Cultural shura sheds light on Afghan perspective

LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Leaders from Task Force Bayonet hosted a cultural shura at Forward Operating Base Shank in Afghanistan’s Logar province, March 7.

With U.S. Army Maj. Jay Baker, TF Bayonet governance chief, serving as facilitator for the culture shura, the speakers kicked off discussions by sharing concepts about what it means to be Muslim, and touched on the importance of the people of Afghanistan. 

Participants in the shura talked about religious, civic and legal concerns in Logar and Wardak provinces and shared insights on Afghan culture as well.

In order to create more regional and cultural stability, the leaders brought up challenges that needed to be addressed.

Some of the concerns that surfaced during the shura were the high illiteracy rate in Afghanistan, limited access to factual information and communication challenges. Most Afghans receive their information and news from radio and sometimes television; access to both mediums were dictated by their proximity to a district or provincial center, said Rahim Shirinzoy, an Afghan media expert and a guest speaker at the cultural shura.

Mullah Rahman Sadique, a religious leader of the Logar and Wardak provinces, also said that without accurate information in their books, it is challenging to socialize and learn about the culture when the audience is largely illiterate.

With communication as a social and cultural barrier, those who cannot read are faced with an even greater challenge with trying to learn their culture and establish an identity that is true to their Afghan heritage, said Saidique.

“Our religion bars students of the Muslim religion from harming others. Nonetheless, when enemies of Afghanistan come into a village and tell villagers by word of mouth to take actions that defy Muslim principles due to so many being uneducated, these disadvantaged citizens may be confused and follow the wrong path, and worse yet, be led astray by enemies of Afghanistan, who have agendas,”Sadique said.

But with more Afghan citizens, both male and female, volunteering to fight for increased security in this region, people will come together to determine what is best. With the help of Coalition forces and improved security, Afghans are encouraged and hopeful for the future, Sadique said.

In addition to social and communication challenges, the political and civil unrest for the past 30 years coupled with theft crimes, offers another set of obstacles for the area.

“We need to understand what happened, and look to the anti-Afghan forces for causing this unrest. We should find out why our hardest problem now is that area,” said Abdul Qayuim Noorzai, the Logar chief general crimes prosecutor.

The partnership and support by the Coalition forces was appreciated by all attendees of the shura, especially in helping with security.

 “For sure, he (Gen. Stanley McChrystal) has a good policy for promoting security here,” said Noorzai before the event was concluded.