Ordinary people living in countries wracked by protracted conflict, violence and war develop certain mechanisms to cope with the physical, mental and spiritual trauma they face on a daily basis. To escape from conditions that are often unbearable, people need to channel their emotions into activities that bring them some respite and give them a sense of joy. Music, poetry and art provide such channels.
The impact of Radio Azadi on the lives of the Afghan people is a case in point. With funding from the U.S. Congress, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) established the radio station in 2001. Since then, in heartfelt letters and other modes of cultural expression, the Afghan people have communicated their concerns and emotions to the station. Highlights from the letters are at the center of “Voices from Afghanistan,” a new exhibition mounted by the Library of Congress, in cooperation with RFE/RL.
The letters, donated to the Library by RFE/RL, capture the concerns and hopes of ordinary citizens in Afghanistan living under the extraordinarily difficult conditions of poverty and war. A school boy asks who will repair his school’s windows because he suffers from the bitter cold. A prisoner asks not for his freedom, but for an improvement in the harsh conditions under which he and his fellow prisoners are living. A schoolteacher writes about the corruption that enables unskilled individuals to take the place of good teachers. A veteran complains that a promise of land to disabled soldiers has not been kept.
“I am a female student in Badakhshan Province, where one thousand girls attend my school,” writes one schoolgirl. “The lack of teachers, textbooks, chairs and tables are some of the most obvious examples of our problems. We have only eight teachers for 1,000 students.”
This poem was embellished in the 17th century by calligrapher/scribe Ma`sud al-Tabib, who resided in Balkh (now Mazar-i Sharif), Afghanistan. The poem, which praises vision as the strongest of the human senses, is similar to the verses that typically appear in the contemporary letters sent to Radio Azadi.
A citizen suggests, “I want President Hamid Karzai to have a mobile phone and, whenever he has time, receive calls from people and listen to their complaints. Or, at least, he should have a private postal address and receive complaints through the post.”
Like the Afghan people, the letters are courteous and generous in ways that belie their dire circumstances. They send greetings to the broadcasters of Radio Azadi and they request them to play songs to share with friends and family—particularly on special occasions like religious holidays. They send poems to thank them for broadcasting the music they love to hear. They send proverbs, bits of traditional wisdom and medical advice.
“Those who suffer from ulcers should eat only food that is soft and light,” suggests one listener. “They should eat fresh yoghurt and sweets, and avoid all carbonated drinks because they are acidic.”
In addition to text, the letters are often illustrated in a traditional style—beautiful and ornate. The illumination of the contemporary letters demonstrates the continuity of the decorative tradition focusing on floral patterns that go back hundreds of years. In the exhibit, the new letters are displayed alongside examples of older, beautifully illuminated and calligraphed texts such as a 17th-century Timurid genealogical scroll, or a 19th-century accordion book of Persian poetry. These items, drawn from the Library’s collections, attest to the centrality of poetry and the written word in such traditional formats as scrolls and accordion books, which are still being produced today in Afghanistan.
The exhibition includes audio clips from a variety of Radio Azadi news and entertainment programs enjoyed by people throughout the country.
Along with the collapse of industry and employment, the Afghan postal service is suffering from a number of problems, which, in turn, make posting a letter a very difficult task—and yet Afghans continue writing letters. The development of the postal service in Afghanistan is shown by these envelopes and the high quality stamps that are attached to them.
The exhibit also includes a selection of photos of everyday life in Afghanistan, provided by RFE/RL. They show young schoolchildren, older students sitting for exams, a mother and her daughters looking through a camera lens, a young boy driving a donkey to market, two older men being interviewed by a reporter and refugees in a tent listening to the radio.
Photographs from the Library’s collection also on display include those taken at an industrial fair in Afghanistan in 1972 and late 19th-century photos by Benjamin Simpson taken during the Second War in Afghanistan, which are believed to be the earliest depictions of Afghan society.
During their visits to Kabul or Prague, a U.S. ambassador and several members of Congress have been presented with sample letters by the station’s staff members. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and Senators Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.); and Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) kindly lent their letters to the Library for display in “Voices from Afghanistan.”
