Ansary: The first question is, what do you mean by the former government? The Taliban were not exactly a "government," they were a proxy force for certain elements in the Pakistan military and their allies in Paksitan's fundamentalist religious parties, supported by stateless jihadist radicals, such as Osama bin Laden, who operated out of Afghanistan precisely because it was a failed state with no reallaw or authority they had to answer to. Before that, Afghanistan was "ruled" by the warlords. They wre military commanders who had risen to prominence during the anti-Soviet war, and once they drove out the Soviets they fought over the remaining scraps of Afghanistan. So that whole group was only a "government" in name. They retreated to their various regions after the Taliban came in. Now, serveral of the warlords are major figures and they are something like feudal lords in their regions. Ismail Kahn in Herat is one of those. There is Dostum in the north, and a few others. Their relationship to the shaky central government is something like the one between the feudal barons in 14th century England with the King of England.
New Brunswick, N.J.:
Do you think the situation there will stabilize or are the recent bombings an indication of trouble to come? And who do you think is behind the bombings?
Thank you.
Tamim Ansary: There are two groups in AFghanistan--those who have a stake in the new government succeeding, and those who have a stake in the new government failing. The former include the forces of the assassinated Afghan leader Massoud, several of whose members are in the cabinet. They include Karzai, and they include the henchmen and supporters of the former king, as well as the technocrats who went into exile int he West and are now returning. The latter group include the remnants of the Taliban, the remnants of al Qaeeda and other similar gorups (I doubt there is just one group of jihadist terrorists) and--above all--the forces of a formidable former warlord named Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. This guy was in Iran during the Taliban years, but he has entered Afghanistan again, and his whereabouts are unkown. Iwould guess that there is an alliance of convenience in place or being worked out among all the groups who are out of the current power sharing arrangement.
New York, N.Y.:
In your book you say that you were never very religious, but you got this partly from your American mother. How religious are people in Afghanistan in general (Taliban excluded)? Were you typical?
Tamim Ansary: No, I'm not typical. Afghans are generally pretty religious, but in a relaxed sort of way, not in the regimented dogmatic way of the Taliban. I give a picture of Islam inthe early portion of my book, and on my recent trip I found that in the village that's still the character of Islam.
Washington, D.C.:
Hello Mr. Ansary. Have had a nearly lifelong interest in Afghanistan as a result of 4.5 wonderful years in Kabul as a child just before the 1973 coup. I remember clearly your op-ed pieces of last september in re: bombing Afghanistan and what Bin Laden really wants.
In my opinion, the specifics of starting a war against Islam did not materialize in the short-term while the US ousted the Taleban, given the fractured nature of Afghan politics.
However, your words may be more prophetic in the sense that the Bush Administration has taken its war on terrorism in directions (Iraq, Palestine, domestic "security" policies) that threaten to produce the unification of Muslims against the US, or at least make it very difficult for Muslims to support us in anything we do. Radio SAWA notwithstanding!
Where are we headed? Thank you.
Tamim Ansary: I agree withyou. The specifics of that war did not matierialize int he short term because the military action in Afghanistan coincided with a struggle by Afghans to oust what many Afghans saw as an occupation force--the Taliban. Also, the Pentagon does now have, it seeems, the technology to very precise in its bombing, so that "collateral damage" and civilian casualties really were minimized. There were, of course, tragic exceptions but not so much becuae America was careless or inaccurate about hitting what it aimed at--rather because it didn't know what to aim at. The bombing of the village wedding in July is an example. I do think, took that it's easy to misread the lesson of the war so far in Afhganistan as "gee the bombing worked, let's go bomb something else." First, the war in AFghanistan is not over--and it won't be over till the peace is won. That means if the U.S. can paly a visible part in bringing stability and renewal to Afhganistan, the U.S. will have won that war--a battle for hearts and minds int he Islamic world. If Afghanistan slips back into chaos and terror, it will all have been for naught.
Alexandria, Va.:
Immigrants from Pakistan are often intensely hostile towards Israel, whereas immigrants from Turkey are usually indifferent to the matter.
In their attitudes toward Israel, are Afghan-Americans more like Pakistanis or more like Turks?
Tamim Ansary: In my experience, Afghan attitudes more closely resemble those of the Turks. Most Afghans, I found, were very local in their concerns. Palestine? Israel? Very far away.
