Afghanistan Beyond Images

By Sybille Ngo Nyeck

There were no bombs. No holes. No ruins. Just Afghanistan, beautiful, just as in the old days, back when Leeza Ahmady left the country. The images of Afghanistan shared with LaGuardia Community College students on April 1st, 2004, at the campus' Little Theater, offered visible evidence of the beauty of this country is badly in need of being rediscovered.

Lilik Gondopriono, coordinator of the college's “"Afghanistan & the Islamic World" workshop, introduced Ahmady as an independent art curator and administrator who is committed to educating New York's diverse communities about the real culture of Afghanistan and Islam.

Leeza, her twin sister, and their mother left Afghanistan when she was 11 years old. Her family was lucky to find a way out of a country occupied by the Russians. After a short stay in Pakistan, she landed in the United States, where she currently lives. Leeza said her integration into American society was somehow easier due to the fact that she is an identical twin. She and her sister drew a lot of attention that prevented them from being isolated in school. Many people were eager to talk to them and learn more about the twins' lives.

Leeza has had to struggle with identity issues. Because of her features, some people think she is from South America, Europe, or even India. Her identity as an Afghan-American after 9/11 has become increasingly important to her, considering the ways the U.S. mainstream media portrays the Islamic world.

As an adult (she is in her thirties), Leeza has had to struggle with identity issues. Because of her features, some people think she is from South America, Europe, or even India. Her identity as an Afghan-American after 9/11 has become increasingly important to her, considering the ways the U.S. mainstream media portrays the Islamic world. It is, therefore, out of that concern that she is dedicated to teaching about Afghanistan and offering counter-images to demonstrate the diversity and richness of that country.

Women

The images shown to the students mostly focused on women's lives in Islamic countries, such as Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, and Morocco. Women were seen sitting on the floor, sharing meals, baking breads, and babysitting. Some were in veils, other in bathing suits. According to Leeza, since the 1920s, the veil has not been mandatory attire for women in Afghanistan. Her mother decided not to veil herself when she was a teenager, while many of her friends did. “"Westerners have a tendency to refuse the reality that most Muslim women actually choose to wear their veils. Like the use of hats for women in the western world, the veil encounters mixed reactions in the Islamic world," said Ahmady. Many Muslim women wear western clothes. Women were shown in bikinis standing next to women in veils, proving that fashion and products never remain in one place. “"American jeans are worn from Yemen to Turkey, and which New Yorker has not tried a falafel? We can no longer claim that ‘'this' belongs to the East and ‘'that' belongs to the West,”" she noted.

"Muslim women are hardworking, caring mothers and single women pursuing their dreams," she said.

Ahmady described beauty as an essential characteristic to all Muslim people. The use of henna is widespread in the Islamic world, where women (and men) celebrate their lives, their well-being, and bodies by decorating them. This tradition, Leeza said, was later transferred to the Western world.

©2003 Catherine Cartwright-Jones: www.hennapage.com

Women in the Muslim world are also talented artists. Lida Abdullah is among the well-known Afghan women artists who have deconstructed the prejudices easily associated with the veil. In her performances, she is veiled and seductive; and also veiled and critical. She not only washes away the hateful words and sad memories that occur on the global scale, she also incarnates hope by letting go of anger as a way to reconstruct both the individual and the national beings. Helping Afghan women recover their dignity by covering their nudity is an urgent priority. The sad story in Afghanistan is that each occupying force until this very day has come with its practice of sexual abuse and prostitution that have impaired women's lives.

©1997 Lida Abdullah: conclusive self-portrait

Men

Muslim and Afghan men are hardworking, according to Ahmady, and know how to help their communities. When Russia invaded Afghanistan, a friend of Leeza, who she identified as the “bald man”-- yes, Arab and Afghan men can be bald and not wear a long beard -- decided to help Afghan refugee families cross the Pakistani border. The “"bald friend" carried on his family tradition of designing and producing rugs to support his family and child refugees. Afghanistan is famous for its rugs, and mostly men but also women do the hard work of dying the materials. Muslim men are creative: some are artists, some are businessmen, and some are even rock singers, like the famous Turkish pop star Tarkan. Most interesting visually were pictures of men with an “"Afro" hairstyle!

Children

Photographs of courageous children smiling at the camera were very moving. Despite all the dangers, they find time to play and keep smiling. And it's not a joke, they really do have blue eyes. . .

Social Life

The beauty of the landscape was also striking. Green valleys and mountain peaks covered with snow gave us a living picture of Afghanistan in opposition to the desolation and isolation often depicted in the media. LaGuardia students discovered that yellow taxis, trucks and donkeys are all means for travel. The Islamic tradition in Afghanistan is valuable through its cultural heritage. The majestic Central Mosque in Kabul, built during the Islamic renaissance, has survived numerous bombings and stands as a symbol of unity and faith for more than one billion people in the Islamic world.

Education

Unlike mosques, school buildings didn't survive the bombings. Under Russian rule, schools were intentionally bombed. The Taliban occupation only allowed a few schools for girls. Even before 9/11, Leeza and her friends had been raising funds in the U.S. to re-open schools in Afghanistan. In 2002, the School of Hope officially opened its doors to girls and boys, bringing hope through education.

Walking the walk

Leeza Ahmady not only talks the talk but also walks the walk. At the end of the workshop, she performed a native Mohabatt dance for the students.

Leeza Ahmady performing at the Little Theater, Queens, N.Y.

Photo: Randy Fader-Smith, April 1, 2004

According to Ahmady, diversity is indeed “"the most powerful element a person, a community and a nation can have." Are we, too, ready to embrace this vision?

Sybille Ngo Nyeck is a native of Yaounde, Cameroon. She is a regular contributor to A Globe of Witnesses, and her online column is Colors of Conscience. Sybille may be reached by email at sybeck77@yahoo.fr.