PPT on Afghanistan

1. AFGHANISTAN
KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY
KNOW YOUR WORLD
A PROGRAM OF GLOBAL TIES AKRON
INSERT COUNTRY FLAG HERE

2. COUNTRY MAP

3. AFGHANISTAN
COMPARED TO
OHIO/US
Comparison Data:
Afghanistan is
almost six times the
size of Virginia and
slightly smaller
than Texas

4. COUNTRY QUICK FACTS
• Full name: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
• Population: 38.3 million
• Capital: Kabul
• Major cities: Herat, Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif
• Area: 652,230 sq km
• Major language: Dari and Pushto
• Major religion: Islam – Sunni and Shia
• Life expectancy: Male-52.1, Female-55.28
• Monetary unit: Afghan afghani (AFN)
• Main exports: Gold, grapes, opium, fruits and nuts,
insects, resins, cotton, handwoven
carpets, soapstone, scrap metal

5. SAMPLE OF THE LANGUAGE
‫اﻓﻐﺎﻧﺴﺘﺎن‬
The writing direction in Dari Language is from right
to left.

6. LANDFORMS OR HISTORICALLY
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS
329 BC Alexander the Great captures Afghanistan and heads towards India.
1893Durand Treaty signed between Afghanistan and British-India, formed
Pakistan
1919 Independence from British Empire by King Amanullah
1973Prince Dauood revolts against his cousin Zahir, brings down the
monarchy, establishes a Republic government and names himself as a
President.
1979The Entrance of Soviet Union to Afghanistan.
1989The Soviet Union left Afghanistan after 10 years of fight.
1992Civil War begins in Afghanistan
1996Taliban proclaim their government and rule the country for 6 years.
2001Taliban’s Government topples and the United States enters the country.
2004First Presidential Election – Karzai was elected as a president after 12
years.
2021 Taliban recapture Kabul after US forces withdraw.

7. LANGUAGE:
•HELLO GOOD BYE YES NO
Sa-lam Kho-da ha-fiz Ba-li Na kh-air
‫ﻧﺨﯿﺮ‬ ‫ﺑﻠﯽ‬ ‫ﺣﺎﻓﻆ‬ ‫ﺧﺪا‬ ‫ﺳــــﻼم‬
•THANK YOU YOUR WELCOME
Ta-sha-kor Kho-sh a-ma-did
‫آﻣﺪﯾﺪ‬ ‫ﺧﻮش‬ ‫ﺗﺸﮑﺮ‬

8. LANGUAGE: (CONT.)
•PLEASE I LOVE YOU HOW ARE YOU
Lot-fan Dos-tat da-ram Che-tor has-tid?
‫ھﺴﺘﯿﺪ؟‬ ‫ﭼﻄﻮر‬ ‫دارم‬ ‫دوﺳﺘﺖ‬ ‫ﻟﻄﻔـــــﺎ‬
•EXCUSE ME I AM SORRY
Ba-bakh-shid Man mo-ta-a-sef has-tam
‫ھﺴﺘﻢ‬ ‫ﻣﺘﺎﺳﻔﻢ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ‫ﺑﺒﺨﺸﯿﺪ‬

9. LANGUAGE: (CONT.)
•DO YOU SPEAK _Dari_?
A-ya sho-ma da-ri soh-bat mi-ko-nid?
‫ﻣﯿﮑﻨﯿﺪ؟‬ ‫ﺻﺤﺒﺖ‬ ‫دری‬ ‫ﺷﻤﺎ‬ ‫آﯾﺎ‬
•MY NAME IS _Fahim_
Es-me man Fahim ast.
‫اﺳﺖ‬ ‫ﻓﮭﯿﻢ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ‫اﺳﻢ‬.
•I AM _Afghan_( NATIONALITY).
Man Af-ghan has-tam ‫ھﺴﺘﻢ‬ ‫اﻓﻐﺎن‬ ‫ﻣﻦ‬

10. COUNTRY
• LEADER: Hibatullah
Akhundzada
• GOVERNMENT: Afghanistan is a
totalitarian theocracy and emirate
in which the Taliban Islamic
Movement holds a monopoly on
power.
• VOTING AGE: No free and fair
elections, civil liberties are limited

11. ECONOMICS
• Agricultural Products
Wheat, milk, grapes, vegetables, potatoes,
watermelons, melons, rice, onions, apples
• Mining
Natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite,
talc, barytes, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt,
precious and semiprecious stones.

