Prayer from Afghanistan

I love this prayer from John Carden's book: A Procession of Prayers: Meditations and Prayers from around the world.     It's (appropriately) in the chapter on the Mystery of Christ's Epiphany to Wise Men.  (p 55)  The picture is one I painted ages ago, in Oil Pastels from a similar image I found on the web..  I suppose that for me this blog is an appropriate response to 9/11 - and a prayer for the country of Afghanistan

And so, that is why, at nightfall when my people are asleep, kneeling barefoot, close to the altar of my little chapel, I become their intercessor - like Abraham, Jacob, Moses, like Jesus. A stick of sandlewood sends forth its fragrance, the symbol of all those who today are worn out with their labours in suffering, heavy with all their hopes - all of those who today have fallen asleep thinking only to meet a Judge - to them I present him as their Saviour, and I introduce them to the eternal Nuptials. All those little children who were born this day I make children of God. All the prayers said today in the homes, the mosques, I transform into an 'Our Father'. My heart is nothing more than a melting pot, where, in the fire of Christ's love, all the dross of my people is turned into gold - and through my lips it is the whole of Afghanistan who cries that 'Abba' to the Father that the Holy Spirit inspires. 

Taverna du Liban, Kabul

 I like many expats have dined in the Taverna du Liban in Kabul, a mini haven of normality in the midst of so much confusion. You can read the reviews on Trip Advisor.
I remember going there with the ORA team in Kabul, and on many other occasions. Good food,  good company, good atmosphere....  
So it was a with a  real sense of shock that we heard of the suicide bombing and the death of 21 at the restaurant.  BBC's Lyse Douset also wrote a piece about Kamal,  the cafe owner who died trying to defend his restaurant.

An Afghan friend of mine, now living in the US wrote the following on Facbook - he used to be involved in running a coffee shop in Kabul himself .....

I stumbled across a tweet seconds after the cowardly attack on Taverna Du Liban restaurant this morning (night time in Kabul). My millisecond instinct reaction has taken me to ‘chaila’ days – fears like today (of what happened at Taverna) has robbed many nights with the question, threat and fear hanging on the back of my mind “what if they…”
As I was thinking about the horror of today’s atrocity, it took me back to the time we’ve decided for ‘chaila’ to remain in people’s memory than a physical reality.
Call it downheartedness of today’s event or nostalgia (already) of good ol' days, Taverna was a beautiful corner of Kabul with incredible hospitality and food. Last time I arrived to pick up a food order, I was early. I parked the car on the opposite corner of the restaurant and turned the car off to take a short nap (it was late evening). I opened my eyes with the sound of a knock-knock on the window - the guard asked if I was waiting for a guest inside to which I replied “no”. “I am here”, I said, “to pick up my order and I’m 30 minutes early”. “Go check inside… they might have it ready for you!” said the guard. I went inside paid the bill and while waiting for the food to come, Kamal brought me a glass of fresh pomegranate juice -- “Drink this while you are waiting, Sedi’i” and we both sat and chatted.

 I read that Kamal picked up his gun to defend his guests and died on the first few minutes of the firefight with these two cold-blooded Talib assailants. But there was also another gentleman who didn’t get a chance to defend his guests. His name was Kramuddin. He was 35 years old and father of five girls and one boy – the youngest 3 months old. His income was Afs 10,000 – roughly $170 per month and he was the sole breadwinner of the family. He was one of the guards at the entrance gate and died on the initial suicide attack. Most likely everyone who went to the Lebanese Restaurant saw him at the gate but may not know his name.

Once again, I’m speechless of what humans are capable of doing in the name of God.
A few days ago, I read a poem which resonates with what has happened today. It loosely translates to:

“They search for You in hundreds of colours
And in deceit and cunning
They seek You with spears in wars
In this place, they are looking for You in a rock
You give life, but here…
They take lives and call it your dictum!”

