Afghanistan could easily become part of Middle East

[Karachi]

In my opinion Afghanistan could easily become part of Middle East since the cultures are so similar anyways. It is continuation of similar west asian cultures that exist from the Mediterranean region (Lebanon/Turkey) in the west to Afghanistan in the east, dont you agree?

Desi culture though is very different from west asian/middle eastern cultures, we are on our own

[Iblis_Efreetzai]

Afghanistan like the rest of Central Asia is a crossroads, we'e not Middle Eastern, but we share a certain degree of overlap, we're not South Asian, but we have had cultural ties with South Asia for centuries.

but most importantly despite this, we're uniquely our own.

[Aryana]

Culturally, Afghanistan is more Middle Eastern shifted. However in terms of geography, it is in Central Asia. Afghanistan is more of a crossroads than anything. You can find elements of Arab, Iranian, Indian, even Chinese culture in Afghanistan.

[Golden]

Its already middle eastern.

[Forreigner]

''Afghanistan could easily become part of Middle East''

I did not know Middle East was a union like European Union, for Afghanistan to have aspirations to become part of it. lool.

Afghanistan recently joined the Central Asian Football Federation, and I think that makes sense:



For now, being part of Middle East is not good. Middle East currently = bad PR/reputation. South Asian neighbors have not so good reputations as well = underdeveloped, slumdogs, rapists, etc... Afghanistan should brand themselves Central Asian instead of Middle Eastern.

[Karachi]

^ India has a better reputation overall then all those countries in the west, despite the rapes happening there

Also I am not talking about reputation, I am talking about cultural links

For example Turkey and Afghanistan are closer to each other culturally, then Afghanistan and Pakistan (Punjab/Sindh)

Also the reason I didn't central asia was because, many parts of central asia are now more similar to Mongolia

[Da Bannu Mazdigar]

Afghanistan has more to benefit from South asia than being part of middle east or central asia especially on economic front.

South asia is already the fastest growing economic region in the world

[Da Bannu Mazdigar]

^ India has a better reputation overall then all those countries in the west, despite the rapes happening there

Also I am not talking about reputation, I am talking about cultural links

For example Turkey and Afghanistan are closer to each other culturally, then Afghanistan and Pakistan (Punjab/Sindh)

Also the reason I didn't central asia was because, many parts of central asia are now more similar to Mongolia

Turkey and Afghanistan?anyone who had been to Pakistan and Afghanistan will tell you that culturally Pakistan and Afghanistan are closest even iran is way to different culturally than Afghanistan and yes i am including even the farsiband into this.

[Forreigner]

I dont know... despite neighbourhood with pakistan, afghanistan is culturally vastly different from Pakistan (Indic culture)...it share most similarity with iran out of all its neighboring countries but even then Afghanistan slightly differ from Iran. Pretty much its own, Id say. Religion (sunni Islam) makes Afghanistan more middle eastern. Culturally central asian. Overall its Eastern but uniquely having its own distinctness. Like China, India, Arabia, etc.

[Forreigner]

Turkey and Afghanistan?anyone who had been to Pakistan and Afghanistan will tell you that culturally Pakistan and Afghanistan are closest even iran is way to different culturally than Afghanistan and yes i am including even the farsiband into this.

Maybe with Paki Pathans from rural regions. But I find Pakistan to be culturally different from Afghans. As much as Pakistani is Muslim and wants to sell itself as middle eastern nation culturally its still pretty much Indic. At least the Eastern half.

[Aryana]

Turkey and Afghanistan?anyone who had been to Pakistan and Afghanistan will tell you that culturally Pakistan and Afghanistan are closest even iran is way to different culturally than Afghanistan and yes i am including even the farsiband into this.

Afghanistan is culturally distinct from Porkistan.

[Da Bannu Mazdigar]

Both of you have not visited this region than.

The only other region that has similar culture to Pakistan and Afghanistan is Kashmir in india.

[Da Bannu Mazdigar]

Iran culture is way to different doesn't even resemble the farsiband of Afghanistan.

[Iblis_Efreetzai]

I dont know... despite neighbourhood with pakistan, afghanistan is culturally vastly different from Pakistan (Indic culture)...it share most similarity with iran out of all its neighboring countries but even then Afghanistan slightly differ from Iran. Pretty much its own, Id say. Religion (sunni Islam) makes Afghanistan more middle eastern. Culturally central asian. Overall its Eastern but uniquely having its own distinctness. Like China, India, Arabia, etc.

Afghanistan is VERY different from Iran, even Tajiks/Farsiwan have a different lifestyle than Iran at large. I will say however you could argue Rural Iran shares overlap with Afghanistan and that some Iranian Nomadic peoples are akin to Afghans. But on the large Iran is quite culturally distinct.

But we agree, in the end Afghanistan is very distinct.

[torkham]

With respect I differ with idea that Afghanistan is similar to Pakistan or even Kashmir, and definitely not middle eastern.

Let's clarify the phrase middle eastern - because Middle East was a geopolitical divisions given bythe British, however now this term has other meanings depending upon the connotation. It may cultural, religious, economic or political. It can be misleading.

Afghanistan has a layers of differing boundaries of culture, language, customs, with sub-sets.