((PKG))  AFGHANISTAN BEYOND WAR  
((VOA Korean)) 
((Banner:  Culture)) 
((Producer:  Eve Unshin Lee)) 
((Camera:  Sanghoon Lee))  
((Adapted by:  Philip Alexiou)) 
((Map:  Washington, D.C.)) 
 
((NATS)) 
((Majeed Qarar, Cultural Attachˇ, Afghanistan Embassy, 
Washington, D.C.)) 
People have gotten that image of war-torn Afghanistan through 
media.  I want them to focus on the beautiful side of the Afghan 
life, which is the Afghan culture. 
((NATS)) 
((Abigail, Musician)) 
So, we are playing three kinds of music.  WeÕre playing, of course, 
the beautiful music of Afghanistan and weÕre working hard to 
preserve and promote that music. 
((NATS)) 
((Majeed Qarar, Cultural Attachˇ, Afghanistan Embassy, 
Washington, D.C.)) 
As you know, Afghanistan is a diverse society.  We have 30 
ethnic groups in Afghanistan and they have different, you know, 
cultural diversities in all parts of the world. 
((NATS)) 
((Hamid Darmaan, Student)) 
I have the traditional Afghan turban, and then coming down I have 
my vest, and this is a traditional Afghan vest for men, and under 
that, itÕs hand-stitched embroidery.  Most Afghan men wear this. 
((NATS)) 
((Bahishta Talash, Diplomat, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 
Afghanistan))   
IÕm wearing Afghan traditional dress.  I was in Europe where we 
were to represent our country, so I dressed up the way I am right 
now.  My fellows were so much amazed.  They were like, ŅOh, 
youÕre wearing a very beautiful dress, but why you are not 
wearing your traditional dress?Ó  So, they were saying, ŅWe saw 
what we see on the TV, on television that women are wearing the 
blue burka.Ó  So, I said, ŅThatÕs not my culture.Ó  So, the media 
has always focused, I would say, on the negative aspects. 
((NATS)) 
((Bahishta Talash, Diplomat, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 
Afghanistan))    
So, when I was born, due to the conflict that Afghanistan was 
going through, my parents migrated to Pakistan.  I used to listen 
to my mom and my dad and my grandfather when they were 
telling me their childhood stories, how they used to play in the 
street and how everything was fine due to stability.  Oh, I wish I 
was born at that time, so that I could spend my childhood in my 
country.   
((NATS)) 
((Majeed Qarar, Cultural Attachˇ, Afghanistan Embassy, 
Washington, D.C.)) 
WeÕre going through a war in Afghanistan, but the war is not 
happening in all parts of Afghanistan.  People, who go to 
Afghanistan, they enjoy Afghanistan, especially they enjoy the 
Afghan food.  They never want to forget it.   
((NATS)) 
((Majeed Qarar, Cultural Attachˇ, Afghanistan Embassy, 
Washington, D.C.)) 
The ancient history of Afghanistan, the museums of Afghanistan, 
the artifacts of Afghanistan.  The music is something that, you 
know, very unique in Afghanistan.  So, these are the beautiful 
sides of Afghan society that people, I think, we would, you know, 
advise them to focus on, you know, instead of the war-torn side of 
the country. 
((NATS))