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The London debut of the album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” in May 1967 was a memorable milestone in the history of fashion and music. While the outfits of the other three members of The Beatles stunned the world, John Lennon was truly the star of every stage. Lennon always appeared wearing a green, ruffled, floral shirt, chestnut velvet trousers, canary yellow socks, and lace-up shoes with two unusual additions. One was a matching leather jacket worn by the other members, and the other was an Afghan sheepskin jacket, worn with fur on the inside and leather on the outside, in a tan color and embroidered with large red flowers on the front and sleeves.
These jackets became a sensation with extraordinary longevity. "Afghan," as the world called them, became a trend embraced by many celebrities in the late 1960s. Then, during the best part of the decade, "Afghan" jackets became the standard attire for young people – an archetypal hippie outfit and a symbol of what was called counter-cultural resistance to traditionalism. To this day, "Afghan" jackets still regularly appear in photos with a "bohemian" or "free-spirited" theme for young people worldwide.
However, the craze for these jackets could only have occurred because Afghanistan's relationship with the rest of the world was beginning to change at that time.
A NATION THAT IS RUINING AWAY
In the 1960s, on a beautiful September day in Kabul, Queen Humaira Begum and her husband, King Zahir Shar, made their first public appearance before the world, dressed in elegant Western attire. During that meeting, the revered King declared that Afghanistan would open its doors to the world after centuries of isolation, while Queen Humaira appeared before the world without a headscarf, as a way to demonstrate freedom and the breaking of the shackles that bound women in Afghanistan. Only then did the world realize how beautiful and majestic Afghanistan truly was, and how friendly, hospitable, and pure its people were. The bustling cities, surrounded by the "paradise" of highlands, mountains, and gentle rivers, made the land a breathtaking painting, a picture of divine grace and love. Every afternoon, thousands of colorful kites would flutter over the rooftops of Kabul, the laughter of children could be heard, and wisps of smoke rose from the bustling markets. Everything flowed peacefully. But all that changed in the following four decades, the idyllic scenes gradually becoming ruins – when the Taliban regime first seized power in Afghanistan in 1996.
The Taliban ruled from 1996 to 2001, during which time all artistic elements were brutally suppressed. No music, no entertainment, no paintings or theater. For five years under the Taliban's first rule, the Afghan people were deprived of all basic rights to happiness. All that this idyllic country endured for five years was an oppressive regime, banning television, music, and film; prohibiting men from trimming their beards; and forcing women to wear burkas that covered them from head to toe.
If there was one saying that foreshadowed all the violence that has occurred in Afghanistan over the decades, it was the inscription at the entrance to the Kabul Museum: "A nation endures as long as its culture and history endure."
In Afghanistan today, there exists a "culture" in which women are not allowed to go to school, are confined to their homes, forced to wear a specific dress, and treated as second-class citizens. Simultaneously, women hold another position: they are trained as fighter pilots and enjoy the sole freedom of providing entertainment for men. One such extreme "culture" exists, where tribalism and ethnicity dominate almost every aspect of daily life, while another culture does not.
The Taliban cling to one of these aforementioned "cultures," and Afghans who fear the return of the Taliban belong to one of them.the remaining group- A culture closer to human culture where people are free, can pursue happiness, and have equal rights. Each side has its own corresponding historical narrative explaining which side is the greatest villain of society, and the cognitive disparity between them is immense. For generations, the historical narrative of Afghanistan has always been a story composed of fragmented cultures and a distorted history, about a nation in decline.diein an effort to ensure its own survival.
The cultural gap between Kabul and the Taliban is so vast that communication between the people and this new power is difficult. The "integration" that the Taliban proclaims in Afghanistan today means, for them, women will lose their rights and face continued street beatings if they break the law; Afghanistan's scenic spots will once again be closed to the world, and scenes of grief, bloodshed, and tears will once again be spilled across the country.
In fact, the Taliban isn't the only entity possessing a "culture of oppression" in Afghanistan. Two weeks ago, Kabul's education department issued a ban on female students singing. While supported by many Kabul parents, it sparked outrage among other Afghans. The hashtag #IAmMySong quickly went viral, accompanied by tweets from Afghan women recording themselves singing, and embarrassed government officials who had to unilaterally revoke the ban. Many Afghans, particularly the country's well-educated professionals, therefore fear that the country will face even harsher conservative measures if the Taliban expands its influence throughout the nation.
…Or a priceless gift from God?
If we only imagine that distant land through images of cities, deserts covered in ash, violence, chaos… or in other words, images favored by the media, we inadvertently allow ourselves to be swallowed up by the storm of negative information. In reality, Afghanistan is a much more beautiful and multifaceted country. Lonely Planet once described Afghanistan as a “country fascinating to the core.” From the dams of Band-e-Amir to the pristine, towering Pamir Mountains, home to the last remaining snow leopards in the world, to the extremely remote villages of Wakhan, right near the Chinese border – all possess unique, simple, rustic yet vibrant beauty – and these are all more peaceful areas of Afghanistan. Perhaps the most famous is the city of Bamiyan, a windswept plateau with many exceptional scenic spots. From the city's colossal Buddha statues, destroyed by the Taliban in 2001, to 3D projections that have captivated tourists for years, Bamiyan also boasts significant archaeological sites, such as caves containing some of the world's earliest oil paintings dating back 14 centuries, and a nascent ski industry.
Furthermore, Bamiyan boasts a progressive and unique history, including Afghanistan's first female provincial governor, Dr. Habiba Sarabi. This stability makes Bamiyan attractive to tourists and reveals a new image of a country that the world has long viewed only as a place of gunfire and war, unaware that it is home to people with warm hearts and a spirit of hospitality.
With its rich and hospitable culture and unparalleled natural beauty, the post-conflict development of a sustainable and responsible tourism industry could benefit Afghanistan – especially in its more remote areas. In fact, before the war and Covid-19, in the 1970s, over 100,000 tourists visited Afghanistan annually. At that time, Afghanistan was a hidden gem nestled among the vast mountain ranges and valleys of the Middle East.
Today, even a romantic would no longer dare gaze upon the picturesque valleys and majestic snow-capped peaks of Afghanistan and dream of a beautiful future befitting this priceless gift from nature. The sorrowful, fearful eyes, seemingly pleading for salvation through the single gap in the burka, thus become the perfect metaphor for the "ugly culture" and the terrible things happening in that Middle Eastern country right now.
