Torn Between Two Cultures: Afghans in Europe
Posted by Admin on May 1, 2015 in Uncategorized | 0 comments
International trips is scheduled to leave Afghanistan by the end next year, and when they do many afghans fear that is the Taliban may return. And this could result in a new wave of refugees from Afghanistan looking for a new life in the west. But the shiny concept report from Germany, living in the different culture is not always easy.
25 years old Waslat Hasrat Nazimi has been living in Germany for the past twenty years now. Their parents decided to leave Afghanistan to escape the civil war in the 1990’s. Now a prominent journalist in the German media, she says, she had witnessed an influx of Imigrance from her home land to Europe.
Waslat Hasrat Nazimi say’s “Well, on one side you have the generation the first generation, who came here, and who left their home country, and who never got over. The fact that they left their home country and the prestige and the chances they had, they left everything just for the sake of security. And then, you have the younger generation. And I think that the younger generation is very torn apart between, the Afghan culture and the German culture and they, struggle to find a way in between. But for most of them, it is very hard, so they’re neither afghans no German.”
What is the last balance that will advocated, then lucky enough to enter your illegally. But a large number of Afghans a risk their lives crossing borders illegally, through Pakistan, Iran, turkey and Greece. 24 years old, Baryalai Arghousi, is a classic example of an illegal immigrant. He has been living in the Asylum Seekers Dometry for six years. With the basic stipend from the German government, He is still waiting for his asylum requests to be granted.
Baryalai Arghousi say’s “I take three sleeping pills every night, so I can sleep well. If I still cannot sleep, I take anti-depressant pills. This is life in Europe. In my homeland, I do not remember ever taking a pain killer but here I am living on them now.”
It is estimated that there are or 100,000 afghans in Germany alone. The afghan community organizes poetry and music festivals each year, to stay in touch with their roots and introduced and native culture to the younger generation. But, being thousands of miles away from home makes it difficult to preserve their identity. Many young Afghans have been bliss western culture and can no longer speak them native language. Linguistic expert Pekhawry Shinvari learns first two language classes in Germany, but nobody has stand up for his class today.
Pekhawry Shinvari say’s “As the great Pashtun poet Khushal Khan once said, Pashtuns are like a wall of rigid stones. No matter how hard you try to straighten it, it is hard for Afghans to do things differently. I keep asking parents to send their children to the free Pashtu classes but they do not take it seriously. But I will not give up.”
For many afghans living the past behind and embracing their new country is the only way to survive. Muhammad Assad said, is the only advance to be selected for Germany’s national cricket team this year.
Muhammad Assad say’s “Many Afghans have been inspired by me and have started playing cricket forming their own club. I am still studying in high school and my aim is to get a good education.”
But others like 29 years Rahimullah Faqir finds it hard to move on. He has been living in Germany for the past six years and sales electronic goods in the open-market, He misses a home a lot.
Rahimullah Faqir say’s “Homeland is homeland. You cannot make a life for yourself here even if you to the best countries in the world. But we are here now; we have to face up to all the cultural and social challenges.”
For Asia calling this is Shadi Hansef in born Germany. And that is all for this edition Asia calling the Window on Asia.