I Traveled To Afghanistan To Show People What It Really Looks Like (40 Pics)
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I recently traveled around Afghanistan as part of a photography project for which I traveled to all the Central Asian countries. The goal was to show how these misunderstood and unknown countries really look like and how our prejudices stand in the way of connecting with and understanding cultures, religions, countries, and people that are different from us.
A message I find is becoming increasingly more relevant giving the rising tension in the world now that xenophobia and Islamophobia, unfortunately, seem to flourish abundantly once again. The incredible hospitality, authentic interactions and genuine connections we had with the locals changed my perspective, and that of people in my environment, on this side of the world. I hope to continue spreading this message as far as possible.
More info: thijsbroekkamp.com
The blue mosque in Mazar e Sharif. I felt that at the mosque’s I could really see daily life as it would be without war
Afghanistan has been at war for about 40 years with no end in sight. Images and stories of war and terrorism are generally only information that reaches us through the media about the country. Thus the image we have in our mind of the country is pretty awful of course. You imagine it to be a post-apocalyptic wasteland, with people throwing bombs at each other all day long. It’s not like that all.
On Friday, big groups of families and friends come to the mosque and hang out after the prayer
Children playing, people snapping away selfies, people laughing; this is how life should be in Afghanistan
Surprise surprise, not every Afghan is a terrorist who wants to destroy the western world. It is only a small percentage of the population who are extremists and give Muslims a horrible reputation. The majority of the Afghan population does not agree with groups like the Taliban and ISIS at all and don’t even consider them to be real Muslims, because what they are doing is against many rules of the Islam.
And sitting around, chatting over some tea, is a major social component of Afghan culture
I did not aim to take dramatic pictures of the army in combat with terrorists or the aftermath of a suicide bombing in Afghanistan. Instead, I want to show that life goes on despite the war. Instead, I want to talk about how everybody on the streets, in restaurants, hotels etc. chatted with us and were incredibly proud that we visited their country, how people invited us to their home, how we feasted on delicious food (Afghan kebab rules!), how we got incredibly stoned with the supervisor of the oldest mosque of Afghanistan and how we were greeted with friendly and curious faces everywhere.
A student making use of the peace and quiet of the Herat mosque to study his books
I think that showing this side of the country produces a much more colorful and truthful image of the country than what is portrayed in the media and that it paints a different picture of the country than only the war. Life in Afghanistan continues and goes on despite all the troubles. People are living their daily life and are just looking for the same things that we are looking for here in the west, which is being happy and being able to take care of and raise your children.
Especially the younger generation was eager to test out their English with me
Bazaars form the beating heart of a village or city in this part of the world. Perfect to observe local life
The Afghans are a proud, resilient and powerful people. They have been going through so much misery. The least they deserve is that people know how they really are, which is beautiful and warm, and hope that stability will once return to their country. Let’s not forget that beyond the war, the politics and the terrorists, there are millions of people trying to live a normal life. The conflicts across cultures will continue endlessly if we do not change our behavior toward each other. Perseverance in trying to understand one another will ultimately prevail over ignorance and mistreating one another.
The Kabul bird market is an ancient market, bustling with people in the small alleys and narrow lanes
Wandering around here feels like stepping back in time about 100 years
People looking for a pet, a trophy or fighting bird come asses and buy the available birds
This is a worker in the Herat tile factory
Here they still make tiles for the mosques in the traditional way
Unfortunately, there is less and less work for them due to cheap mass produced tiles from China
Smoking hasj is an ancient tradition, that predates Islamic rules, and is quite common throughout the country
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The pictures are beautiful, but the lack of women in public is very noticeable
This unequal and unjust treatment of women did not always exist in Afghanistan. In the 1960s and 1970s, Afghanistan made great progress in women's rights. Women attended universities and had good careers. Not only did they not have to cover their faces or heads, they wore miniskirts! Do an online search for "women AND Afghanistan AND 1970s” and you’ll find many articles on this topic. Here are two, from different perspectives: https://raziasrayofhope.org/women-and-girls-in-afghanistan.html https://dangerousminds.net/comments/it_didnt_always_suck_to_be_a_woman_in_afghanistan After the USSR invaded Afghanistan in late 1979, the U.S. began supporting the mujaheddin with billions of dollars in militarily aid for their fight against the Soviets. https://www.democracynow.org/2004/6/10/ghost_wars_how_reagan_armed_the (That’s the whole link, it’s not cut off at the end) This support eventually led to the rise of Al Qaeda.
Not exactly, though I like your enthusiasm. The locations where women wore mini-skirts were in the elite and academic sections of Kabul and a very small area in Kandahar. Outside of those small areas, women did NOT wear mini-skirts. Also, within the areas, there was very heavy protection from a very Western (late 60's) and Marxist USSR (70's and 80's) backed government who had the big guns. It should be noted that those practices, like women wearing mini-skirts - which the political and economic elite accommodated in the cities was one of the reasons the religious parties were gaining support form the other 95% of the population in rebellion against the government.Those parties became the Mujahadeen and took down the communist government - the mini-skirts went with it.
so, the US is to blame for the inequality in Afghanistan? I'll blame it on the Mujaheddin's ideology. The US didn't design the ideology.
Yes, I was wondering where they all were hiding.
Probably at home eating baklava, drinking coffee, and gossiping about how ridiculous the men are. (Source: muslim woman that enjoys eating baklava and drinking coffee after mosque)
Not just that. There's a general lack of diversity in those pictures. Pretty obvious people are being supressed and opressed by the muslim male majority.
They are most likely at home drinking coffee and eating baklava. THE HORROR. (Source: muslim woman that enjoys baklava and coffee after mosque)
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
It is not that they are not there, but most of them don't want to be photographed.
Oh they are there, in some of the photos. But they are covered from head to toe. Which is disturbing when one thinks of photos of the same country taken in the 70's, the last time women were free to live as they chose. Actually, as a woman, I found those photos of yours to be deeply disturbing and horrifying.
"Don't want to be photographed" is no less a disturbing answer.
While I understand you couldn't photograph women, it is worth considering how surreal it is for a woman to look at this and see 'people' mentioned constantly but realise your own gender is missing. As if 'people' does not include you.
Not to make any reproach to you here (you do bring some humanity to the image of a little-known country), but one cannot forget how the very same pictures would have looked, had religious extremism not totally obliterated women from the public space in Afghan Societies. I posted such a picture above: the contrast is chilling.
They are covered from head to toe and cannot be identified waht so ever. Why they don't want to be photographed? In fear of what? Being recognized by their feet? and waht would happen to them if they were photographed?
THEY don't wan't ?! Or their husbands would simply stone her to death if they do ? Lovely contry indeed . . .
even in the crowded market place, did you see any women?
I really want to write an elaborate answer, unfortunately characters are limited. That is true, in 1970's it was much more liberal. The extremist conservative rule of the Taliban has halted all progression and turned backwards many steps. Since the Taliban is not defeated, this is still the case today. If we constantly approach this country from the negative aspects though people and governments will continue to neglect it as it is considered a 'shithole' anyway. There are many, many steps to be taken to improve the image. My first, humble, step is this, showing the daily life, that many people don't know existed. Next, I really hope to show you guys soon all the amazing initiatives and projects I learned about in more progressive parts that are making great steps in women rights. I could have addressed, like all journalists and reports from this country do, the extreme poverty, deplorable women rights and ever decreasing security situation. i feel that is not really helping though.
I admire what you're doing Thijs. I'm from Israel originally and I can appreciate how the beauty of a country (particularly from this part of the world) can become lost in translation largely due to negative media coverage. Your photos beautifully showcase humanity and reminds us there's "real people" behind the storylines, even if the current situation isn't an ideal one. Don't get dissuaded by the comments, keep doing what you're doing.
Thank you for your beautiful photographs. I have always wished to visit Afghanistan. I have read a tremendous amount about this country. For further reading please read a book called Butcher & Bolt about the attempted British invasions. The British were kicked out 3 times. I detested the US help given to the Mujahadeen. The Soviets were actually invited assist. Take care and be encouraged that there are people who see beyond what is shown.
Why??
....
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Thank you for showing some light and coulors of a country that has suffered so much. Of course women's rights and security are a great issue there. But I understand you only wanted to show that Afghanistan is not only that but much more. How easy is to judge people! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p64O8KAHHaQ
what other commentators have said - it must be an amazing place - for men! women have to be covered, women are not allowed alone anywhere, everywhere you go it's full of men.
Only a man could go to a place where 80% of suicide attempts are made by women (BBC), where women get stoned (CNN), where 78% of women believe that going out without telling the husband is justification for beating while 92% in total consider it justified under other circumstances (UNICEF), where female literacy levels are on average 17% (Unesco), come back with dozens of photos of smiling people - sorry, men - and say "Afghanistan is awesome y'all I don't know what everyone's talking about". Embarrassing. He's not just not helping those women by this "journalism", but actually hurting them.
Dude (because of COURSE a dude wrote this) should just change the title to, "Man is Happy to Report That Other Men Are Doing OK." That's all this tone-deaf fluff piece manages to show.
Agreed. Stunning lack of awareness
All the people you pictured happy are MEN ... what does that say? Their women are miserable, their daughters circumcised
It should be noted that FGM can (and does) occur everywhere. Including North America.
To me, it says the author had an agenda. 1. He doesn't care about the happiness of women. 2. He wants readers to believe that all Afghans are good people who just want "peace". But as I said in my original post, without knowing the hearts of each individual who want "peace" and what peace means to them, "peace" could just mean a different kind of violence and inequality for others. And as my brother and military friends have reported about Afghanistan after getting deployed there, "There is no true good. There's just bad, and bad good. For example, a person may want to be good, but the only way to support himself in the remote village he lives in is to sell and transport drugs, so that's what he does."
Well that is one extremely narrow minded way to look at it of course. It is attitudes like this that make it impossible for this country to develop. You assume that all Afghans are horrible which is an awful way to look at things. I've met and spoke with many local Afghans there and refugees in my country here who have very different thoughts than that we all so easily assume here. It is easy for Westerners who consider themselves superior in moral and values and believe that everybody should follow these, point out all the flaws of this country. Don't forgot that all the turmoil and misery the country is in that turned back all developments, like modernization, liberalization and women rights, are for an extremely large part thanks to the meddling of foreign and mostly western forces. Who had no intention of helping Afghanistan and were purely there out of own interest and now leave it in the mess they created.
Your brother and his military friends are most likely a bunch of racist assholes.
I appreciate your comment op, but my question comes from ignorance: I am aware of th western world's questionable reasons for war, and how this would have incited zealous rebellions, but how did women's freedom get so mixes up in it, for the everyday Afghan person not just the extremists?
I do not think its afghan culture to circumcise females only males.
no circumcision in Afghanistan .. this happens in some African countries, not in Asia
I don’t think the do FGM in Afghanistan. It’s not a Muslim practice. I do agree with your criticism of these photos, tho.
It's most prevalent in African countries. In Somalia something like 98% of teenage girls have undergone FGM. I believe it's more of a social obligation rather than a religious requirement but it just so happens that the countries which do regularly practice FGM are Islamic.
FGM is absolutely islamic, it's obligatory under the Shafi'i school, which is followed in countries like Somalia, Egypt, Djibouti, Indonesia. All those countries have a very high percentage of mutilated women (80-98%).
It's definitely not islamic , they used to do it in Africa and they're not muslims it's simply the sick minds of the men there it got nothing to do with any kind of religion i read the whole Qur'an non of this was mentioned I've been a muslim my whole life never heard of it and never was mentioned to me or to anyone around me i only read about it in an article about a girl who died in Egypt because of the FGM, so please before you say it's a muslim practice get your facts straight it's forbidden and it's ruthless and it reflects nothing but the cruelty of menb
It's a muslim practice. It's obligatory under the Shafi'i school, which is followed in countries like Djibouti, Somalia, Egypt and Indonesia which all have very high percentage of mutilated women (80-98%)
That is right, there is no FGM in Afghanistan. These are very sensitive things and it is indeed important to get facts straight before talking about stuff like this.
The pictures are beautiful, but the lack of women in public is very noticeable
This unequal and unjust treatment of women did not always exist in Afghanistan. In the 1960s and 1970s, Afghanistan made great progress in women's rights. Women attended universities and had good careers. Not only did they not have to cover their faces or heads, they wore miniskirts! Do an online search for "women AND Afghanistan AND 1970s” and you’ll find many articles on this topic. Here are two, from different perspectives: https://raziasrayofhope.org/women-and-girls-in-afghanistan.html https://dangerousminds.net/comments/it_didnt_always_suck_to_be_a_woman_in_afghanistan After the USSR invaded Afghanistan in late 1979, the U.S. began supporting the mujaheddin with billions of dollars in militarily aid for their fight against the Soviets. https://www.democracynow.org/2004/6/10/ghost_wars_how_reagan_armed_the (That’s the whole link, it’s not cut off at the end) This support eventually led to the rise of Al Qaeda.
Not exactly, though I like your enthusiasm. The locations where women wore mini-skirts were in the elite and academic sections of Kabul and a very small area in Kandahar. Outside of those small areas, women did NOT wear mini-skirts. Also, within the areas, there was very heavy protection from a very Western (late 60's) and Marxist USSR (70's and 80's) backed government who had the big guns. It should be noted that those practices, like women wearing mini-skirts - which the political and economic elite accommodated in the cities was one of the reasons the religious parties were gaining support form the other 95% of the population in rebellion against the government.Those parties became the Mujahadeen and took down the communist government - the mini-skirts went with it.
so, the US is to blame for the inequality in Afghanistan? I'll blame it on the Mujaheddin's ideology. The US didn't design the ideology.
Yes, I was wondering where they all were hiding.
Probably at home eating baklava, drinking coffee, and gossiping about how ridiculous the men are. (Source: muslim woman that enjoys eating baklava and drinking coffee after mosque)
Not just that. There's a general lack of diversity in those pictures. Pretty obvious people are being supressed and opressed by the muslim male majority.
They are most likely at home drinking coffee and eating baklava. THE HORROR. (Source: muslim woman that enjoys baklava and coffee after mosque)
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
It is not that they are not there, but most of them don't want to be photographed.
Oh they are there, in some of the photos. But they are covered from head to toe. Which is disturbing when one thinks of photos of the same country taken in the 70's, the last time women were free to live as they chose. Actually, as a woman, I found those photos of yours to be deeply disturbing and horrifying.
"Don't want to be photographed" is no less a disturbing answer.
While I understand you couldn't photograph women, it is worth considering how surreal it is for a woman to look at this and see 'people' mentioned constantly but realise your own gender is missing. As if 'people' does not include you.
Not to make any reproach to you here (you do bring some humanity to the image of a little-known country), but one cannot forget how the very same pictures would have looked, had religious extremism not totally obliterated women from the public space in Afghan Societies. I posted such a picture above: the contrast is chilling.
They are covered from head to toe and cannot be identified waht so ever. Why they don't want to be photographed? In fear of what? Being recognized by their feet? and waht would happen to them if they were photographed?
THEY don't wan't ?! Or their husbands would simply stone her to death if they do ? Lovely contry indeed . . .
even in the crowded market place, did you see any women?
I really want to write an elaborate answer, unfortunately characters are limited. That is true, in 1970's it was much more liberal. The extremist conservative rule of the Taliban has halted all progression and turned backwards many steps. Since the Taliban is not defeated, this is still the case today. If we constantly approach this country from the negative aspects though people and governments will continue to neglect it as it is considered a 'shithole' anyway. There are many, many steps to be taken to improve the image. My first, humble, step is this, showing the daily life, that many people don't know existed. Next, I really hope to show you guys soon all the amazing initiatives and projects I learned about in more progressive parts that are making great steps in women rights. I could have addressed, like all journalists and reports from this country do, the extreme poverty, deplorable women rights and ever decreasing security situation. i feel that is not really helping though.
I admire what you're doing Thijs. I'm from Israel originally and I can appreciate how the beauty of a country (particularly from this part of the world) can become lost in translation largely due to negative media coverage. Your photos beautifully showcase humanity and reminds us there's "real people" behind the storylines, even if the current situation isn't an ideal one. Don't get dissuaded by the comments, keep doing what you're doing.
Thank you for your beautiful photographs. I have always wished to visit Afghanistan. I have read a tremendous amount about this country. For further reading please read a book called Butcher & Bolt about the attempted British invasions. The British were kicked out 3 times. I detested the US help given to the Mujahadeen. The Soviets were actually invited assist. Take care and be encouraged that there are people who see beyond what is shown.
