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Why Ashraf Ghani’s peace offer to the Taliban means war?

On February 28, 2018, Ashraf Ghani presented, what many label,  a “comprehensive” peace offer to the Taliban at the  Kabul Process II . Since then, a web of “political analysts” have written  opinion pieces  in support of Ghani’s bold move thanks to his vast influential network of friends and supporters in global mass media. Quite frankly, almost every piece written is inclined to praise President Ghani for his peace offer to the Taliban, a group of ruthless terrorists engaged in terrorizing and killing innocent people since 1996. The Taliban are globally known for their facilitating role in the tragic attacks of 9/11 that horrified the world. This is, indeed, unfortunate that mainstream international media and “political analysts” have implicitly echoed a narrative most suitable to Ghani and the Taliban sympathizers while, whether intentionally or not, ignoring the other sides of the story. As expected, President Ghani has been working tirelessly to promote his Taliban friendl
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What Does Life Mean to You? 02

Is it to be a positive impact on your surroundings or environment? Is it to be a help out there for people who need you? Is it to help your family in overcoming challenges? There are many more questions to ask when we embark on a self-discovery journey. Answers may vary from one person to another given the person's circumstances. However, for me at this very moment, it  is mainly to be effective to your surroundings, particularly to your family in overcoming their challenges. It could be easier to overcome family challenges if family members have positive and happy attitudes. Positive and happy attitude encourage one to address challenges effectively. Unfortunately, families are formed without any pre-family planning in Afghanistan. The majority of them, including mine, do not have basic family infrastructures such as housing, a sustainable source of income, and access to educational opportunities.  Lack of such foundational family needs has negative impacts on family members’
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What Does Life Mean to You?

Is it to live in an environment that challenges lead your way to an uncertain future? Is it to be squeezed with harsh realities and obstacles to come to believe some moments of avoidance are opportunities? Is life what goes through your head, particularly thoughts and beliefs that you develop based on realities on the ground? Is it to struggle with the challenges that your parents have cultivated for you unintentionally?  In Afghanistan, life seems to mean struggling with the waves of challenges those have come from your ancestors and will go on to your children. It is almost impossible to give a different meaning to life in this country. It is extremely exhausting to swim against these waves of challenges to avoid the uncertain future.  What could you do if it happens that you are born in Afghanistan? You may have lost your chance to swim off the waves. Should you avoid your children from falling into the waves of challenges? You must be a wise and strong human being to figure ou
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My Brother Meer Ata Khan

My brother, Meer Ata Khan lost his life while he was battling for freedom along with his people in the early 1980s. He was 22 years old when he was killed. He is on the right sitting upfront in this picture. He was killed when I was two years old. Behind my brother on the right is Ghulam Ali. He was my brother's very close friend. He was also killed in the same month. May God bless them both. I don't remember anything about my brother, as I was very young when he was taken from us. People say he was a very brave soul with a simple heart full of love and honesty.
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Poem of One's Life

The people in my country are always running They cannot sit; they are rushing and suffering They cannot LIVE—because they are trying to survive In Arabic “The Life of the world is like the rain/That waters the crops of the earth” (10:24) I was not even a year old, when my family ran A migration across mountains Marked desperation mounted In raids, bombs, and blockades And once, they got caught Caved, covered by an avalanche of rock Left to die But that wasn’t what my sister wanted My sister dug us out The people in my country do not have time to think They no longer hear the voice of rivers Or the smell of flowers in spring Because Afghanistan, they say, is the most dangerous place in the world I felt this violence when a bullet tore through me, on the front line fighting The Taliban I felt it as I watched the rain fall that night I watched it stream over Daud’s scarf; Daud, he was next to me I saw it in the tears of the man who rescued me But it hurt me most
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My Brothers

I have lost two of my brothers during different wars in Afghanistan. Meer Ata Khan was my oldest brother who was a senior high school student when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. He did not attend his graduation ceremony. Instead, joined Ahmad Shah Massoud, the leader of the freedom fighters of Afghanistan fighting the Soviet occupiers. He had served for a few years with a group of freedom warriors called Group-e-Mutahrek. Its English translation would be the commandoes. He got killed in a battle at the top of one of the tallest mountains in the Valley of Panjshir in an early morning. Meer Ata Khan Abdullah Ayoobi was my other brother years older than me. He had an MA in Arabic Literature and Religious Studies. Upon his return back to Afghanistan in the early 1990s,  he started a volunteer job with one of the social organizations, "The Union of Afghanistan Journalists" as the Director of Foreign Relations. When the Taliban took over Kabul in the mid-90s, he ha
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Fulbright Workshop in Washington

This picture was taken in Washington D.C. in December of 2005.
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Fun in Kabul

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