Afghan Whispers: Kabul Express, 5 More Years, and Lack of Legitimacy

Dialogue 3 talks about an Indian film, Kabul Express, which has created a lot of noise in Afghanistan without being shown on Afghanistan. The blogger says according to what is heard in the movie, very negative comments are made about the Hazara ethnic group such as that these people are as violent as Taliban or that all of them are killers[Fa]. He says this film hurts national unity in Afghanistan.

Afghan Warrior writes that the international community should pledge to support Afghanistan for five more years. The blogger says ,

We don't want to be a charity case. Afghans are proud people who want to make their own way in the world but at the moment we need the support of the free world. We need more emphasis on training the Afghan army so that Afghans can take over the fighting. We need enough support to defeat the Taliban. We don't have a shortage of brave Afghans – we have brave people and we can defeat the Taliban with the support of the free world. The Taliban are not strong enough to create any civil war at the moment. Therefore they carry out terrorist attacks which mainly kill innocent civilians, and if we have the support of the free world we can defeat the enemies soon. But if the world community abandons us, Afghanistan will go back to civil war. We don't want to be part of the 3rd world. We need the support of the world community at least for 5 more years.

Askar Gu Raiz talks about the fragile legitimacy of Afghan government. The blogger writes,

at a time when the public is becoming increasingly disillusioned with the state…parliamentarians spend the day which marks their first anniversary as a house not with their constituencies or the general public, but reporting to ‘donor countries and their representatives’… While I understand it is vital to have the donors on board, and less in Afghanistan is possible without them, the satisfaction of donor community with parliament’s performance need not be confused with what the motives of having a parliament in place are for either side; the Afghan state as a whole, and the countries involved in Afghanistan.

5 comments

  • Azad

    The movie is totally biased and politically themed.
    A desperate attempt by Kabir KHAN to glorify his fellow Pashtun Taleban and moderates rather than the face we know – women haters…
    Secondly it targets Afghanistan’s most persecuted ethnic group – the Hazaras as ‘worse than the Taliban’ and ‘professional robbers’… The Hazaras suffered the most under the extremist Taleban and have suffered the most under the previous Pashtun dominated Afghan governments. This attempt again by Kabir Khan to turn the tables around, is desperate and ridiculous in all senses.
    Thirdly the research and theme of the movie is weak. Not even close to the likes of previous Bollywood blockbuster shot in Afghanistan – ‘Khuda Gawah’ in 1982.

    In a nutshell, Kabul express wasn’t worth the wait!

  • shorish

    I want to express my disapproval on Kabir Khan’s movie Kabul Express. The kind of insults he has made about the Hazara nationality is clearly racist. Lets find truth from the facts. Hazaras are one of the 3 main nationalities in Afghanistan. Its population is about 7 million. Like any other nationality, you can find all sorts of people among this people. Even journalists like you and moviemakers like Mr. Khan. Mr. Khan in the movie portrays Hazaras to be robbers. Well, I am a Hazara and I am a college student and I have never robbed anyone. Mr. Khan can go out with me for a drink; he would be safe; I am not dangerous (unlike what he portrays me in his movie). I am wondering why Mr. Khan made me the subject of his racist wrath? It seems from one of his interviews that he is wondering why Hazaras are angry about the racist insults? Well, Mr. Khan I have the answer for you. Though I think I will never get my answer from you. Hazaras are angry because Hazaras have been an oppressed people; they have experienced several genocides in the last century; and they in their bones realize that derogatory and dehumanizing attacks are the first signs of big dangers—like genocide.

  • ahmad

    I belief that the film has expressed some trutths; there were alot of killing from hazara Shiha and Hezb Wahdat those who showing the people Deaths Dances.
    Also putting Nails on the head of thier victoms ; cutting women’s breats these are the reallity happend.
    the Person who told the story is from Shia nobody is to be blamed ofr atrocity commited by Shiah Hazara.

  • changezi

    Ahmed you are as ignorant as kabeer khan. you blive in some thing ,that you yourself have never seen. Kabeer khan is the same recist as you. who just heard stories and didnt bother to do some reasearch, but why would he? he is also pushtoon, Talibans are pushtoon, Alqaida consist of pushtoons. Northern alliance defeated alqaida and Talibans. so every pushtoon like you, must be burning deep inside. A FAR AS hIZ BE WAHDATH is concerned.They not only shia people. hizbe wahdath also of consist of redical sunni Uzbak people. you must have heard of Rasheed dustam’s name. he is not hazara, he is sunni and uzbak. the only people northern alliance killed were talibans and alqaida who tried to attack on their lands and namoos. Northern alliance just defended their country and namoos.

  • ahmad

    changisi khan you do not know about this thing happend I’m not saying those who killed by hazaras were hazraz they were pashtoon or some none hazara.
    you do not know at that time Iran was very active those who were showing death dances to people were came from Iran but were hazaraz they were Mazaris people.

    we have mate those who servived from hazaras prison after being keept for more then 5years.
    we have to be honest with our selvies and with our people, Alla knows about it.
    if You deny things happend this is another big sin.

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