And if we can achieve that, my darling daughters, then perhaps someday your children’s children will grow up free in a proud, successful, Islamic republic that has taken its rightful place in the developed world.
This is what I live for. And what I know I will die for.
If this should happen, my darling daughters, then know that every word in this book was written for you.
I want and need you, and all the boys and girls of Afghanistan, to understand. My dreams for this nation will live on in you.
And if the Taliban does not succeed in killing me? Well Shuhra, maybe I will try and beat you to the post of first female president of Afghanistan. And maybe we will form a new dynasty of powerful Islamic female leaders.
I know as I write these final words my mother is most definitely smiling in heaven.
A HISTORICAL TIMELINE OF AFGHANISTAN
1919 Afghanistan regains independence after a third war against British forces who were trying to bring the country under their sphere of influence.
1933 Zahir Shah becomes king and Afghanistan remains a monarchy for the next four decades.
1973 Mohammed Dawoud seizes power in a coup and declares a republic.
1978 General Dawoud is overthrown and killed in a coup by the leftist People’s Democratic Party.
1979 A power struggle between leftist leaders Hafizullah Amin and Nur Muhammad Taraki in Kabul is won by Amin. Revolts in the countryside continue and the Afghan army faces collapse. The Soviet Union finally sends in troops to help remove Amin, who is executed.
1980 Babrak Karmal, leader of the People’s Democratic Party Parcham faction, is installed as ruler, backed by Soviet troops. But anti-regime resistance intensifies with various mujahideen groups fighting Soviet forces. The United States, Pakistan, China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia supply money and arms.
1985 Mujahideen come together in Pakistan to form an alliance against Soviet forces. Half the Afghan population is now estimated to be displaced by war, with many fleeing to neighboring Iran or Pakistan.
1986 The United States begins supplying the mujahideen with Stinger missiles, enabling them to shoot down Soviet helicopter gunships. Babrak Karmal is replaced by Mohammad Najibullah as head of the Soviet-backed regime.
1988 Afghanistan, the Soviet Union, the United States and Pakistan sign peace accords and the Soviet Union begins pulling out troops.
1989 The last Soviet troops leave, but civil war continues as the mujahideen push to overthrow Najibullah.
1991 The United States and the Soviet Union agree to end military aid to both sides.
1992 Resistance closes in on Kabul and Najibullah falls from power. Rival militias vie for influence.
1993 Mujahideen factions form a government with an ethnic Takjik, Burhanuddin Rabbani, who is proclaimed president.
1996 The Taliban seize control of Kabul and introduce a hardline version of Islam. Rabbani flees to join the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance.
1997 The Taliban are recognized as the legitimate rulers by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Most other countries continue to regard Rabbani as head of state. The Taliban now control about two-thirds of the country.
2001 Ahmed Shah Massoud, a legendary guerrilla and leader of the main opposition to the Taliban, is killed, apparently by assassins posing as journalists.
2001 October The United States and Britain launch air strikes against Afghanistan after the Taliban refuse to hand over Osama Bin Laden, held responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States.
2001 December 5 Afghan groups agree to a deal in Bonn forming an interim government.
2001 December 7 The Taliban finally give up the last stronghold of Kandahar, but Mullah Omar remains at large.
2001 December 22 Pashtun royalist Hamid Karzai is sworn in as the head of a thirty-member interim power-sharing government.
2002 April Former king Zahir Shah returns, but says he makes no claim to the throne.
2002 May The UN Security Council extends the mandate of the International Security Assistance Force until December 2002. Allied forces continue their military campaign to find remnants of al-Qaida and Taliban forces in the southeast.
2002 June The loya jirga, or grand council, elects Hamid Karzai as interim head of state. Karzai picks members of his administration, which is to serve until 2004.
2003 August NATO takes control of security in Kabul, its first-ever operational commitment outside Europe.
2004 January The loya jirga adopts a new constitution that provides for a strong presidency.
2004 October–November Presidential elections: Hamid Karzai is declared the winner, with 55 percent of the vote. He is sworn in, amid tight security, in December.
2005 September The first parliamentary and provincial elections in more than thirty years are held.
2005 December The new parliament holds its inaugural session.
2006 October NATO assumes responsibility for security across the whole of Afghanistan, taking command in the east from a US-led coalition force.