Addiction: Afghanistan's secret shame

I was sent a link to this 2013 production 'Addiction: Afghanistan's Secret Shame'
by BBC Persian journalist Tahir Qadiry - filmed and directed by Darius Bazargan
It is an excellent 45 min documentary, which looks at the contemporary addiction problem in Afghanistan with over a million heroin addicts (2009 figures). Afghanistan is not just a producer and exporter of drugs, but a major consumer. It's one way to deal with all the trauma of over 3 decades of war and current 40% unemployment.

addicts by the Kabul River

You can watch an interview on Weekend World with Tahir about his programme  And see the full 45 minute documentary here Addiction: Afghanistan's secret shame. It's is well worth it......

The documentary focuses on addicts in Kabul and Mazar-e-Sherif (and Balkh).  And it features the NEJAT centre, which is the organisation I used to work for in Peshawar, as Drug Advisor, back in the 1990s. I am still on their advisory board. They come over well in the documentary and I felt proud to be associated with them.  But I also felt somewhat disillusioned in that in spite of all our efforts the drug problem has been relentlessly increasing.  Nejat may indeed be one of the most established treatment programmes in the country, yet they still couldn't help Jawed the young 18 year old addict from Badakhshan, who is the storyline focus of the documentary.  He is seen leaving, having gone back on drugs, wandering the street of Kabul alone, as the snow falls around him, with the 'Velvet Underground'  Heroin song as background music (lyrics by Micheal O'suilleabhain) :

'I don't know just where I'm going....   but I gonna try for the kingdom if I can' 

The Hard Places - a video about Dr Tom

I was moved to support a video project - described as 'A film that tells the true story of Medal of Freedom recipient Dr. Tom Little and asks big questions about the future of Afghanistan'  It is being made by Lukas and Salome Augustine.
You can find out more on the Kickstarter website. Dr Tom ran the NOOR ophthalmic programme in Afghanistan, and was involved in helping thousands of Afghans recover their sight. He was leading the team that was killed on their way back form a medical trip in Nuristan in August 2010. I thought it looked excellent 

 



They produced another award winning vimeo called Afghanistan: Touchdown in flight which is well worth watching. I like the fact that it portrays the gentle side of Afghanistan, a country and people I have come to love.

Addicted in Afghanistan

I was sent the link to a new film. It is based in a part of the world I used to work in and all about the type of work I was involved in......  

It is with great excitement that we can finally announce our multi-award winning feature length documentary "Addicted in Afghanistan" is now available to stream or buy to download here!
Thanks to Distrify you can watch this film and if you embed it on your own blogs or websites, you get to earn  revenue from film sales!  Please see the Addicted website for further details about the film.








"Addicted in Afghanistan" now available to stream or download! 
It looks like a  great movie  Let me now what you think about it ......

Dancing 2012

wherethehellismatt inspired me back in 2008. Now he has come up with another movie at last of dancing around the world. This time with less sponsorship and more cultural diversity shining through in what is still wonderfully inspirational.......

Published on Jun 20, 2012 by mattharding2718

The cities that didn't make it into the final cut will be in the outtakes video that we're putting up on Tuesday, July 10th!

Download the video, buy the shirt and stuff like that:http://store.wherethehellismatt.com/

"Trip the Light" on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/trip-light-feat.-alicia-lemke/id535287301?i=...

Vocals by Alicia Lemke: http://www.alicialemke.com

Lyrics to Trip the Light:
http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/about/faq#triplyrics

The dancers in Syria are blurred for their safety.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY&feature=relmfu

*************************

I showed my version of Dancing, clips I had taken whilst travelling, inspired by Matt dancing2008 will ye go? at Christchurch on Sunday night at the end of my talk. It went down well and hence I was reminded of MAtt Dancing again and found the 2012 version..... 

The video includes what became known as ORA's last dance. our final board meeting in Kabul. In it you can see (3:12-3:30) Cheryl dancing at the back. She was one of the 10 murdered aid workers in Nuristan back in August 2010. So sad to think whe is no lionger with us. But the dancing is a testimony to the fact that she enjoyed life so much.   

Afghanistan: The Great Game

I have just watched Afghanistan: The Great Game - A Personal View by Rory Stewart
and I recommend ity highly. You've only got a few days left to watch it on BBC i-Player.
It's in two parts:  Episode 1 and Episode 2

My favourite quote was by an Afghan now living in Britain who said 'Its really easy to  get into Afghanistan; it's just the getting out part that's really difficult"

It was fascinating to think that this country of Afghanistan, which is on the one hand so barren, yet on the other so strategically placed, has been the stomping ground of Super Powers.  Rory Stewart explores this, looking at invasions in the 19th century by Britain, 20th century by Russia and in the 21st century by the US-lead coalition.  

