Oppressed by the Taliban, Afghan girls are using everyday items to end their lives.

Experts say reliable statistics on suicide and suicide attempts aren’t compiled in Afghanistan, but rights groups and doctors say they’ve seen an increase under Taliban rule.

Dr. Shikib Ahmadi has been working six days a week and longer hours than ever, seeing patients at a mental health clinic in Afghanistan’s western Herat province. He’s using a pseudonym because he fears the Taliban will punish him for speaking to foreign media.

Ahmadi said the number of female patients at his clinic has surged 40% to 50% since the Taliban’s takeover two years ago. Around 10% of those patients kill themselves, he said.

Their lives restricted by the Taliban, girls and women are turning to cheap household items to attempt suicide, he said. Rat poison, liquid chemicals, cleaning fluids, and farming fertilizer – anything they think will ease their grief.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/17/asia/afghanistan-girl-acid-suicide-taliban-intl-hnk-dst/index.html

Both countries are Caucasian, both are Indo-European speaking countries, their country names both begin with the letter A, both are Islamic countries, and both have gone through the road of socialism... The difference is that Albania is in Europe, Afghanistan is in Asia, and Albania has successfully secularized , Afghanistan failed. Albania allows multiple religions to coexist. Afghanistan prohibits paganism. Albania supports LGBT and has gay parades. Afghanistan is said to sentence homosexuals to death

Are your culture and customs more like those of South Asia such as Punjab, Kashmir, and Hindustan, or those of Central Asia such as Transoxiana, Fergana, and Khwarezm?

Hi there! I’m curious what different words Afghans use to refer to their mothers.

I have always used Aday, pronounced "Ahh-They".

My mom used it, her mom used it, and even her mom used it as well. I had assumed that all Pashtuns call their moms Aday, but now I am not so sure.

Growing up I often heard my Farsi-speaking friends say Moor or Mawdhar.

Which is interesting now that I think about it, because it sounds so similar to "Mother" in English.

So, what term do you personally use for "Mom"?

Afghanistan Indeed is a diverse nation, Multiethnic groups, from Hazara to Pashtun, from Brahui to Uzbek, Afghanistan shares Similarities with many of It's border nations, however, I wanted to ask my fellow afghans who they feel most similar to, and here are the 3 Most likely Contestants(The order is random btw)

1- Tajikistan

Closest Central Asian Country

• Language: Tajik, closely related to Dari, one of Afghanistan's main languages.
• Ethnicity: Tajiks are a major ethnic group in both Tajikistan and Afghanistan, Making around 20-25%% of afghanistans population.
• Religion: Both countries are predominantly Muslim, although Tajikistan is mostly Sunni and Afghanistan is overwhelmingly Sunni with a significant Shia minority.
• Geography: Both have dramatic mountain ranges and landlocked, mountainous regions.
• Culture: They share Persian literary traditions, Nowruz celebrations, foods and historical connections.

2- Pakistan

Huge Pashtun populations in Both countries

• Language: Pashto, Dari and other regional languages are spoken across Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pashto is especially important in both countries, while Dari is closely related to Persian and Urdu is Pakistan’s national language.
• Ethnicity: Pashtuns are a major ethnic group in both countries, making up roughly 40–45% of Afghanistan’s population (Largest) and around 25-30% of Pakistan’s population.
• Religion: Both countries are predominantly Muslim, with Sunni Islam being the majority. Pakistan also has a significant Shia minority.
• Geography: Both share a border and have dramatic mountain ranges, particularly the Hindu Kush, as well as valleys and arid regions.
• Culture: They share Pashtun traditions, traditional clothing, foods such as kebabs and pulao, hospitality customs, Islamic traditions and historical connections through trade, migration and empires.

3- Iran

Same Language, no doubt

• Language: Persian (Farsi) is Iran’s official language, while Dari, spoken in Afghanistan, is closely related to Farsi. Pashto is also widely spoken in Afghanistan.
• Ethnicity: Iran and Afghanistan share some ethnic groups, including Tajiks, Pashtuns, and Baloch. Persian-speaking Tajiks are a major ethnic group in Afghanistan, while Iran has a large Persian population.
• Religion: Both countries are predominantly Muslim. However, Iran is majority Shia Muslim, whereas Afghanistan is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim, with a significant Shia minority.
• Geography: Both countries have mountainous landscapes, arid regions and parts of the Iranian Plateau. They also share a border.
• Culture: They share Persian literary traditions, Nowruz celebrations, poetry, traditional foods, historical empires and centuries of trade and cultural exchange. Dari-speaking Afghans have particularly strong linguistic and cultural connections with Eastern Iran.