12. ECONOMICS (CONT.)
• Imported Products
Wheat flours, broadcasting equipment, refined
petroleum, rolled tobacco, aircraft parts,
synthetic fabrics
• Exported Products
Gold, grapes, opium, fruits and nuts, insect
resins, cotton, handwoven carpets, soapstone,
scrap metal

13. ECONOMICS (CONT.)
Current Economy
• Extremely low-income South Asian economy
• Import drops
• Currency depreciation
• Disappearing of central bank reserves, and
increasing inflation after Taliban takeover
• Increasing of Chinese trade
• Hit hard by COVID; ongoing sanctions

14. EVERYDAY-ECONOMICS
Currency: Afghani afghani
1 Afghani Note 2 Afghani Note

15. EVERYDAY-ECONOMIC(CONT.)
Currency: Afghan afghani
5 Afghani Note 10 Afghani Note

16. EVERYDAY-ECONOMICS (CONT.)
Currency: Afghan afghani
50 Afghani Note 100 Afghani Note

17. EVERYDAY-ECONOMICS (CONT.)
Currency: Afghan afghani
500 Afghani Note 1000 Afghani Note

18. EVERYDAY-ECONOMICS(CONT.)
Jobs
Working age for young people: 15 years old, even
younger – mainly shop keeping, running stands,
helping family members with shopping.
Student and Money: Students either get money from
their parents or they have to earn by themselves.
There is no student loan from the government.

19. RELIGION(S)
Islam - Sunni 80%, Shia 19%, Others (Sikhism)
Friday
Mosque –
Herat
Afghanistan
800 Years Old

20. GENDER- ROLE OF GIRLS / BOYS –
MEN/WOMEN
Growing up as boy or girl in family and society
Boys: Expected to be future men and husbands. Get
education, learn a trade, work with the male members of
the family and help the family with outside work. A boy
is normally encouraged to learn from his father.
Girls: Expected to be future women and wives. Limited
access to education, know how to cook, know how to
work inside the house. A girl is normally encouraged to
learn from her mother.
As future MEN and WOMEN, boys and girls are expected
to be like their fathers and mothers.

21. GENDER- ROLE OF GIRLS / BOYS –
MEN/WOMEN(CONT.)
Dress - Women
(1) Head scarf: Women
and young girls wear to
cover their head.
(2)Dress: Women and
young girls wear a long
dress to cover their
whole body. They also
like to try the dress
styles which come from
other countries, such as
India, Pakistan, and Iran.
(3) Borqa: A type of
covering that covers the
body of a woman from
head to feet.

22. GENDER- ROLE OF GIRLS / BOYS –
MEN/WOMEN (CONT.)
Dress - Men (1) Turban:
Some old men
and most
village people
prefer to wear
turban.
(2) Pato: A type of thin
blanket that men use to
wrap around their upper
body to protect themselves
from wind, dust and snow.
(3) Long dress and
Baggy Pants:
Traditional cloth. Village
people and most people in
cities wear long dress and
baggy pants.
(4) Pakol: A type of hat
people wear in southern
areas.

23. GENDER- ROLE OF GIRLS / BOYS –
MEN/WOMEN (CONT.)
Dress
It is common to dress boys
and girls in different styles.
Fancier Traditional Dress
A girl and a boy wearing traditional
cloth for special occasions. Men and
women can also wear the same style,
but it is not common. It is ok for special
occasions.

24. GENDER- ROLE OF GIRLS / BOYS –
MEN/WOMEN (CONT.)
Gender rites/rituals
Born baby (boy & girl): A mullah (a religious preacher) is
invited to recite a few verses from Quran in the ear of the
newly born baby. The mullah will also recite
prayer-calling-words. In Afghanistan it is called Calling
Prayers in the Ear of the Baby.
Marriage: To get married, the parents of the boy should visit
the parents of the girl and ask about their daughters hand
for their son. It is considered formal both in arranged or
love marriages.