2008 November Taliban militants reject an offer of peace talks from President Karzai, saying there can be no negotiations until foreign troops leave Afghanistan.
2009 October Hamid Karzai is declared winner of the August presidential election, after second-place opponent Abdullah Abdullah pulls out before the second round. Preliminary results had given Karzai 55 percent of the vote, but so many ballots are found to be fraudulent that a run-off was called.
2009 November Hamid Karzai is sworn in for a second term as president.
2010 July A major international conference endorses President Karzai’s timetable for control of security to be transferred from foreign to Afghan forces by 2014.
“A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan” adapted with permission of BBC Online.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank the following people:
My daughters, for their patience and the time they gave me during the writing.
Nadene, who has been extremely helpful in co-writing and narrating the book.
Elsa, who has been a great support in shaping the stories, managing the team and editing the book so many times and with patience.
My brother Ennayat, who spent his one week off traveling with Nadene and I to the remote mountainous area of Badakhshan to remind ourselves of childhood stories.
The security people in my district for providing required security to all of the team during the trip to our village.
Kaka Yatim, the brave driver who drove us on some of the most difficult roads in Afghanistan non-stop for two days and nights.
Fawzia Koofi is a supporter of BEH Z Creations, which funds literacy projects in remote areas of Afghanistan. You can read more on www.fawziakoofi.org.
INDEX
Afghan civil war (1978–present), 31–5, 47–9, 66, 69–83, 90–3, 100–8, 142, 158–9, 174, 197, 209, 216, 219, 245, 254
break in, 90–3
destruction of polytechnic school, 77–8
and education of youth, 33, 77
experience of, 69–83
and killing, 73–6
and the middle class, 79
and Salang pass, See Salang pass
and the Taliban takeover, 100–8
world interest in, 83
See mujahideen; Saur Revolution; Soviet war in Afghanistan; Taliban
Afghan National Army, 48–9, 245, 253
Afghanistan
and children, See children
civil war, See Afghan civil war
and communism, See communism
environment of, 4–11, 17–19
ethnic diversity of, See ethnic diversity
and female clothing, See female clothing
households, See hooli
historical timeline, 253–5
and male clothing, See male clothing
in the 1980s, 48
and natural resources, 244
overview of, 244
and parliament, See parliamen
t
and politics, See politics
and poverty, See poverty
and Soviets, See Soviet Union
strategic importance of, 9–10
traveling in, 6–9, 55–8
world view of, 205
See Afghan civil war; war in Afghanistan
Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, 211
Aimak, 245
Al Qaida, 150, 200–203, 207, 254
Al-Zawahiri, Ayman, 207
Alexander the Great, 103
Amin, Hafizullah, 32–3, 59, 253
Amu Darya river, 6
Apartheid (South Africa), 48
Arabic language, 133
arbabs (local leaders), 8, 220–1
Atanga Pass, 6–8, 171, 240
Badakhshan, ix-x, 5–10, 17, 31–3, 40, 49, 53, 59, 66, 70, 86, 102, 117, 123–4, 134, 143, 158, 160–1, 165–8, 173, 181, 185, 187–8, 190, 194, 196–7, 199, 201, 210–11, 217, 219, 235, 239–40, 242
Badakhshan Volunteer Women’s Association, 197
Bagh-e-bala residence, 76–9
Baghlan, 123, 179–80
Bagram Airbase, 175
Baluch, 245
BBC, 101, 115, 201, 229, 255
Belgium, 202
Berlin Wall, 48
Bhutto, Benazir, 251
Bin Laden, Osama, 150, 202, 207, 209, 254
Blair, Tony, 240
Bollywood, 129, 146
British Embassy, Kabul, 115
British Empire, 193
brothers, 9, 11, 15, 23–6, 38–45, 54–60, 61–2, 64–7, 70, 73–6, 78–80, 82, 87–91, 97–8, 101–103, 106–7, 110–12, 115–19, 124–6, 129, 132, 134–6, 139–44, 148–59, 162, 164, 167–8, 173, 180, 186, 195, 198, 215, 217–18, 220, 222, 229, 232, 235, 257
See Mirshakay Rahman; Muqim Rahman; Nadir Rahman
Brown, Gordon, 240
Buddhas of Bamiyan, 103, 205
bukhari, 234
burqa, 5, 12, 34, 50–8, 72, 80, 90, 97, 104, 106–7, 110–11, 113, 116, 123, 132–3, 140–1, 143–4, 146, 148–9, 153–7, 160, 162, 165, 176–9, 182–3, 188, 192–3, 209, 217, 220, 228, 249
blue shuttlecock, 106
experience of wearing, 50–8, 146, 178–9
and identity, 146
as protection, 50–4
and the Taliban, See Taliban and women
Western view of, 50–1
Bush, George, 201, 239
Bush, Laura, 239
Buzkashi (game), 33–4
Cameron, David, 240
career of Fawzia Koofi
dreams of being a doctor, 89, 92, 113, 187–8, 209
as English teacher, 92, 155–6, 186, 188–90
as manager of orphanage, 192
and medical survey tour for Foundation for Children, 193–7
political career, See political career of Koofi
as UNICEF children’s protection officer, 197–200, 206–12, 216
Chechens, 100, 208
child brides, 15, 19, 24–5
child mortality, ix, 152–3, 187, 219, 242–3
children in Afghanistan, ix, 15, 19–27, 29–30, 37–8, 152–6, 187, 221, 244–5
and child brides, 15, 19, 24–5
and divorce, 23–4
and mortality, ix, 152–3, 187, 221, 242–4
and second marriages, 38–9
China, ix, 193, 253
Clinton, Hillary, 240
clothing, See female clothing; male clothing
CNN, 115
Cold War, 9–10, 32, 48, 108, 205
communism, 29–32, 101–2, 106, 124, 151, 156, 158
constitution (Afghan), 19–20, 90, 210, 255
corruption, x, 4, 114–15, 221, 234, 240, 246–7, 251
daira, 134, 219
Dari language, 169
Darwaz, 1, 6, 8, 194
“Daz Ma Zeba Watan” (“This Land Was My Ancestors’”) (song), 232–3
“dead man’s dance,” 49
Dehmazang, 74
democracy (Afghan), 8, 32, 210–11, 216, 220, 231–4, 247–9, 253
displaced persons (IDP) camp, 201
Dostum, Rashid Abdul, 70–1, 159
dukhtarak (“less than a girl”), 26
Durand line, 150
education of women, 1–2, 15, 24, 26, 43–5, 52, 71–3, 77, 89, 92, 113, 210
and Koofi, 1–2, 43–5, 52, 71–3, 77, 89, 92, 113
and Taliban, 113, 210
elections, 8, 210, 216–18, 220–2, 225, 228–31, 234–5, 240, 248, 250, 255
English language, 71, 89, 92, 148, 155–6, 186, 188–90
ethnic diversity, 48–9, 69–71, 81–2, 147, 150, 156–7, 233, 244–5, 254
See Aimak; Baluch; Hazaras; Hizbi Islami; Pashtu; Takjiks; Turkmen; Uzbeks
European Parliament, 200
Faizabad, 1, 6–8, 18, 43–5, 49, 51–6, 143, 181–3, 186–93, 197, 199, 201, 210, 218–19, 229, 239–40
family of Fawzia Koofi
father of, See Abdul Rahman; relationship with father
mother of, See Bibi jan Rahman; relationship withmother
and parents’ marriage, See parents’ marriage
siblings of, 24–6, 61, 73, 129, 218, 223
See brothers; sisters “Fawzia’s road,” 239–40
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), 150
female clothing in Afghanistan, 18, 39–40, 43–6, 50–3, 56–8, 90, 100–7, 110, 113–14, 123, 146, 166–8, 179, 208, 249
city versus rural, 43–5, 56, 166–8
and end of civil war, 90
and identity, 146
and modesty, 50–1