The words of Pete Seeger's  'Where have all the flowers gone?' sung by Joan Baez  come back to me
'when will we ever learn, when will we ever learn .... ' 

The Lodge at Istalif: I lift my eyes up to the Mountains

(1) Istalif: Mountain and Valley 

We were staying at the Lodge at Istalif  - a group of us having a  break from routine.  I was here to meet with some of our people - working mainly in Mazar. This was a chance to get away for a couple of days and have fun together.   We had to walk an hour from where the van dropped us off at a school in a village.  We were staying at a Lodge belonging to friends from the US. It is a small business they run

We were only 7 in all.  We talked and walked up the valley, sat and read. And relaxed together.  We ate mainly omlettes and toast in the morning and rice and beans in the evenings (fortunately suplemented by Chicken one night and very late Kofte the other)  Green Tea was plentiful and neverending.   Frederica ran an Art workshop..... looking at the theme of rock and water.

I did a couple of paintings -  One of the River valley, just below the lodge (2) - Oil Pastels in an A4 Stetch Pad.

(2) Istalif River, below the lodge 

The other of my pictures is a Oil Pastel (1) stetch from the balcony of the view facing us, in all its splendour and majesty.  A reminder to look up ......

I lift my eyes up to the Mountains where does my help come from  (Psalm 121)  

I lift up my eyes to the mountains — where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip — he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD watches over you — the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. 

Self Portrait - free of heart

This is a self portrait I did recently - my 'Afghan look' - an image I feel very comfortable with. It is part of my identity.

I have just been in Kabul where I chair the board of a partner NGO. I travel every May and November. It is something I enjoy immensely. There is something about Afghanistan and the Afghan people that gets inside you. It is a privilege to be involved in some small way.

The NGO work is demanding, with many projects designed to serve the people of Afghanistan. And sorting out governance and management We have just had a consultant with us helping to restructure the board governance. There was an overwhelming sense of agreement in the direction we are going. But it all takes time and is necessary. And sometimes seems a distraction form the real work.

Afghanistan is not an easy place to be. The demands are high, with constant security threats and the need to be vigilant. I recently wrote blog on the Mazar UN murders

There is a lack of infrastructure - so many basic things to do. Yet there is a sense of excitement in what some have called the Wild, Wild East.

I remember reading the classic 1960s novel set in Afghanistan - James A Mitchener's 'Caravans' with stories of play readings in Kabul and packs of wolves wandering the streets, of Nomadic Kuchi peoples wandering the Steppes on Camels, of a German engineer learning about how flexible Afghan bridges survive better than solid Western ones. There's a lesson there...

'I love Afghanistan. Who cares about the dysentery and the loneliness? For I knew that Afghanistan was the toughest assignment on record. Here was the post which sooner or later tested a man and for me the preliminaries were over. I was about to plunge into one of the world's great cauldrons' James A Mitchener: Caravans

People get romantic about Afghanistan and see enormous significance in its untamable wildness. Maybe none more so than Mohammad Iqbal (1876-1938) Pakistan's Poet laureate:

Asia is a living body, and Afghanistan is its heart.

In the ruin of the heart lies the ruin of the body;

So long as the heart is free, the body remains free;

If not it becomes a straw adrift in the wind.

A reminder to us all to be free of heart, free spirits ...

like the young woman in James Mitchener's 'Caravans' in spite of the trouble it may get us into.

Shaken, not stirred

A personal reflection on the UN killings in Afghanistan



"Diatribe never gets anywhere"





(Painting: © Phil Simpson/CMS)



This article is from the CMS website
The painting is an oil pastel I did, based on the photo used, which was taken by Simon in Korea



I followed the events in Afghanistan with shock and horror. The brutal murders in Mazar-e-Sherif and then protests in Kandahar and Jelalabad – all in response to a fundamentalist pastor in Florida and the ‘trial and execution’ of the Qur'an.

The image of the burning Qur'an inflamed minds all around the Muslim world.

It struck me that the Bible could similarly be tried and found wanting, because it is how the text is interpreted and (mis)used that is the real issue.

Unfortunately, careful debate of our sacred texts is not a factor in these situations. What concerns me is the typical pattern of people in the mosque on a Friday being stirred up by the preaching to retaliate.

What may start as a peaceful protest so easily escalates and gets out of control (and the same dynamic happens in London when students take to the streets to protest against tuition fees) until you have a frenzied crowd seeking revenge. That appears to be what happened in Mazar.

What is needed but so sadly lacking in Afghanistan is interfaith dialogue – even more than the usual condemnation of such provocative acts as the Florida Qur'an burning. The trouble with such condemnation is that it provokes an equal and opposite response. And leads to escalation.

Diatribe it seems to me never gets anywhere.

CMS is involved with partner organisations in Afghanistan and has been for many years. There are team members working there in various humanitarian roles. I have visited many times over the past 15 years and seen their excellent work.

One of our people based in Mazar-e-Sherif wrote shortly after the crowd stormed the UN compound and killed staff there:

“We are ok. Shaken up but ok. Gunfire all afternoon off and on. We are staying inside and just waiting to see what will happen. Really devastating that so many UN workers were killed in such a terrible way, so brutally…. It changes how you view people. I am sick of all this senseless killing. The building was our side of town, some people one street away had bullets land in their garden. We will probably just keep a low profile for a few days while the facts of what happened comes out.”

That’s the problem with senseless killing – it makes you sick, tired and weary and can erode your commitment. 'Compassion fatigue' can apply to workers as well as donors.

Like the apostle Paul, we are at a loss to understand but not despairing (2 Cor 4:8–9). Shaken by events but not stirred up to participate in the cycle of revenge.

The challenge is to ‘hope against hope’ and to just keep going.

'Dusk to Dusk' - Afghan poems

The painting is inspired by one I found on the internet of an old Afghan man.

I originally came across the poems in a booklet produced in Coventry by Afghan Refugees called 'Dusk to Dusk'. These are Pushtoon poems - 'By blood...' by Amad Shah Durrani (1747-73) and 'The knowing man' by Khushal Khan Khattak (1613-90) There is a timelessness about both the picture of the old man and the poems ....

BY BLOOD by A.S.D.

Sta pa lara ke biley zalmey sarona

Kaharo da dunya malkona der shi

Zama her na shi da sta khokaley baghona

Da Delhi takht herawom chi rapa yad shi

Da khpal khukaley pakhtoonkhwa da ghra sarona

Da raqeeb da jhwand mathah ba tar pa tar kram

Chi pa thoro pakhtana ka guzarona

Ka thamam dunya yaw khwata bal khwa ye

Zama khwah de sta khalee tash dagarona

Ahmad sha ba sta qader Kher na ka

Ka wana si da thamam jahan malkona

By blood, we are immersed in love of you.
The youth lose their heads for your sake.
I come to you and my heart finds rest.
Away from you, grief clings to my heart like a snake.
I forget the throne of Delhi
when I remember the mountain tops of my Afghan land.
If I must choose between the world and you,
I shall not hesitate to claim your barren deserts as my own.

THE KNOWING by K.K.K.

The knowing man knows

About himself

From inward looking comes

The knowledge of the Most Holy

Ignore the person

Reciting verses from the Qu'ran,

But lacking in a fearing heart

And fellow feeling.

Afghan girl receives enduring heart award

You remember the TIME article about an Afghan girl disfigured by the Taleban and left to die

It was very contraversial in the way the picture was used politically. However the 19 year girl, Aisha, has now received a new prosthetic nose and is all smiles.

All was revealed at a ceremony where she recieved an 'Enduring Heart award'

You can read all about it

Disfigured Afghan teenager smiles again and also

The smile that defies the Taliban: Afghan teenager whose mutilated face shocked the world unveils her new image

It's a small victory for humanity in the face of oppression. a case of 'cutting of a nose' which has now 'spited the face' of the Taleban.

Pray even if you have no prayer

President Karzai was understandably emotional as he thought about his own children and the future of Afghanistan . .

.

Weeping Karzai laments Afghan woe

www.bbc.co.uk

President Hamid Karzai bursts into tears during a nationally televised speech on the problems facing Afghanistan, as a peace council is appointed to start formal negotiations with the Taliban.

a friend of mine Colin responded ot this with a prayer/poem which I thought would be good to post:

Pray even if you have no prayer...

Oh great God friend of the crushed and broken,

let not Afghanistan be a caravan of slaughter

on its way to a caravanserai of despair.

May you gentle king grant to people who live in security

the gift of tears and imagination,

and to those who live by violence

the gift of hope

Afghan videos - what a waste

Two excellent movies (on vimeo) produced by Brian Cardarelli, one of the 10 aid workers killed in Afghanistan. (Thanks Khalid and Martin for pointing them out). He was with the Nuristan team to produce a video of the work. Sadly no more videos from him. What a waste......

Buzkashi from Brian Carderelli on Vimeo.

a metaphor of Afghanistan
Filmed in Faizabad, Afghanistan.

Hammer Jam from Brian Carderelli on Vimeo.

A modern twist on an ancient job.
Filmed in Mazar, Afghanistan.

10 Murdered Medical Aid workers in Afghanistan

From top left, Glen D. Lapp, Tom Little, Dan Terry, Thomas Grams, Cheryl Beckett,

Brian Carderelli, Karen Woo, Daniela Beyer, Mahram Ali, and Jawed

I have been following the news about the Noor Eye Camp team which was murdered - gunned down in fact - after they had trekked into and out of Nooristan and were returning to Kabul via a 'safer route' through Badakhshan. Below are the news reports as I posted them via Twitter feed and Facebook Updates. You can click on the links to see the newspaper reports:

Eight foreign medics & 2 afghans executed by Taliban | Raw Story: http://bit.ly/b6WgMd - tragic deaths of charity workers

07 August at 15:30

10 Aid Workers, Including 6 Americans, Killed in Afghanistan: Photo: AP An international Christian charity says mi... http://bit.ly/bi9bx8

07 August at 15:36

RT @cmsmission RT @AlertNet: Eight foreign medical workers killed in #Afghanistan http://ow.ly/2mkGb #aid #health #aidworkers

07 August at 15:40

Very saddened by News of killing of 10 Noor workers returning from eyecamps. Been thinking about it all day. I knew the leader Dr Tom well

07 August at 22:25

RT @journeytosmile Murdered medics: Was the Taliban responsible? Or was it Nuristani bandits http://bit.ly/9FL2DO

08 August at 14:22

BBC Tributes paid to Dr Karen Woo killed in Afghan ambush http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-10907188 - 'a true hero'

08 August at 19:14

Reading @cbsnews: Afghan Medical Mission Ends In Death For 10: http://bit.ly/dtrOe2 - a helpful summary report. I knew Dr Tom well. very sad

08 August at 19:25

‎'Little family in Afghanistan' http://www.viiphoto.com/detailStory.php? news_id=566 a photo essay on the 'Little Family' with a BIG impact

08 August at 19:28

Slain Workers Undaunted by Risks, Friends Say http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/world/asia/08aidworkers.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&hp

08 August at 19:46

Afghan politician Abdullah praises killed medics http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-10908807. He trained under Dr Tom Little.

08 August at 21:47

Libby Little talking about Noor's work http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/08/08/afghanistan.aid.widow/index.html#fbid=kaoRmsBmehv&wom=false

08 August at 23:29

‎'Victims of Afghan massacre gave years of service' http://bit.ly/bz6bRp very good background on the Nuristan team

09 August at 11:15

http://www.iam-afghanistan.org/ Just realised Cheryl was one of those killed! http://www.iam-afghanistan.org/press_release_2/photos.html

09 August at 18:08

AP Exclusive: Aid workers' last moments http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100811/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

12 August at 09:00

Ten Dead in Badakhshan: Four Afghan Reflections http://aan-afghanistan.com/index.asp?id=970

12 August at 9.01

'Killing aid workers: unravelling Afghan society' Michael Semple http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/0809/1224276416553.html

12 August at 11:05

In Kabul, a Service for Slain Aid Workers http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/12/scenes-from-a-memorial-service-for-slain-aid-workers/

13 August at 14.00