25. Education – under the Taliban
High School: Boys and girls start attending primary school
from age 7 and are expected to finish high school at age 18.
Schools are segregated in Afghanistan.
Vocational School: Instead of going to normal schools, boys
and girls can enroll in a vocational school.
College: After High School, students take an Entrance Exam
to university. They spend four years to take bachelor's
degree. The word Faculty is used instead of College in
Afghan Universities.
Grad: There is no Grad school. Boys and girls use
scholarships (such as Fulbright) to pursue their Master’s
degree in a foreign country.

26. GENDER- ROLE OF GIRLS / BOYS –
MEN/WOMEN (CONT.)
At Work, At Home
At Work: Both men and women can work outside of the
house. They can work in army, police, law, engineering
and medicine. They receive equal salary which is based
on a salary scale for a position.
At Home: Women are expected to (1) do the chores around
the house such as cleaning, cooking, washing and (2) take
care of the family members – children and the husband.
Men, on the other hand, are expected to (1) financially
support the family, (2) support the family members and
(3) take care of the activities which are related outside of
the house.

27. GENDER- ROLE OF GIRLS / BOYS –
MEN/WOMEN (CONT.)
Roles in Society
● Men and women in Afghanistan have equal roles in the
society. Both can work in military, run businesses,
participate in sports and be a member of parliament.
On the other hand women are more restricted due to the
cultural and religious beliefs.
● Women cannot be as active as men in the society unless
they have the consent of their family members for what
they are doing.
It takes a lot for a woman to get into the society and work
alongside the men. A woman has more social challenges in
society compared to a man because of religion and
tradition.

28. NATIONAL FESTIVALS-HOLIDAYS
EVENTS
New Year
Every Year in
Mazar-e-Sharif
( a city in the
north) people
come together
in Kart-e-Sakhi
Shrine (The
Shrine of Kalif
Ali) to
celebrate the
New Year.

29. NATIONAL FESTIVALS-HOLIDAYS
EVENTS
New Year(Cont.)
In some cities, people celebrate NEW YEAR by
visiting friends or relatives and sharing meals.
Out in the thirteenth Day (Sezda-Badar)
In the thirteenth day of the New Year, people go
to nature. The belief is to celebrate the greenness
of the nature, make good wishes, and take bad
from the house. This tradition came from Iran to
Afghanistan.

30. NATIONAL FESTIVALS-HOLIDAYS
EVENTS
Eid ( Religious festival. Muslims celebrate three days of Eid
after one month fasting - based on the lunar calendar)
In Eid days people
wear new clothes, buy
dried and fresh fruit,
cookies, cake and nuts,
and serve for the
people who visit their
houses. The message
of Eid is to reconcile
and forget enmity and
hatred.

31. NATIONAL FESTIVALS-HOLIDAYS
EVENTS
Milad-o-Nabi( A religions Event. The Birthday of the
Prophet Mohammad.)
Milad-o-Nabi is an
Arabic word which
means the birthday of
the prophet. In this
day some people put
some money together,
cook food, such as rice
and distribute it
between friends,
neighbors and the
poor.

32. NATIONAL FESTIVALS-HOLIDAYS
EVENTS
Ashora/Moharam
Ashora/Moharam is a
month in the lunar
calendar. In this month,
Shia Muslims mourn the
death of the prophet
Mohammad’s Nephew -
Hussian. In this day
people wear black
clothes and stop running
their businesses.

33. FOOD
Everyday Food
Market-baked bread Home-baked bread

34. FOOD (CONT)
Everyday Food
Some dishes for special
events
Shorba – A kind of soup
made from beef or
lamb.

35. FOOD (CONT)
Everyday Food
Kabab – ground lamb/
beef steak
Bolani - vegetables or mashed
potato sandwiched between
two layers of dough and fried.

