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Guns, Girls and Grizzled Warriors: Ismail Khan’s mujahedin council project in the West

The phenomenon of Afghan strongmen visiting their home provinces and delivering fiery speeches to their ‘traditional’ constituencies is all but new. Still, it has intensified as of late, as the transition process is said to progress and the next presidential election approaches. The most recent rendition given by the Minister of Water and Energy, Ismail […]

17 Nov 2012 Fabrizio Foschini • Political Landscape

The Asia Foundation’s 2012 survey and how to read opinion polls in Afghanistan

On 14 November the Asia Foundation released its 2012 ‘Survey of the Afghan People’, based on data collected by ACSOR (Afghan Center for Socio-Economic Research), a Kabul-based research organisation that has done the data collection for almost all large publicly released opinion polls. It is the eighth survey in its kind: the first was released […]

16 Nov 2012 Martine van Bijlert • Political Landscape

Just about over the First Hill: Pakistan’s Release of Afghan Taleban

The release of a number of Afghan Taleban by Pakistan, as announced on 14 November, may prove crucial for an urgently needed breakthrough on a political settlement in Afghanistan. It is also the first big personal success for Rabbani Junior at the helm of the Afghan High Peace Council. But too much optimism would be […]

15 Nov 2012 Thomas Ruttig • War and Peace

External publication: Social protection in Afghanistan: Between conflict, transition and international aid

In: “The cup, the gun and the crescent Social welfare and civil unrest in Muslim societies”; Sara Ashencaen Crabtree, Jonathan Parker & Azlinda Azman (eds.), Whiting & Birch Publication date: November 2012

15 Nov 2012 Martine van Bijlert • External publications

Social protection in Afghanistan: Between conflict, transition and international aid

“Social Protection in Afghanistan: Between conflict, transition and international aid” by Martine van Bijlert In: The Cup, The Gun and The Crescent. Social welfare and civil unrest in Muslim societies; Sara Ashencaen Crabtree, Jonathan Parker & Azlinda Azman (eds.), Whiting & Birch Publication date: November 2012

15 Nov 2012 Martine van Bijlert • External publications

Put Principles Back at Centre-Stage: Women’s Rights in Afghanistan

While the international community focuses on transition and disengagement from Afghanistan, women´s rights – invoked to justify the 2001 anti-Taleban intervention and thereafter used whenever handy – have again been relegated to the back burner. The continued prioritisation of prosecuting women for ‘moral crimes’ while – despite some recent high-profile cases – under-emphasising rape cases […]

13 Nov 2012 Ann Wilkens • Rights and Freedoms

Legal, illegal: Militia recruitment and (failed) disarmament in Kunduz

Kunduz has a long and troubled history of militia presence. In addition to militia units developed by the Ministry of Interior (MoI), the provincial National Directorate for Security (NDS) also recruited some, starting in late 2008. Then, starting last year, the provincial security officials attempted to disarm some militias again, in response to complaints by […]

10 Nov 2012 Gran Hewad • War and Peace

9 November 2012, Stockholm: SCA report release ‘Missing the Target’

The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA), the Kvinna till Kvinna (Women to Women) Foundation and Operation 1325 are releasing ‘Missing the Target – A report on the Swedish commitment for women, peace and security in Afghanistan’ in Sweden’s capital Stockholm on 9 November, authored by Ann Wilkens, a former Swedish ambassador to Pakistan and Afghanistan […]

9 Nov 2012 AAN • admin • Events

The Ulama Council: paid to win public minds – but do they?

The largest religious body in Afghanistan is the National Ulama Council, which was set up by President Karzai almost a decade ago. The president’s hope, expressed at the time, was that the council – with its 3,000 members from across the country, all of whom receive government salaries – would help him win political support […]

5 Nov 2012 Borhan Osman • Political Landscape

On the Roof of the World: The Last Kyrgyz in Afghanistan

At most 2,000 individuals, pastoralists living for centuries in the harsh environment of Afghanistan’s north-easternmost Pamir region, are the last remaining ethnic Kyrgyz in Afghanistan. As a part of its nationalist discourse, post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan has been vocally politicking, but not doing much in practice, for the return of these Kyrgyz ‘brethren’ to their titular homeland, […]

3 Nov 2012 S Reza Kazemi • Context and Culture