What are your thoughts about this video?

[Catya Sher]

Shamlawar,

Are you saying that she should call herself just "Afghan" ?

She does go into her Canadian patriotism TOO much for my taste.

[Digital Malang]

Shamlawar,

Are you saying that she should call herself just "Afghan" ?

She does go into her Canadian patriotism TOO much for my taste.

thats what bothers me, why wouldn't she call herself just Afghan?

[Catya Sher]

Yes, come to think of it, all the Afghans I met in earlier years here in America

PROUDLY !!!

described themselves as Afghans, nothing other.

Hmmmm.

I guess these are little clues about how assimilated maybe this current group is ?

It's really fun to analyze videos like this and compare notes with others.

What astounds me though is that there was not a whisper about Islam.

In previous years, Afghans always mentioned that proudly too.

I am guessing therefore that changes have happened and ties to Islam have
considerably weakened over some years of living in the West.
It's too bad.

She could have made any allusion to Muslims but she kept it to politics.

[BLS_1919v2.0]

Look they have just started their organization...since the majority live in Canada or North America for most of their life, they identify with their new adopted homeland as well as their original home. I don't know why this is hard to see. They have a long way to go, so it would be helpful if people could pass on some solid critique to them (the group is Afghans for Peace) rather than sidelining them already. As this was done in Canada they have to cater to some Canadian sensibilities, considering that the majority of the audience was Canadian. It doesn't make sense to isolate them.

Catya Sher you are missing the point (which is a trend with you) as well as your ridiculous assertions about iranian farsi lolz.

Toranama fair point.

[Catya Sher]

BLS<

I gave her significant credit for trying to get the word out
It's certainly better than sitting back and doing nothing

She could evolve with practise into a quality speaker.
Her good points were speaking forcefully, with emotion to show she cares
and wants to make her audience care.

Are you going to pass along some critique to their group?
All this is meant constructively!
Not to carp.

Regarding Dari and Farsi, you have to understand that I was always traveling with Pashtuns - who in fact didn't speak a word of English - so Pashto is very familiar to me. But i never was around the Tajik Mujahideen groups so favored by the French and Americans, too. Such as Rabbani's. They weren't my type.

So I am not familiar with how Dari sounds. Maybe this will explain better.

[Catya Sher]

If you are communicating advice to her, I recommend some kind of maybe light scarf would look very nice.
It would not only LOOK authentic and pretty, but it would stop her from that distracting pushing her hair back too often.

What about wearing a dress that looks more Afghan, too?

I wore a floor-length black Kochi dress, as a matter of fact, when asked by a US General to address his Army officers at the Presidio base in San Francisco.
Everyone loved it, because it brought a flavor of Afghanistan to my presentation.

Of course at THAT time, the US military was strongly SYMPATHETIC to Afghan resistance fighters. Now it's the opposite...

She needs more flair in her dress style, I would advise.

[parsiwaan]

If you are communicating advice to her, I recommend some kind of maybe light scarf would look very nice.
It would not only LOOK authentic and pretty, but it would stop her from that distracting pushing her hair back too often.

What about wearing a dress that looks more Afghan, too?

I wore a floor-length black Kochi dress, as a matter of fact, when asked by a US General to address his Army officers at the Presidio base in San Francisco.
Everyone loved it, because it brought a flavor of Afghanistan to my presentation.

Of course at THAT time, the US military was strongly SYMPATHETIC to Afghan resistance fighters. Now it's the opposite...

She needs more flair in her dress style, I would advise.

Since when scarf become part of afghan national dress? The problem of Afghanistan and all Muslim world is too many lunatic loser are trying to impose their bs view on others... thus this is exactly way we need a secular gov... separation of Masjid and state...this is why Islam only breads bloodshed, dictatorship and tyranny...even 3 out of 4 calipha Rashideen were murdered due to power straggle. What is really amazing how these Kaalp(Arabic) of Pokistan parching for islamization of Afghanistan…while enjoying their Mujrah, alcohol making factories, and and and… man Pakistan is center of hypocrite and filth.

YouTube - Pakistan's Muree's Brewery thrives despite alcohol ban

[parsiwaan]

She makes me laugh Catya. I have no clue how in the world she represents a Pashtana. I mean, if she wants to represent Afghans she should know the basic rule = 99.9 percent of us are conservative Muslims.

It seems like she is an immigrant to Canada, she has a accent in her English. I respect what she said but these models who wear bikinis, and swear they represent us need a reality check.

lol sorry i did not knew ur dad has done a poll so you can easy claim 99.9 percent. The problem with you muziee are that you guys are lire, cheaters, hypocrites and twofaced. Not even 2 percent of afghans are Muslim let alone be conservative.. if afghans knew what Islam is...not even .1% will be muslin. The good part is our people are learning...there are more then half million afghan convert to Christianity...now i do not approve Christianity fairytales… its worst then Islam...but guess what...this is reaction of our people to Islam.

[BLS_1919v2.0]

Parsiwaan this topic has nothing to do with muree brewery and there is no need to get personal.

[parsiwaan]

She is a Pashtana. And today, Pashtuns are almost all Muslim. Therefore, to be our represetative she needs to have commonality.