Flemington, N.J.:
Can you address the suicide attempt on Karzai that just happened? What does it implicate, in your view, about the need for international peacekeepers? Does their presence help the stability, orjust cause more resentmentand suspicion about Karzai? washingtonpost.com:
Afghanistan Violence Flares (Post, Sept. 6)
Tamim Ansary: I think the assassination attempt on Karzai, the assassination of Haji Qadir in July, and the bomb that was just set off in the Kabul market, are all efforts to sabotage the central government. It's very difficult to create order out of chaos, very difficult to forget peace among groups that have grown accustomed to hating each other. But sabotaging peace is very easy. So it's important in the face of things like this assassination attempt to go patiently back to work and not be deflected from the course.
Arlington, Va.:
What is your reaction to the recent assassination shooting attempts at Karzai and his officials? Are many in Afghanistan supportive of the new government? Is there a guerilla group that we are not aware of, not only the Taliban?
Tamim Ansary: The one group that has received too little attention is the one headed by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. He was a prominant mujahideen leader in the eighties, and when the mujahideen captured Kabul, it was he who set off the civil war that destroyed Kabul, setting the stage for the Taliban. He is well-organized, has a lot of support in the southern border area, and controls some of the large Pakistan refugee camps, and he is a stark fundamentalist who--despite receiving the bulk of U.S. support during the anti-Soviet war--always vowed that he would turn his fury against the West as soon as the Soviets were gone from Afghanistan.
Lyme, Ct.:
What is the life of farmers in Afghanistan like? It appears to be a very hard life. How much of the agricultural crop is converted into illegal substances? It was recently reported the United States would not spray to kill such crops so as not to disrupt the local economies and destroy the lives of Afghan farmers. Would it be possible for the U.S. to subsidize Afghan farmers for destroyed crops or to subsidize converting to other crops? Would Afghan farmers agree to such a thing?
Tamim Ansary: Farmers have a hard life now because of the drought (which is entering its seventh year, I believe) and becuae so much of their agricultural land is laced with landmines. The traditional irrigation systems have also been destroyed, and in their place, everyone who can is digging "deep wells," which could lead to an ecological catastrophe in years to come. With so little cultivable land, a lot of farmers can only survive by planting opium, becuase a small amont of that can provide as; much money as a whole farm's worth of wheat used to provide. The solution to all this in the long run is to clear the landmines and rebuiold the irrigation systems. In the short term, yes, some subsidizing might be in order.
Alexandria, Va.:
There have been problems in some mosques with congregants have given money, perhaps unwittingly, to alleged charities run by suicide bombers and suicide airplane-crashers.
Do Afghan-Americans have their own mosques? If so, has it in the past been common for Afghan mosques to donate money to alleged charities that later turn out to be terrorist?
Tamim Ansary: Afghan Americans have a mosque here in the Bay Area. I've never heard of any money from this mosque going to terrorist groups or any such thing. Don't know about other areas.
Harrisburg, Pa.:
Do you find greater acceptance and/or less discrimination of who you are in America or in Afghanistan? What differences do you see in the two cultures towards tolerance towards others?
Tamim Ansary: Throughout my life I have found more tolerance for my crazy, mixed-up cultural identity and general individual strangeness in America than in Afghanistan. But when I went back to Afghanistan this summer, I was gratified to see that everyone I met, really everywhere--in the city,in the countryside--just accepted me as an Afghan,simply because I said I was one, and becuase I could speak the language. Still, I think tolerance toward others is a central--and precious--premise of American life and one reason why I value this country so much.
Virginia Beach, Va.:
Last year I coached a group of 3rd-5th grade students who created a Notable Achievement winning web site for ThinkQuest called Growing Up in Afghanistan. If you would visit the site sometime and maybe sign the guestbook, I know it would be invaluable to the students.
Tamim Ansary: Okay. I will. Thanks.
New Jersey:
What, in your opinion, can Americans who are not in the government do to help the people of Afghanistan rebuild their country and improve their lives? Do you know of aid organizations that are particularly effective in the area? Or are there other actions that we might take, beyond sending money to organizations?