36. FOOD (CONT)
Purchasing food
Grocery shopping: Small grocery shops in each area helps
people purchase their daily grocery needs. There is no big
supermarket, such as Giant Eagle or Walmart in Afghansitan.
Outdoor market: Two types. (1) Village people bring their
produce and sell in the market. (2) Some people buy produce
from villagers in bulks and sell them in small quantities for
households.
Growing: Some people do grow their own vegetable in their
yards. When they grow more than what they need, they either
share the surplus with their neighbors or friends, or sell it in the
market.

37. FOOD (CONT)
Purchasing food
Eggplant,
Tomato and
Okra in an
outdoor market.

38. FOOD (CONT)
Eating
Time allotted for eating: In the morning between 7-8 A.M,
in the afternoon between 11-12 P.M., and in the evening
between 8 – 9 P.M are common. However, it can be different
in different houses.
Primary meal of the day: Breakfast is the primary meal of
the day; however, the dinner is the most important meal of
the day because all family members are together.
Typical school lunch experience: Schools do not provide
meal for students. Students should bring their own meal, or
buy what they need from a shop which is inside the school.

39. FOOD (CONT)
Candy
Shirpera – A type of soft
candy made of powdered
milk, sugar and mixture of
crushed nuts.
Jelabi– A type of sweet made
of sugar and flour and fried in
oil.

40. FOOD (CONT)
Candy
Sohan– A type of brittle
Toffee candy.
Halwa– made of sugar, flour,
rose water fried in oil.

41. FOOD (CONT)
Fruit
Watermelon
Apricot
Grape Toot
Peach Melon

42. FOOD (CONT)
Meats: In Afghanistan, Lamb is the best meat, then comes
beef and the last one is chicken. Meat is used alone for steaks, for
soup, or mixed with rice and vegetables for other recipes. Some
people, especially in Herat Province dry lamb meat for winter for
special recipes.
(1)
Lamb Meat
(2)
Beef Meat
(3)
Chicken Meat

43. CONTEMPORARY CUSTOMS- MUSIC - DANCE –
SPORTS & TRADITIONS
Art: Calligraphy: Around eights styles of calligraphy.
Students learn calligraphy with bamboo pens.
Translation of the text on the right:
Human beings are members of a
whole,
In creation of one essence and
soul.
If one member is afflicted with
pain,
Other members uneasy will
remain.
If you have no sympathy for
human pain,
The name of human you cannot
retain.”
Saadi – Persian Poet 11 BC

44. CONTEMPORARY CUSTOMS- MUSIC - DANCE –
SPORTS & TRADITIONS
Art: Miniature: This art is used to
express the artist’s feelings in the form
of small portraits or simply the
decoration of an object. Behzad is the
oldest miniature school and style in
Afghanistan.
Illuminated Manuscript depicting the Fall of
Samarkand from Baburnama, Walters Art
Museum.

45. CONTEMPORARY CUSTOMS- MUSIC - DANCE –
SPORTS & TRADITIONS
Art:
Wood Work include woodcarving, wood burning, and
wood mosaic.
Wood Carving by
Fahim Tabesh
Wood mosaic
Flickr: By violinsoldier - Patrick

46. CONTEMPORARY CUSTOMS- MUSIC - DANCE – SPORTS &
TRADITIONS
Art: Drawing and painting.
Painting by: Shoja
The portrait of an
Afghan man
An Afghan Village woman
preparing chapati (a type of
bread)
Two Afghan men
chatting

47. CONTEMPORARY CUSTOMS- MUSIC - DANCE –
SPORTS & TRADITIONS
Art: Mosaic: This art is
used to decorate/restore
mosques, historical tombs
or some special places.
Sculpturing and theater
are reviewing after the
war.
A view of mosaic work on the
wall of Friday Mosque in Herat
Province – 800 Years Old.
Photo by: Fahim Tabesh

48. CONTEMPORARY CUSTOMS- MUSIC - DANCE –
SPORTS & TRADITIONS (CONT.)
Music: Country, Pop, Rock, Classic, Rap are some of
the common styles.
Ahmad Zahir –
Classic Singer
Farhad Darya – Pop,
Dance, Classic
Hosain Sarahang–
The Father of
Classical Music

49. CONTEMPORARY CUSTOMS- MUSIC - DANCE –
SPORTS & TRADITIONS (CONT.)
Buz-kashi – A type of
horseback riding
Cricket
Sports
Martial Arts, Soccer, Cricket, Boxing, Bodybuilding, Biking,
Volleyball, Local Wrestling.