Whats muslim? are you telling me these people below are not "muslim" or "Pashtana"

YouTube - Pushto Cinema at it's best!

Are Ghafar Khan people--not pashtana or Muslim? the problem is your imposing your own definition of what Muslim or pasthana on others... she might not even care about Islam or pasthana...she call herself afghan-Canadian ..so let her be.

[parsiwaan]

Parsiwaan this topic has nothing to do with muree brewery and there is no need to get personal.

Im making a point here...i don't know why most people allow these dark people to impose their believes and definition of what’s Islam and afghan and pashton. It reminds me of this mullah who claim a good women is who has never step outside her home all her life.

[BarakzaiAbdali]

lol sorry i did not knew ur dad has done a poll so you can easy claim 99.9 percent. The problem with you muziee are that you guys are lire, cheaters, hypocrites and twofaced. Not even 2 percent of afghans are Muslim let alone be conservative.. if afghans knew what Islam is...not even .1% will be muslin. The good part is our people are learning...there are more then half million afghan convert to Christianity...now i do not approve Christianity fairytales… its worst then Islam...but guess what...this is reaction of our people to Islam.

My advice to colleagues who feel that their views align with mine intellectually is to simply cut and past this post that I have entered each time you see this sort of talk occur and to follow the advice of the verses (ayaahs) in question. As this act is collectively repeated again and again, these sorts of folks will either have to change the subject or enter into discussion with each other to their heart’s content. If you engage them further it may harm your own imaan as God has put blessing into his advice. It will also be an act of mercy and love towards them because it will keep them from uttering more and more malignant speech. Moreover, utilizing these ayaahs allows God, in whose hands is the soul of Muhammad (S) himself, to answer for you and his messenger. Who better to answer these folks in this act of collective intellectual resistance than God himself?


“Leave alone those who take their religion to be mere play and amusement, and are deceived by the life of this world. but proclaim (to them) this (truth): that every soul delivers itself to ruin by its own acts: it will find for itself no protector or intercessor except God; if it offered every ransom, (or reparation), none will be accepted: such is (the end of) those who deliver themselves to ruin by their own acts: they will have for drink (only) boiling water, and for punishment, one most grievous: for they persisted in rejecting God (surah 6 verse 70).”
“If thou dost question them, they declare (with emphasis): ‘we were only talking idly and in play." say: "was it at Allah, and his signs, and his messenger, that ye were mocking?’ (Surah 9 verse 65)”
“When thou seest men engaged in vain discourse about Our Signs, turn away from them unless they turn to a different theme. If Satan ever makes thee forget, then after recollection, sit not thou in the company of those who do wrong (surah 6 verse 68)”.

When they retort with the words of their own attempting to claim that they were appealing to your intellect or to simply engage you in a fruitful debate, give them, once again, words from the one that knows how to answer best:

“Of the people there are some who say: "We believe in Allah and the Last Day" but they do not (really) believe. Fain would they deceive Allah and those who believe, but they only deceive themselves, and realize (it) not! In their hearts is a disease; and Allah has increased their disease and grievous is the penalty they (incur), because they are false (to themselves). (Surah 2 verses 8-10).

Simply repeat this action over and over without even glossing your own words into it and this act of Civil disobedience will save them and you and clean up the forum quiet a bit. Now you are armed to deal with them.

[Catya Sher]

Well said, Shlombey!

Yes there is that faint accent.
Where would she have immigrated from?

Perhaps someone in the AFPeace group trained her to speak the Dari part so she would seem more realistic to her audience.

About adding Islam into her speeches, there are so many ways she could bring that up. For example, the US dog attacks offends Muslims; the attacks on families and women are anathema to Muslim Afghans, etc.

Concrete examples like these would more effectively illustrate to her listeners how oppressive the NATO occupation has been for Afghans.
Anyone can relate to these, after all.
Even owners of dogs could understand that no one wants to be woken up in the middle of the night and jumped on by large dogs with fangs.
It's plain that it is even worse of an insult when dogs are not looked well upon by one's religion overall.

At the very LEAST, she needs to pin back her hair with a powerful barrette!
But a scarf would be so much better.

It is NOT strange. I never look at mainstream news clips, but I happened to see one of George Stephanopoulos interviewing a woman business owner in Kabul.
It was corny, and Made For TV Propaganda, but the woman wore a very conservative hijab. So this is apparently the norm over there.

[IamDZJ]

36 seconds in to the video----
cool, i have never met an afghan named surai before....she needs to make more eye contact and her hair has lots of split ends.

[Toramana]

lol sorry i did not knew ur dad has done a poll so you can easy claim 99.9 percent. The problem with you muziee are that you guys are lire, cheaters, hypocrites and twofaced. Not even 2 percent of afghans are Muslim let alone be conservative.. if afghans knew what Islam is...not even .1% will be muslin. The good part is our people are learning...there are more then half million afghan convert to Christianity...now i do not approve Christianity fairytales… its worst then Islam...but guess what...this is reaction of our people to Islam.

parsiwana bacha jee what made you upset...