Tamim Ansary: The AFSC (American Friends Service Committee) is working hard in Afghanistan and they've got an office in Kabul. An NGO (Nongovernmental Organization) I was very impressed with in Kabul was one called AREA (I think it stands for Association for Reconstruction and Energy-conservation in Afghanistan.) They do really grass-roots level community development and--most important--land mine clearing.
washingtonpost.com:
Tamim,
What is the state of refugees who fled Afghanistan at the beginning of the war? Many had gone into Pakistan and waited for visas to get to the U.S. Also, many refugees were women and children. Have many of them returned to Afghanistan?
washingtonpost.com:
CameraWorks video: Adjusting to America: Afghan Refugee Families (Dec. 20, 2001)
Tamim Ansary: Only a few of the refugees in Pakistan are in any postiion to apply for visas to go to America. Most are depserately poor, and just hoping to get to tomorrow. I went to visit one of the newer camps, right on the border between Paksitan and Afghanistan, which was populated mostly by refugees who had fled since September 11. Man, a lot of sick people there (malaria rampant), a desoalte location, bad misery. Later, when I went to Kabul and was visiting outlying regions there, people told me the refugees are streaming back in great numbers--maybe too great. The question comes up: what will they do when they get back to their villages and their lands? How will they eat? But yes, they are returning.
Vienna, Va.:
Since last year's attacks, I'm assuming that you have been more involved in global and humanitarian affairs. What were some of your duties as an envoy? Also, can you describe what it was like going back to Afghanistan and trips thereafter?
Looking forward to the Parade feature.
Tamim Ansary: In February, when I went to Pakistan, I and my four fellow Afghan American from the Bay Area (Zemar Achekzai, Emal Khan, Miriam Kitabi, and Shala Arsala) were overseeing the distributionof blankets and clothes to Afghan refugees int he camps there. In fct, it was more than oversight. We were in those camps, handing out the goods to the refugees. An experience worth writing a book about. In Kabul, I was just looking around. But I saw a lot of stuff I wanted to support--the girl's school RAbia Balkhi from which my sister graduated, now all broken but filled with girls, earnestly studying in the hallways and grounds; the university, where girls and boys are studying in about equal numbers now; and Ashiana, a school for street children.
Lyme, Ct.:
Please tell us more about Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. How large is his following and what are his capabilities in striking back at the United States? Does he sponsor terrorism?
Tamim Ansary: In the eighties, Hekmatyar led one of the two largest mujahideen parties, Hizb-i-Islam. The other--and his deadly rival--was Jamiat-i-Islam, led by Ahmad Shah Massoud. Hekmatyar was most effective at getting money from foreign donors, and people tellme his was the most disciplined and well-organized party. Numbers I don't know. When I was in Paksitan, he put out one of those "night letters" (i.e.anonymous boradsides pasted to walls during the night) in which he said he believed he could drive the Americans out of Afghanistan by killing 600 of them.
Gullsgate Minn:
Tamim Ansary: I look forward to reading your book.
My question concerns the devastation caused by the bombing of Afghani villages and the many homes destroyed. Who has offered any solutions for the rebuilding of those homes-- with native materials in a manner that is compatible with the needs and culture of the Afghanistan people? Has anyone or group come up with a viable solution to the destruction our bombings have created? Thank you.
Tamim Ansary: American bombing caused some destruction, but the great majority of the devestation in Afghanistan was done by the Soviets, and later by the Mujahideen fighting among themselves, and then by the TAliban figh5ting the various parties grouped under the title "Northern Alliance." To Afghans, it doesn't matter who did the killing and destroying, the important thing is to start the healing and rebuilding. America should help,I think, if for no other reason then because it's good for us to live in a healthy world.
Harrisburg, Pa. :
What is needed to "win the peace" in Afghanistan? What steps do you see as necessary to stabilize the country behind a government respected by its people and trusted by the international community?
Tamim Ansary: The International Community, with the U.S. taking apart, should stay in Afghanistan as peacekeepers. Those countries that pledged to Afghanistan in the meeting in Japan earlier this year should start delivering some of that money. Outside forces should agree to let Afghansitan determine its own course and find its own way culturally, and should police each other to make sure that all parties comply with this agreement--that would be a good start.
Arlington, Va.:
Mr. Ansary,
Do you think that Karzai can really lead an uncorrupt government? How does he compare to Massoud? Also, are the people very involved in revitalizing their country. How has religion and culture changed in Afghanistan. Are women more comfortable.
Tamim Ansary: Massoud was a giant. Karzai is just a guy. But Massoud was a leader of one faction in Afghanistan. He would have been more troublesome as the Afghan leader--everyone else would have been shooting at him. Karzai is more of a neutral figure, so he's probably better for the current situation.
Tamim Ansary: Well, that's all the time I have. Thank you all for being here, and thank you for your interesting questions.
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