Afghan Farmers Try Their Hands At Growing Saffron

Did you know that Afghanistan is the leading producer of Poppy in the world?  They grow 90% of the world's supply of this opiate and so far have cleaned out 99% of it out of the country.   However, things have begun to change. They have switched to growing saffron instead.  Farmers in Herat, Western Afghanistan, say not only does saffron fetch more profit than poppy but they have also found an enticing way to market it. It is packaged in beautiful little tins or what look like perfume bottles. The farmers are hoping the government will do even more to help Afghan saffron become  known worldwide.  Do you think that maybe the price will eventually come down?  Two grams is only $8.00 there, while I paid that much for 1/2 gram of the spice here in the states. However, I don't see a trip to Afghanistan in the near future. Selling opium goes against a Muslim's religious beliefs (or most other religions for those who are moral) and the selling of saffron has created jobs for women. Creating jobs for women is the most encouraging news that I have heard from Afghanistan. If a father makes enough money to be able to educate his daughters is a good thing too. All that needs to happen now is to find a way to process and package the saffron so that it can be shipped to various parts of the world. Afghan farmers hope the obstacles they face will disappear as they eye the world markets where the deep red spice can fetch thousands of dollars per pound.

Pakistan: Their Living Corpses

Yet again, another acid attack upon a woman is in the news.  Again?! Why does this kind of abuse continue to plague the women in the east?  Shama, is the latest victim of an acid attack in Pakistan.  Her husband threw acid in her face as she slept. Then he ran away. The man took her phone so that she could not call for help.  He complained that Shama took too much pride in her beauty.  A mother of four, Shama now feels that her life is over.  My question is where is the love for the wife? She bore this man four beautiful children, all of whom he should be very proud. 

Shama

The wife, who is the foundation of the home, has been shattered into tiny pieces.  Where is the value of women?  Many times the woman is forced to return to her husband or her in-laws home after the attack.  What kind of life will she live afterwards?  No wonder so many take their own lives.  They feel there is no reason to live.  Did you know that 90% of abuse to women is not reported because the woman is totally dependent upon the husband for survival. There are at least 1-2 reports of acid attacks every week in Pakistan.  But let's not stop here.  Afghanistan has reported cases of acid attacks on women too.  A school for girls was attacked by the Taliban in 2008 and at least 15 girls and teachers were sprayed.  The reason, you might ask?  Educating women. Constantly hearing about beatings, murders, rapes, etc..., makes me wonder about goodness and mankind.  There is a religious saying," that we are to love our neighbor like ourselves."  What about loving those to whom we are closest? A wife, mother, sister, or daughter is closer than a neighbor.

Traditional Dance of Afghanistan

Ever since I have started learning to belly dance, I have been fascinated with dances from all over the world. Just recently, I came across some videos on traditional dances from Afghanistan.  One of those dance forms is the Attan, the traditional Afghan dance. Attan has long been performed at weddings or other celebrations throughout Afghan history. Many consider it the national dance of Afghanistan, but it’s a part of Afghan culture that many in the West rarely see. The news media seems to focus so much on the bad in a culture that we rarely get to see the good.

This picture came from here

There is a dance troupe called Ballet Afsaneh, which formed in 1986 when the taliban put restrictions on art and culture.  They are based in San Franciso, California and perform in venues and festivals all over the world.  

 This image is from here

These women want to keep ancient traditional dances alive.  The group consists of women from various nationalities and is not just limited to women from Afghanistan.

 

One of those dance forms is the Attan, the traditional Afghan dance. Attan has long been performed at weddings or other celebrations throughout Afghan history. Many consider it the national dance of Afghanistan, but it’s a part of Afghan culture that many in the West rarely see.  These women are taking it upon themselves to break down stereotypes and to keep ancient traditions alive.