Saturday, April 30, 2011

When Kabul had rock 'n' roll, not rockets.



BY MOHAMMAD QAYOUMI

Mohammad Qayoumi is president of California State University, East Bay. He grew up in Kabul and came to work in the United States in 1978. Since 2002 he has volunteered his time in reconstruction efforts, serving on the board of directors of the Central Bank and as senior advisor to the minister of finance.


I also remember a playground a few hundred yards away from the theater, where mothers used to take their children to play. Now, only men loiter in the city parks; it is unsafe to bring children outside.


Afghanistan once had Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. In the 1950s and '60s, such programs were very similar to their counterparts in the United States, with students in elementary and middle schools learning about nature trails, camping, and public safety. But scouting troops disappeared entirely after the Soviet invasions in the late 1970s.


The physical campus of Kabul University, pictured here, does not look very different today. But the people do. In the 1950s and '60s, students wore Western-style clothing; young men and women interacted relatively freely. Today, women cover their heads and much of their bodies, even in Kabul. A half-century later, men and women inhabit much more separate worlds.

So, too, were record stores, bringing the rhythm and energy of the Western world to Kabul teenagers.


This movie theater was located near where I once lived, and we could even see Hollywood movies there. (I remember seeing Spartacus, The FBI Story, and The Dirty Dozen.)


Compared with the 1950s and '60s, fewer women work outside the home, and their outfits are much more conservative than what you see here.


When I was growing up, Afghanistan did have medium and light industry, such as the textile factory pictured here. There was a sense then that Afghanistan had a bright future -- its economy was growing, its industry on par with other countries in the region. Back then, most of the cotton processed in a plant like this was grown locally. But three decades of war have destroyed industry and the supply chain.



Clothing boutiques like these were a familiar feature in Kabul during my childhood.

During the annual commemoration of Afghanistan's independence, Kabul was lit up at night in late August and early September for nine evenings in the early 1960s. Now the city is dark. Even driving at night gives an eerie feeling. There are hardly any lights on; the streets are desolate, and there is no night life.


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A picture is worth a thousand words, from the pictures one can clearly see that Afghanistan use to be a pretty modern and liberal country, but look what the religious fanatics and their foreign backers have done to that poor country.
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Pakistan In Pictures





 Pakistani sweets (mithai).


Pakistani sweets (mithai).



IT was a hit. This Bridal couture week took place in Karachi and Lahore. Various designers from Pakistan such as Lajwanti, Hajra Hayat, Shireen Hasan, Reem, Deepak parwani and e.t.c were present. Also, India's very famous J.J. Valaya was also present there in Karachi to showcase his work, which was worn by Meera.



IT was a hit. This Bridal couture week took place in Karachi and Lahore. Various designers from Pakistan such as Lajwanti, Hajra Hayat, Shireen Hasan, Reem, Deepak parwani and e.t.c were present. Also, India's very famous J.J. Valaya was also present there in Karachi to showcase his work, which was worn by Meera.


 ISLAMABAD: A stall at the IIUI women’s campus presents a tableau on Punjabi culture. APP


Mullah brigade.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Military Pictures

 Though occasionally cursed for its slow speed, SFC Mark Ounan's 1918 Dodge staff car was unarguably the mechanical hero of the trip. It's a true U.S. Army veteran, sold as surplus in Utah in the 1930s. It's pictured here on the Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah, which has a portion of the original Lincoln Highway as it was in 1919, including this bridge that was built of scrub cedar.

The story behind this big M-911Oshkosh 221/2-ton is as fascinating as the truck itself. Gregory Regole drove this truck on and around Fort Eustis, Virginia for nearly 10 years in the 1970s and '80s. He left it behind when he left the Army. Years later, in a completely different part of the country, he found it in a trucking yard, still in its original markings and with his name still painted on it. The owner was thrilled to meet the person who had driven the truck in service. Knowing his wallet and lifestyle couldn't swing the truck at the time, Greg avoided asking if it was for sale. More years went by, and Greg was shocked to discover the trucking company owner had passed on and willed him the truck. That's as good as any lost pet story, huh?

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Pakistan in Pictures

Step by Step – A celebration of Dance
Dance instructor Beatriz Franco instructs little ballerinas. –Photo by Asrad Khan

Pakistan In Pictures


A model presents a creation on the last day of Bridal Couture Week, in Karachi, on April 24, 2011. PHOTO : INP/FILE


A model presents a creation on the last day of Bridal Couture Week, in Karachi, on April 24, 2011. PHOTO : INP/FILE

 Men who were arrested in connection with the alleged gang rape of Mukhtaran Mai in 2002, walk with their belongings after being released from the Central Jail on Tuesday. online


A walk down the streets of the old city of Lahore is like walking through history. In the androon shehr, every street, structure, nook and cranny has a story to tell. It is a city rich with cultural heritage as it has remained the capital for many successive empires: Shahi kingdoms (11th century), Ghaznavid empire (12th century), Ghurid state (12th and 13th century), Mughal empire (16th century), Sikh empire (early 19th century) and the capital of the province of Punjab from the mid 19th to the early 20th century when the subcontinent was under the British Raj.


Lahoris are known for their love for food as evident by the photo.


The Delhi Darwaza was built during the Mughal era on a road that led directly to Delhi from Lahore. This is one of the 13 gates leading to the walled city.

Monday, April 25, 2011

 ISLAMABAD: People from Para Chanar, situated on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, protest against Taliban terrorists, who have laid siege to the area for long, inflicting death and hunger on locals with no discrimination between children and women. shabbir hussain


A model walk on the ramp during Fashion and Cultural Show at CDA Open Air.


Kalash kid, Chitral, northern Pakistan


In Pakistan fighting competitions between different animals is very common but there is no such fight like the dog fighting. In rural areas, they are often staged in barns or outdoor pits.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

 A Pakistani model presents a jewellery creation from designer Taiba during a show in Lahore on April 16, 2011.



A stall at International Cultural Exhibition organized by International Islamic University (IIUI) on Monday. PHOTO: MUHAMMAD JAVAID/FILE


Christian community marked Palm Sunday by holding processions and prayers at different churches in Karachi. Palm Sunday is celebrated as the day Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem, one week before Easter. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS


Chiniot Pakistan an annual Partridges’ show is held where people from different villages of Punjab bring their pets and the most beautiful and most healthier bird is given a prize.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Pakistan in Pictures

LAHORE, PAKISTAN, APR 18: Supporters of Pakistan Pharmacist Association.

RAWALPINDI: A model walking on the ramp during Versatile Fashion Night.