Overall, Who do afghans feel most similar to, Apologies for not including Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, These 3 countries come up the most commonly.

Salam everyone,

As i mentioned I'm half afghan. My father's side is from kabul and my other half is Indian.

I wanna know more about afghanistan.

I hope I'll meet new people here and make new friends.

For context, I am Turkish and my husband is afghan. We are having our wedding ceremony soon and he doesn't know much about how traditional weddings and henna nights work. I want to try my best to implement both cultures since ive been told that they can be similar. The wedding is in October and all I have is my Afghan dress.

Can any ladies also let me know what kind of dances brides/bridesmaids do ?

My parents are Afghan but immigrated to a secular country and I was born and raised in said country. I was religious for most of my life until I made a decision for myself and decided not to, and even though I've left my religion and criticize it within some social circles in person and online I often wonder if I'll be accepted by my family back home in Afghanistan. How common is it for someone to leave their religion and live normal lives in Afghanistan? Or do people have to keep their religious decent private and outwardly portray themselves as religious?

https://reddit.com/link/1w2agpm/video/n2ng6p4gmgmh1/player

Salaam everyone! 👋

I'm a musician from Japan. I love learning and singing national anthems from around the world to connect with people from different cultures on Ome.tv.

Here is a quick clip of me singing the Afghan National Anthem! The reaction was so warm and wonderful, so I wanted to share it with this community.

Manana / Tashakor (Thank you) for watching!
I hope this brings a smile to your face. 🙏❤️

You can check out more of my national anthem videos here
Instagram

Now I know people don’t believe that Sadats are an ethnicity but they are afaik. I’ve seen an ethnic Sadat dna results and he openly identifies as Hazara exclusively due to having Hazara grandmothers despite being paternally Sadat. Isn’t identity overall passed down through the father in our culture ?

Ticket Link to Yeldā’s episode screening in Brooklyn in comments ☺️ come meet some community!

I was reading about the Chador and how in the early 20th century many upper class/wealthy women were the first to wear secular clothing. I was wondering if there is any discrepancy on how modesty laws are enforced in Afghanistan today or if the way women dress is universal.

https://posh.vip/e/freedom-frames-episode-1-afghanistanworld-premiere-dj-party

KABUL—

A city of Afghans, dying—no heir, Where voices loomed harmony, people showed care. “No hate, no loathing, ruled via peace”— Now a renowned pun every country teases.

Ruled via terrorists—men wrapped in black, They are humans, humanity they truly lack. Shortfall on mercy—to man or not, Defy their orders—your existence could be bought.

Here men own “power,” women assigned “chastity,” Have an opinion—it’s punished as obscenity. Should cover one’s face, no going out— Education flouted, their existence in doubt.

Once a Kabul—preaching values and solace, Now become barren, followed by shadowed gazes. You fight for bread, you survive to despair, A place woven tradition, now stripped of its heir.

So i wrote this poem after reading one of the books about Afghanistan named 'the flying kite' Idk if we are supposed to post any poem on this subreddit but i am doing it anyway.

I'm currently working on a personal project where I'm listening to one album from every country in the world and documenting my journey on Instagram.

I'd love to hear your recommendations for one album that you think best represents. It doesn't have to be the most famous—it could be a classic, an influential record, a hidden gem, or simply your personal favourite.

I'm open to any genre, whether that's rock, hip-hop, folk, jazz, electronic, metal, pop, traditional music, or anything else.

Following up to my recent post about the Freedom Frames event with our poster! Tickets selling fast so wanted to bump it 😊
Freedom Frames Tickets!

i remember trying to find such songs in the past and it was pretty difficult. i guess it makes sense given the number of speakers, but given the uniqueness of the languages i'd still like to find some. any song / artist recommendations are welcome and will be appreciated.

Hi, I'm a native English speaker and I'd like to learn a bit of Dari, mostly for my own intellectual development and curiosity. I'm female and would love to find a woman in Afghanistan who wants to improve her English and would be willing to do a language exchange. Please note that I can't commit to large amounts of time at this point--about an hour a week. It will need to be someone with a high enough Internet speed to handle Zoom or a similar platform, of course. Happy to work with any level of English learner, but please note that I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to Persian. Thanks!