Summary: Afghanistan, always complicated, finds itself in a turbulent place. The country is working to create a functioning democracy, although the last presidential election was plagued with accusations of electoral fraud. Women, who under the Taliban had virtually no rights, are slowly beginning to carve larger roles for themselves in Afghanistan. Muslim Voices had the chance to sit down with one of those women. 51-year-old Leila (not her real name), left her native country 30 years ago to escape the war with Soviet Russia and just returned to Afghanistan last year. Speaking with reporter Doug Wissing, Leila, who was born in Kabul, described why she left Afghanistan. Becoming A Refugee ldquo;Actually, it was during the Russian Revolution and our lives were in dangerrdquo;, said Leila. ldquo;My husbandrsquo;s family was in danger, my father-in-law was killed; 3 or 4 of my husbandrsquo;s uncles were killed. Thatrsquo;s why we decided to leave Afghanistan. That time it was easy to leave Afghanistan. Then my family left, and then my husbandrsquo;s family left and we all moved to America.rdquo; The journey to America was difficult and roundabout mdash; Leila left Afghanistan in 1979 only to get denied visas in Pakistan, India and Germany. It wasnrsquo;t until she applied for refugee status that she was able to make her way to the United States. When her family finally arrived there was not much of an Afghani community to associate with. After living in New York City for 10 years, her family decided to move to Washington, D.C., and finally to California. A Whole New Afghanistan There have been moments when, from her home in the States, Leila couldnrsquo;t reconcile her memories of Afghanistan with what she was seeing in news, especially after September 11th. ldquo;My grandmother, my mother and I did not wear a burka when we lived in Afghanistan,rdquo; Leila said. ldquo;They usually had the scarf on, but not a burka. [It] came when Taliban came, but I donrsquo;t know where that came from. Burka is a new thing for us also. When I saw the TV after 9/11 I was wondering why people were wearing it. Even my children were asking me lsquo;Mom, what is this?rsquo;rdquo; And, although the fight against the Taliban continues and the political situation in Afghanistan remains turbulent, Leila remains hopeful for the future of her country. ldquo;I hope that one day Afghanistan will become a peaceful place and everyone can live like the right way to live,rdquo; she said. ldquo; Itrsquo;s not like they have to worry about the Taliban or about someone else. They can have their own life.rdquo; This is the first of several stories produced by reporter Doug Wissing while embedded with an Indiana National Guard Agribusiness Development Team in Afghanistan as part of WFIU Public Radio's Cultivating Afghanistan series.