50. CONTEMPORARY CUSTOMS- MUSIC - DANCE –
SPORTS & TRADITIONS (CONT.)
Games
Computer games, Xbox, Playstation,
facebook and online games, Kite
flying, marbles … .
Marbles
Kite Flying

51. EVERYDAY LIVING
Typical Day- schedule
Saturday is the first day of the week, and Friday is the last
day of the week. There are 5 and ½ official working days.
Official working days begin at 8:00 A.M., and finishes at
4:00 P.M. During Ramadan (fasting month), the working
hours shrink to 2:00 P.M.
A School Day/Week- 11-12yrs old
Schools are running in two shifts six days a week. Morning
& Afternoon. Each shift is four hour study. In each shift
in a day a student should take six subjects – each subject
45 min. After the school the boy stays either at home or
helps his dad at the shop. Girls are stay at home.

52. EVERYDAY LIVING (CONT.)
Study-Homework
School is 12 years, college is 4 years. Students hardly do group
projects. There is no online homework submission. Homework
should be submitted in hard copies.
Extra-curriculars
Playing soccer, outside camping, and hiking
Family Life
Families in Afghanistan are big. A family can have from one
child to fifteen children. As the culture and the religion
allows, a man can have more than one wife. Intermarriage is
still common in most parts of the country.

53. EVERYDAY LIVING (CONT.)
Traditional Housing
A village house
A city house for rich
people

54. EVERYDAY LIVING (CONT.)
Extended Family
● In Afghanistan people live in big families. Children live
with their families after 18 years old and even when
they get married. Children feel it a must to support their
parents when they get old.
● In some families it is common to see several brothers
living with their own families and parents in one big
house.
● People believe that living together in one big house or
close to each other brings more unity to their life, and
they support each other in hard times.

55. EVERYDAY LIVING (CONT.)
Pets
In Afghanistan people
use birds, such as
canary and partridge as
pets. It is very rare to
see a person keep a
dog, a cat or another
type of animal as a pet.

56. EVERYDAY LIVING (CONT.)
Attraction: Herat Province
Minarets – around 500
years old
Jihad Panorama in
Herat exhibits the
years of fight with
Russia through
pictures and
sculptures.
Ekh-te-ya-rod-din
Fortress – 1500 years old

57. EVERYDAY LIVING (CONT.)
Attraction: Kabul Province
Babor Garden –
around 600 years
old.
Bala Hesar Fortress – more
than 1,000 years old
Qargha Dam

58. EVERYDAY LIVING (CONT.)
Attraction: Other Provinces
Minerate in Ghazni
– 1,000 years old
Jaam Menerate – in Ghor
Province - around 800
years old
Caliph Ali Shrine in
Mazar Province.

61. EVERYDAY LIVING (CONT.)
Attraction: Other Provinces
Buddah Mountain in Bamyan –
Buddah’s Status was destroyed
by Taliban in 2001
Amir Dam in Bamyan Province

62. INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER PROFILE
Name: Mohammad Fahim Tabesh
Topics:
– Student at the University of Akron
– Studying MBA - Management
– From Herat City - Afghanistan
– Future plan: Working for my
government, doing research about business in
Afghanistan.

63. LINKS
• Websites with more info- music- city- travel
Afghan Music - http://www.afghan123.com
About Afghanistan - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan
• News Media – Afghanistan
Afghanistan - www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/asia
Sanayee Development Organization - http://www.sanayee.org.af/english
Radio Liberty - http://www.rferl.org/section/Afghanistan/149.html

64. ‫ﺗﺸﮑﺮ‬ ‫ﺗﺎن‬ ‫ﺗﻮﺟﮫ‬ ‫از‬
AZ TA-WA-JO TAN TA-SHA-KOR
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION