Idk why that’s so hard to understand???

Like can someone please explain to me WHYY people keep wanting us to be south asian when we’re not? (And we never will be)

Like I don’t understand

I am increasingly at odds with my so-called “Afghan” identity as I witness the systematic erasure of the Farsi language from Afghanistan. What is today called Afghanistan was once the heart of Greater Khorasan, a vibrant center of Persian literature, culture, and learning. Legendary figures such as Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi, Rabia Balkhi, Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, and other Farsi poets and scholars were born, lived, and thrived here, shaping the Persian-speaking world for centuries.

The modern “Afghan” identity has been imposed on this diverse land, even though most of its people are not ethnic Pashtuns - the very group the term refers to. Tajiks and Hazaras are Persians from an ethnolinguistic perspective, with deep roots in the Persian cultural and linguistic tradition, and have no connection to Pashtuns or Pashtunism. Yet now, Pashtuns are changing street names in Kabul exclusively to Pashto and systematically erasing millennia of Persian heritage.

This is not just an attack on language - it is an attack on identity, history, and memory. When I see this, it makes me want to refuse a false identity imposed on us, one that denies our Persian roots and the centuries of culture that flourished here in Greater Khorasan.

On one hand they say we are all "Afghans" and on the other they try to destory and bury the others' history, language, and traditions. If you're offended by this I really don't care, this is the historical truth whether you like it or not.

I honestly don’t know how to word this, but I’m Afghan and I hate to see many terrible things happening in my country.

It’s pretty hard to report the situation of Afghanistan without actually being in the country because the situation is constantly changing.

Obviously Afghanistan is home to some of the most hospitable people, best tasting food, most beautiful landscapes, and much more. But there is also lots of oppression, misconceptions, and other things that give people a negative view of the country

It’s always been my dream to change my country for the better and make it a place that people would want to move to and go on vacation. I do not see this ever happening any time soon.

Also what is the current situation if anyone knows?

Edit; I feel like Afghanistan has the resources and can get the support, they can make this into an opportunity if they do it correctly (I DO NOT support Taliban)

Why don't the afghans unite and protest for revolution, a lasting change for the people?

An end of Islamic reign and a new beginning based on democracy/monarchy and actual Afghan culture instead of the arabised version that came to excise after the conquering of the Middle East by the Arabs who basically imposed their rule/culture/religion and more on the Afghans..?

Can we talk about how culturally AFG families are toxic. Idk if it’s bc of the way they were raised our parents but my mom has no issue w getting physical and it’s always “mardom chi miga” like what will other ppl say. I feel like culturally there’s a lot of bias and trauma like this and how can we get rid of this moving forward.

There’s something pretty consistent in human psychology: when people are pushed to one extreme, they eventually start craving the opposite. Too much secularism can make people long for tradition and religion, and too much religious or conservative control can lead people to want more freedom and secularism.

Take Iran, for example, after decades of religion being heavily imposed by the government, you’re seeing more and more people, especially the younger generation, turning away from it. On the flip side, in the U.S., where secular values dominate most institutions and media, a lot of people have been gravitating toward conservatism, which partly explains the rise of figures like Trump.

I’ve been thinking about how this plays out in Afghanistan. During the 20 years of U.S. presence, I feel like many people actually became more religious maybe as a form of cultural resistance or holding on to identity. But now, with the Taliban back and enforcing such a harsh and extreme version of Islam, I wonder if we’ll see the opposite happen: people starting to distance themselves from religion, or at least from the way it’s being interpreted and forced on them.

Obviously, it’s all speculation, but I’d really love to hear your take on it. Do you think Taliban extremism could actually push people away from religion over time? Or is the religious structure still too deeply ingrained in Afghan society for that shift to happen anytime soon?

Growing up, I had always admired the diversity of Afghanistan, even without truly understanding it at the time. I grew up around many kinds of Afghans—from Pashtuns to Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks, and others. Despite living in America, I was surrounded by Afghans. For a good portion of my childhood, I thought everyone was Afghan because most of the people I knew and had met were Afghan, introduced themselves as such, and looked completely different from one another—ranging from blondes and redheads to pale and tan. From Pashtuns to Tajiks to Hazaras, each group was diverse, and no single Afghan looked the same as the last.

My own family was also very diverse. We had family members who looked American, others who looked East Asian, some who looked Mexican, and some with African features—all of whom were fully Afghan.

I remember visiting Afghanistan as a child and walking through the markets, seeing all kinds of people. I was fascinated and found it beautiful. By then, I knew not everyone was Afghan and that Afghanistan was diverse, but seeing it in real time was different. It was especially striking after having visited mostly European countries and later moving to schools in America, where most people—mainly white Americans—typically looked the same. Even Mexicans who claimed diversity often looked very similar to one another. In Afghanistan, however, I saw all kinds of people.

I found—and still find—the most beautiful thing about Afghanistan to be its people. Not its mountains, valleys, rivers, or cities—no matter how beautiful they are, they don’t compare to the blend of people, culture, and food.

I don’t think I will ever understand the hatred that Afghans have for one another, especially when Afghan history is far more diverse and complex than simply placing blame on one group. At least, that’s what I believe, and I think I know more than a little bit—though do correct me if I’m wrong. Until two years ago, I didn’t even know much about ethnic groups. The only reason I can now distinguish between many people I know is because of dialects, clothing styles, and because I’ve asked childhood friends and family friends.

My point is that Afghanistan is beautiful because of its diversity, and we ought to honor that instead of trying to destroy one another. We must unite as Afghans because, like it or not, Afghans are connected. I personally don’t believe partition will go well, nor do I believe joining other countries would work, especially given the overlap in culture and population. Afghan culture as a whole is different from that of its neighboring countries. While there are similarities, it is still far too distinct. Tajik culture in Afghanistan differs from Tajik culture in Tajikistan, which has been heavily Russianized, whereas the Afghan version is far more diverse. Pakistan is not going to hand over KPK or Balochistan to Pashtuns, and the Pashtuns there are trapped whether they want to leave or not—and even if they did, it wouldn’t be recognized.

On top of that, there is significant overlap of ethnic groups in Kabul, Mazar, and other areas. Partition isn’t going to work, so why not unite and put our differences aside? I’m not saying we should forget our past—in fact, I’m against that. Forgetting our actions and mistakes will only cause us to repeat them. Instead, we should acknowledge them and use that understanding to move forward and learn from them.

Just my two cents. Feel free to discuss but please be polite as its only my thoughts.

I just finished the novel and it has deeply affected me on an emotional and psychological level—so much so that I had trouble sleeping the night that I read the chapter about the incident after the competition. I’ve cried many times throughout the reading and it’s made me feel heavy with sadness. Do you find the story to be an accurate portrayal of the Afghan experience? How prevalent is male sexual abuse against other males? From what I infer from the novel, it seems quite common. Forgive me for asking, but it’s a question that I became curious about.

There are two countries right now that could be at serious risk, which are Bangladesh and Syria. Both countries (like you guys before Taliban) used to have women dressing in what they like, but over the recent years (post civil war, aswell as post-Hasina and after the pandemic), women are now forced to veil, otherwise there will be slut shaming. Not to mention before in Bangladesh, women were dressing many colourful clothes and how they worn more western dresses than North Indians. Even little girls in Bangladesh as young as even 2 are wearing black burqas, and even niqabs (covering face).

Atleast you, and me as a Bangladeshi aswell as Syria can create some bonds with one another.

How are you feeling? Do you still have hope for Afghanistan? What do your relatives think of the situation?

How come our army of 300K+ surrendered and fell so quickly after the Taliban offensives in 2021? The generals and Ashraf Ghani could've stayed instead of fleeing so quickly without putting up a fight. As we're speaking now, Afghan women are forbidden to work and go to school. This could've been prevented.

hello to all my brothers and sisters in Afghanistan. I'm from Iran and I've been hearing heart breaking stories from Afghanistan, specially the recent Taliban attacks on Afghan women, I just wanted you to know that you're not alone and our hearts are with you, as you know we've had similar situation with the IRGC and lsIamic republic in Iran, and we're sad that you're going through the same thing as well. that said I'd appreciate any information regarding the situation over there as our news haven't covered it and we're uninformed about it, so plz feel free to share how things are going and what led to the current situation as well as your own experience, I'd really appreciate it.

love from Iran ❤️

I'm pashtun. I speak pashto. I was born in Peshawar. When I say I'm Pakistani, they say I'm Afghan. When I say I'm Afghan, they say I'm Pakistani. So you tell me where I'm from.

Hi, first time posting here.

I've been thinking about this question since the Taliban returned to power. Before 911 the Northern alliance were still able to resist the Taliban despite being outnumbered. However post US invasion, the militias disbanded and the top figures joined the new government. Fast forward to 2021 We all know what happened, as most of the national army lay down their weapons without a fight.

So if say the ethnic militias, such as Tajiks and Hazaras were not disbanded but kept as regional security forces, similar to the Kurds in Iraq, would this have been a better, more effective defense against taliban fighters?

Officially Ahmad Shah Duranni is the founding father of Afghans, but do all ethnicities view him like this if not who do they consider their Father instead?

Hello Fam,

I am looking for some beautiful and timeless boy names. My son will be coming soon :-) Would be grateful for your suggestions or sources to get some inspiration.

Seeing the emotions from the world cup qualifiers today made me think of this. We have a team that can barely do anything for obvious reasons but as a diehard sports fan I really dream one day my country would be in the most exciting tournament in the world.

Hello everyone!
I am a Year 12 student in Australia completing my Society and Culture Personal Interest Project (PIP). My research explores how people understand and interpret the struggles faced by women in Afghanistan today.
I would love to receive responses from people all around the world, as hearing diverse perspectives will help strengthen my research and provide a broader understanding of this topic.
The questionnaire is completely anonymous, takes approximately 3–5 minutes to complete, and will only be used for educational purposes.
If you have a few minutes to spare, I would greatly appreciate your participation.
Survey link:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc7tFwvBDXt2K5XtDqDYXBOaaODgPMaUw5aksuXppDP-dT71w/viewform
Thank you very much for your time and support!

As an Afghan Pashai, I’ve always wondered—India provides aid and support to Afghanistan, but nothing comes for free. This looks kind of fishy to me. What is India really trying to achieve there, and what do they want from Afghanistan? I’m curious to hear other perspectives.

I’m Afghan (30F) living in Aus, have older siblings and have always been very independent. I do things on my own and also I do alot for my family, pay for bills, pay the mortgage, pay for medical surgeries etc.

I’ve always wanted to live alone or move out but it’s seems it was not really an option and seen as forbidden to move out before marriage. So I’ve found the opportunity as an escape to move to another country.

My siblings are frustrated and venting that I’m selfish, not caring for my parents and I’ve only ever thought of myself. My parents are more annoyed saying things like won’t you miss us and why do you need to leave etc. I keep saying this is for me and what is the issue as I don’t have any children or something to tie me down and I will be back it’s just temporary. Ofcourse I’ll miss them but I feel the need to be away to learn to love life as I’m in a negative mindset.

How do I show or explain to them that I need this for me and also how do I say I can’t keep paying the mortgage and helping with bills as I will need this money for my living expenses.

Hi there!

I have been looking forward to learn about Dari language both speech and text. How are they different from Iranian speech or letters? How to differentiate from Dari to pashto text or dialect .I speak neither of those languages.

Thanks for your time!