What You Didn't Know About Afghanistan

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Some words of advice, inspiration, optimism and caution from renowned personalities - lessons often learnt too little, too late. I necessarily do not support all the opinions, but I would emphasize that anyone claiming to know about Afghanistan must know these and other equally pivotal words of wisdom by heart before "thinking Afghanistan".

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"Whatever countries I conquer in the world, I would never forget your beautiful gardens. When I remember the summits of your beautiful mountains, I forget the greatness of the Delhi throne."

Ahmad Shah Durrani, Founder of the Afghan Empire, (1747-1773). Many Afghan historians consider Ahmad Shah as the true founder of modern Afghanistan

“Few, if any, calamities in our time have befallen the world without some advance notice … from this rostrum. Thus, if fools and folly rule the world, the end of man in our time may come as a rude shock, but it will no longer come as a complete surprise.”

Abdul Rahman Pazwak, Afghanistan, President of General Assembly on retiring 19 Sep '67

Globalization is also playing a role helping drugs trafficking and terrorism which now circulate in a global network. Afghanistan deserves to be helped out of its civil war and misery - this is where lies the hope - that the time may have come for the problems here to be resolved. Lakhdar Brahimi, UN Special Advisor to Afghanistan.

In Afghanistan, the first time around, from 1997 to 1999 when I gave up, that is where I had seen these foreign players do their worst. Lakhdar Brahimi

A fly cannot go in unless it stops somewhere; therefore weapons, fuel, food, money will not go to Afghanistan unless the neighbors of Afghanistan are working, are cooperating, either being themselves the origin or the transit. Lakhdar Brahimi

The misery in war-torn Afghanistan is reminiscent of images from the Thirty Years' War. Jurgen Habermas

"Once Europe existed in a Dark Age and Islam carried the torch of learning. Now we Muslims live in a Dark age." Mahmud Tarzi, Afghan Intellectual, advisor to King Amanullah Khan(1865-1933)

"My spirit will remain in Afghanistan, even though my soul will go to Allah. My last words to you, my son and successor, are: Never trust the Russians." "The first and most important advice that I can give to my successors and people to make Afghanistan into a great kingdom is to impress upon their minds the value of unity; unity, and unity alone, can make it into a great power."

Abdur Rahman Khan Amir of Afghanistan (1880-1901)Considered by western scholars as the "founder of modern Afghanistan".

With quotes from: Afghanistan Online
Cartoon by: Hozhaber Shinwari