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We are all Afghans – Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs

    Early each morning, dozens of Hindus and Sikhs who live in Jalalabad city of Nangarhar province head to the Daramsala (Sikh temple) to worship. Their prayers end with a wish for goodwill, peace and prosperity… 

    Community interaction in Nangarhar

      To mark the start of the Persian new year and arrival of spring, people from different communities in  Khewa and Kama districts, in the north and northeast of Nangarhar province, came together to get to… 

      Challenging traditions with respect

        As in many other countries, the traditions that govern the lives of many communities in Afghanistan are discriminatory. Most traditional practices and beliefs are based on deeply-held views that merit re-examination to reflect the ideas… 

        Team sports: an example for Afghan nation-building?

          Abolfazl Gholami, 16, is passionate about football that he’s been playing for many years. For him, it’s not just about physical wellbeing. “It gives meaning to my life, through the valuable friendships that I’ve made… 

          Naan-o-Namak: sharing bread and salt

            Naan-o-namak shodan (literally in Persian, to share bread & salt) is an expression used by Afghans to describe having a meal. It is commonly used when strangers get to know each other by spending time… 

            Are interethnic marriages still a taboo for Afghans?

              Every morning she wakes up with her favorite Pashto good-morning greeting “sahar pakhair” and I respond in Dari “sobh bakhair” explains Said Noor Ahmad, who is 25 and a Pashtun from Herat province. Two years… 

              Nine cows and a new man

                ‘Nine cows and a new man’ (noh gaow wa mard naw in Persian) is a traditional expression for a newborn baby among families in Bamiyan Province, Afghanistan, where it is believed that a girl-child is… 

                ‘Eid Bowl (akhtarisa kassa)

                  ‘Eid bowl (or akhtarisa kassa in Pashtu) is a long-standing cultural tradition practiced by rural communities belonging to different ethnic groups in Kandahar province. On the first day of the ‘Eid festival, members of many…