Why??
....
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Thank you for showing some light and coulors of a country that has suffered so much. Of course women's rights and security are a great issue there. But I understand you only wanted to show that Afghanistan is not only that but much more. How easy is to judge people! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p64O8KAHHaQ
what other commentators have said - it must be an amazing place - for men! women have to be covered, women are not allowed alone anywhere, everywhere you go it's full of men.
Only a man could go to a place where 80% of suicide attempts are made by women (BBC), where women get stoned (CNN), where 78% of women believe that going out without telling the husband is justification for beating while 92% in total consider it justified under other circumstances (UNICEF), where female literacy levels are on average 17% (Unesco), come back with dozens of photos of smiling people - sorry, men - and say "Afghanistan is awesome y'all I don't know what everyone's talking about". Embarrassing. He's not just not helping those women by this "journalism", but actually hurting them.
Dude (because of COURSE a dude wrote this) should just change the title to, "Man is Happy to Report That Other Men Are Doing OK." That's all this tone-deaf fluff piece manages to show.
Agreed. Stunning lack of awareness
All the people you pictured happy are MEN ... what does that say? Their women are miserable, their daughters circumcised
It should be noted that FGM can (and does) occur everywhere. Including North America.
To me, it says the author had an agenda. 1. He doesn't care about the happiness of women. 2. He wants readers to believe that all Afghans are good people who just want "peace". But as I said in my original post, without knowing the hearts of each individual who want "peace" and what peace means to them, "peace" could just mean a different kind of violence and inequality for others. And as my brother and military friends have reported about Afghanistan after getting deployed there, "There is no true good. There's just bad, and bad good. For example, a person may want to be good, but the only way to support himself in the remote village he lives in is to sell and transport drugs, so that's what he does."
Well that is one extremely narrow minded way to look at it of course. It is attitudes like this that make it impossible for this country to develop. You assume that all Afghans are horrible which is an awful way to look at things. I've met and spoke with many local Afghans there and refugees in my country here who have very different thoughts than that we all so easily assume here. It is easy for Westerners who consider themselves superior in moral and values and believe that everybody should follow these, point out all the flaws of this country. Don't forgot that all the turmoil and misery the country is in that turned back all developments, like modernization, liberalization and women rights, are for an extremely large part thanks to the meddling of foreign and mostly western forces. Who had no intention of helping Afghanistan and were purely there out of own interest and now leave it in the mess they created.
Your brother and his military friends are most likely a bunch of racist assholes.
I appreciate your comment op, but my question comes from ignorance: I am aware of th western world's questionable reasons for war, and how this would have incited zealous rebellions, but how did women's freedom get so mixes up in it, for the everyday Afghan person not just the extremists?
I do not think its afghan culture to circumcise females only males.
no circumcision in Afghanistan .. this happens in some African countries, not in Asia
I don’t think the do FGM in Afghanistan. It’s not a Muslim practice. I do agree with your criticism of these photos, tho.
It's most prevalent in African countries. In Somalia something like 98% of teenage girls have undergone FGM. I believe it's more of a social obligation rather than a religious requirement but it just so happens that the countries which do regularly practice FGM are Islamic.
FGM is absolutely islamic, it's obligatory under the Shafi'i school, which is followed in countries like Somalia, Egypt, Djibouti, Indonesia. All those countries have a very high percentage of mutilated women (80-98%).
It's definitely not islamic , they used to do it in Africa and they're not muslims it's simply the sick minds of the men there it got nothing to do with any kind of religion i read the whole Qur'an non of this was mentioned I've been a muslim my whole life never heard of it and never was mentioned to me or to anyone around me i only read about it in an article about a girl who died in Egypt because of the FGM, so please before you say it's a muslim practice get your facts straight it's forbidden and it's ruthless and it reflects nothing but the cruelty of menb
It's a muslim practice. It's obligatory under the Shafi'i school, which is followed in countries like Djibouti, Somalia, Egypt and Indonesia which all have very high percentage of mutilated women (80-98%)
That is right, there is no FGM in Afghanistan. These are very sensitive things and it is indeed important to get facts straight before talking about stuff like this.