Discussion #7

1. The Hazara people are mostly of Muslim religion, living primarily within the region of central Afghanistan. Most of these civilians are very poor, and lack a general education, proper clothing and sanitation, and even access to electricity (because many of the villages do not have electricity). When traveling through the country, the Hazara people invited Rory Stewart into their mosque, which he found very kind, considering most others had not. In this specific portion of Stewart’s journey, he encounters some men and suggests that the ancestors are descended from ancient Mongolians.
2. The geography and climate of Afghanistan are both completely different from that of the United States. The nation is mostly considered desert, and is sweltering hot. There are many mountains, and some villages and communities are found within them. These villages are very poor and lack the ability to grow crops because the landscape makes it almost impossible. This is hard to understand, but Pennsylvania is known for agriculture, and many areas that we live in are used primarily for farming. The ability to grow crops provides food and also establishes an income, of which these people can’t acquire. Instead, many of them try to find and sell goods, even ancient artifacts from demolished ruins of old and abandoned cities; they sell these items on the black market for much less value than its worth, even just to provide minimal income, necessary for survival.
3. Though the Afghan people are all interconnected through the Muslim religion, there are differences in culture of the nation, especially between the Sunni and Shia Muslims. The differences among people in villages are also recognized, and it is dangerous to travel from one village to the next without being killed along the pathway. Stewart reports this, and also mentions that most people have not even been outside of their own small community, especially the women. Ever since the Taliban invaded the country, the rules and restrictions, especially for women, were increased far beyond the penalties that were outlaid in the religion prior to the invasion. Though the Muslim religion upholds a sacrilegious aspect for women, the Taliban created rules that damaged their social life and various other rights. Tribal and military loyalties within the nation were split up within select communities, and Stewart was accompanied by several men along his journey. Usually one or two “officers” would accompany Stewart to his next village, where he would present a piece of paper signed from the leader of the prior village, stating that he had permission of his travels; at that destination, he would ask for another signature, pay the old “officers,” and obtain new ones to accompany him to the next village on his route through Afghanistan. Though Stewart tried to refuse the safety and protection of these “officers,” it was almost mandatory that they be by his side the majority of the time along his journey. Some of these men did it as an act of kindness to him as a fellow stranger, in order to provide protection, and also because Stewart issued them some sort of pay at the end (though some seemed to refuse at first…)