Afghanistan Blues: a photo contemplation of the many shades of hope

A while ago in Amsterdam, I met up with Alette. She was born in Kabul in 1970. She was as shocked as the rest of the world, with the humanitarian drama unfolding in Afghanistan. She shared the anger I am feeling. My deep worries about my friends are mixed with nostalgia about better times, while I am trying to help them to get out. I also feel sad for the plight of the Afghan people, female and male, who are facing another difficult period ahead.

Perhaps while re-calibrating your thoughts over this photo feature, you will also realise we should all support Afghanistan’s people, the culture, the crafts. A beautiful land so rich in history and legacy is much more than the chaos of its present.

Seen through my eyes, this is a tiny sneak peek of what I experienced in the 7.5 years I was there. I cannot offer you Lapis Lazuli earrings, like I did to Alette, but I can offer you many different shades of blue. Infinite and free, solid or airy, brimming with timeless wisdom and depth.

Snow Gold, Five Fingers and Two Hands

If one were to observe Afghanistan through the stories in the photographs above, one would note that each picture paints the proverbial wisdom of the ancient land. The people, their resilience and way of life references the age-old adages of Snow Gold, Five Fingers and Two Hands, which embody beliefs that have withstood the test of time and turmoil...

Every winter, fresh blankets of snow cover the rugged Afghan mountains and highlands. Once this melts in the spring, it forms the cradle of life. Water to drink, irrigation water for vegetables, fruits, nuts, saffron etc. Aquifers get replenished and micro-hydro-power can be generated. As long as this system flourishes, there will be enough food for everybody, irrespective of what goes on in the parliamentary quarters.

Although people may be related by nationality, each person is, nevertheless, different. This mix of minds and cultures has always existed through a tumultuous past and the influx of many cultures. Yet, is it not perhaps the unity of its people, the strength of togetherness which makes Afghanistan such a rich melting pot of ethnicities; the nomadic Kutchies, the Hazaras, the Tajiks, the Uzbeks, the Pashtuns, the Aimak, the Wakhis, the Nuristanis, the Turkmen, the Baluch and many more.

From 1933 onwards, the country experienced 45 peaceful years in which women started to carve out a greater role for themselves. Afghan men and how they behave towards their daughters, wives and mothers, is crucially important in this process of creating a more balanced society. In the same way that a bird cannot fly with one wing, it is going to be very difficult for Afghanistan, if women are left out (again) by the Taliban.