painted nails, 166–8
and protection, 39–40
and Taliban, 100–7, 113–14
work shoes, 18
See burqa; hijab; niqabs; shalwar kameez
“feminism,” 234
Five Pillar approach, 245
Fontaine, Nicole, 200
Foundation for Children, 193–7
France 24, 115, 202
Gandhi, Indira, 44, 251
Germany, 245
grandmothers, 23, 37, 54–5, 85, 132, 171, 233
Great Britain, 115, 193, 207, 245, 253–4
Great Game, 193
green zone (Kabul), 115
haram (forbidden), 40
Harper, Stephen, 240
Hazaras, 70, 80–2, 103, 245
Hekmatyar, Gulbuddin, 71, 92, 159
hijab, 106–7, 111
Hindu Kush, 63
Hizbi Islami, 71
hooli (house), 4–5, 9–12, 17–21, 23–4, 35, 37–44, 164, 223–4
See Paris Suite
human rights activists, 210–11
ibn Abi Talib, Ali, 82
iftar, 163–4
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), 161–2
International Women’s Day, 197
Iran, 29, 38, 81, 83, 210–11, 253
ISI, See Inter-Services Intelligence
Islam/Islamic culture, 10, 21, 24, 32, 34–5, 40, 50–2, 67, 69, 70, 74, 81–2, 100–5, 109, 121, 141, 147, 156–8, 164, 174, 178–9, 187, 189, 193, 201–3, 205, 232, 244–5, 248–9, 251–2, 254
and burials, 34–5
female leaders, 251–2
and freedoms, 174
fundamentalism, See Islamic fundamentalism
and kings, 103, 205
loyalty to, 69
and modesty, 50–2
and women, 40, 44, 50–2
Islamic fundamentalism, 100–5, 100, 123–4, 147, 179, 201–3, 248–9
See Taliban; terrorism; Wahhabism
Islamic Indian dynasty, 158
Italy, 245
Jabul Saraj, 177–8
Jalal, Masooda, 238
Jalalabad, 198–9
Japan, 245
jirga, 32–3
Kabul, 7, 9–10, 20–2, 31–2, 45–6, 48–9, 52–3, 55–8, 63, 65–6, 69–83, 90, 92, 100–3, 105–7, 110, 113–17, 123–5, 127, 133
, 139–40, 142–3, 148, 155, 158–60, 163, 167–8, 170, 172–5, 178, 181–2, 184, 197, 207–11, 221–2, 236, 239–40, 249–50, 253–4
and architecture, 114–15
and civil war, 71–83, 90
different sectors of, 70, 115
and mujahideen, 70–83
suicide bombings, 115
Taliban entering, 100–3
and women’s dress code, 90
Kabul-Faizabad road, 239–40
Kabul-Kunduz road, 57
Kabul residence (Koofi’s childhood), 45–6, 49–52, 56–7, 69–83
Kabul University, 74, 142, 210
Kala Panja, 195
Karzai, Hamid, 210, 217, 231, 238, 254–5
Kennedy, John F., 202
Khair Khana, Kabul, 70
Khan, Dawoud, 19–20, 31
Khan, Genghis, 70
Khyber Pass, 150, 159
kidnapping, 246, 250
King’s Palace, Kabul, 70
Kisham, 181–2, 190
Kohistani, Abul Sabur Farid, 58, 71
Koof district, 6–7, 9, 17, 35, 37, 39, 43, 54, 190, 223, 235
Koofi, Fawzia Rahman
birth of, 4, 12–13, 15–16, 37
and attire, 44–6, 50–7, 106, 132, 146, 153, 160, 178–9, 188, 191–2, 209
attitude toward men, 178, 191
childhood of, 4, 17, 25–7, 37–43, 223–4
and childhood trauma, 37–42, 223–4
civil war experience, 71–83, 92
and death threats, 12–13, 40–1, 125, 182
and education, 43–5, 52, 71–3, 77, 89, 92, 113
family of, See family of Fawzia Koofi first flight, 43
and God, 4, 13, 41, 67, 85, 114, 216, 240 home management, 149–50
marriage, See marriage of Fawzia Koofi
and motherhood, See motherhood, and Fawzia
and mujahideen rule, See mujahideen and Fawzia Koofi
political career of, See member of parliament as refugee, 37–44, 124–7, 156–7, 173–83, 223–4
See Bagh-e-bala; Faizabad; Jabul Saraj; Kabul; Lahore; Parwan; Puli Khumri; Takhar residences
Koofi, Hamid (husband), 86–7, 89–91, 107, 115–19, 133, 135, 137–44, 146–70, 172–3, 175–83, 186–93, 196, 198–90, 208–13, 215, 216, 218, 227, 230–2, 235
arrests of, 140–44, 198
death of, 213, 215, 216, 227, 232