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AprĂšs un mois passĂ© en Afghanistan, il est temps de se mouiller un peu.Â
Commençons par le positif:
Depuis que les Talibans ont pris le pouvoir, il est de nouveau possible de voyager en Afghanistan. Le nouveau gouvernement Ă©tant lancĂ© dans une campagne de charme pour obtenir une reconnaissance internationale, il voit dâun trĂšs bon Ćil le retour des âtouristesâ qui osent se risquer ici. Si les formalitĂ©s administratives et les contrĂŽles dâidentitĂ© peuvent ĂȘtre fastidieux, les consignes sont claires: âLaissez les touristes tranquilles et aidez les si possibleâ.Â
Depuis que les mĂ©chants ont gagnĂ©, la paix est revenue, et sâil existe toujours quelques groupes terroristes dans le pays, les talibans connaissent toutes les techniques et les meilleures cachettes donc ils sâen sortent comme des chefs.Â
Lâautre point positif, câest que les nouveaux leaders de lâAfghanistan ont rĂ©ussi Ă Ă©liminer presque totalement la corruption qui rongeait le pays sous le prĂ©cĂ©dent rĂ©gime. Les punitions sont draconiennes en cas de dĂ©rogation Ă la rĂšgle, et les taxes prĂ©levĂ©es sur la population sont enfin utilisĂ©es Ă bon escient.Â
Un dernier changement est Ă porter au crĂ©dit des vainqueurs, câest la rĂ©solution rapide de la crise des addictions qui faisait des ravages dans le pays. Ancien gros producteur de pavot, lâaddiction Ă lâhĂ©roĂŻne, la Crystal Meth et autres douceurs du style faisait des milliers de victimes jusquâĂ la prise de Kaboul. Le problĂšme a Ă©tĂ© rĂ©glĂ© Ă la maniĂšre afghane, les junkies furent capturĂ©s et parquĂ©s dans des camps avec la boule Ă zĂ©ro, du sport et des rĂ©veils Ă 5h tout les jours jusquâĂ ĂȘtre complĂštement sevrĂ©s, puis renvoyĂ©s Ă leurs familles. Ce problĂšme dramatique qui semble impossible Ă rĂ©soudre dans les pays occidentaux appartient dĂ©jĂ au passĂ© en Afghanistan, le non-respect des libertĂ©s individuelles permettant dâavoir les coudĂ©es franches pour appliquer la maniĂšre forte.Â
Jâai cĂŽtoyĂ© des talibans dâassez prĂšs. Ils mâont parfois offert lâhospitalitĂ© (que jâai poliment dĂ©clinĂ©e), mâont invitĂ©s Ă boire le thĂ© dans leurs casemates, et un gros moudjahidine barbu mâa mĂȘme dormi sur lâĂ©paule pendant un affreux voyage en bus. Sâils sont gĂ©nĂ©ralement souriants et intĂ©ressĂ©s par ma prĂ©sence, leur niveau dâanglais et mon Dari balbutiant ne permettent pas les discussions Ă bĂątons rompus. Voici cependant une vĂ©ritĂ© gĂ©nĂ©rale tirĂ©e de mon expĂ©rience : la plupart sont bĂȘtes comme leurs pieds (quâils ont puants dâailleurs).
Je ne suis pas homme Ă me moquer du manque dâĂ©ducation dans un pays oĂč lâaccĂšs Ă lâĂ©cole demeure un rĂ©el privilĂšge, mais certains sont si cons que câest Ă se demander comment ils arrivent Ă tenir leur AK dans le bon sens.Â
On pourrait dire que ce ne sont pas les pingouins qui glissent le plus loin de la banquise, mais la version afghane serait plutĂŽt que ce ne sont pas les moutons qui font le plus de laine du troupeau. Câest peut ĂȘtre pour cela quâils compensent avec la barbe et les cheveux.Â
Je dois nĂ©anmoins dire que ce sont les talibans idiots que je prĂ©fĂšre, et que plus ils sont bĂȘtes, plus je leur pardonne de sâĂȘtre laissĂ©s embrigader. Les privilĂ©giĂ©s sous-estiment Ă quel point lâabsence de scolarisation rend lâesprit vulnĂ©rable, et il est impossible de prĂ©dire ce que vous seriez devenus si câĂ©tait vous qui Ă©tiez nĂ©s dans un pauvre village oĂč le mollah est la seule source de savoir.Â
Jâai rencontrĂ© quelques dignitaires talibans, petits hommes Ă turban gonflĂ©s de leur importance nouvelle, et bouffis dâorgueil et de pĂątisseries. Ils ont beau mâassurer que je suis bienvenu et se dĂ©clarer enchantĂ©s de ma prĂ©sence, il y a quelques annĂ©es ils mâauraient tuĂ© sans rĂ©flĂ©chir.Â
Je comprends la colĂšre envers un envahisseur armĂ©, et je ne pleure pas les soldats de lâOTAN venus mourir loin de chez eux.Â
La guerre est une sale affaire, et gĂ©nĂ©ralement câest de la faute des occidentaux.Â
Ce que je ne pardonnerai jamais aux Talibans ce sont les Ă©coles de filles attaquĂ©es, les bombes aveugles qui explosaient quotidiennement, les Hazara exĂ©cutĂ©s sur le bord de la route pour le seul crime dâavoir les yeux bridĂ©s et les silhouettes dissimulĂ©es Ă qui ils ont volĂ© le droit dâavoir un avenir.Â
LâAfghanistan rejoint le club des beaux pays de lâOrient martyr, son peuple est fort, son passĂ© tragique, son gouvernement affreux, et tout ça par la faute de puissances Ă©trangĂšres.Â
Il serait peut-ĂȘtre temps de comprendre quâon apporte pas la libertĂ© avec des avions de chasse, et quâĂ force de vendre des armes Ă la moitiĂ© du monde, on ne peut pas sâĂ©tonner quâelles finissent par ĂȘtre utilisĂ©es.
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After a month in Afghanistan, it's time to speak up a bit.
Let's start with the positive:
Since the Taliban took power, it's once again possible to travel in Afghanistan.Â
As the new government has embarked on a charm campaign to gain international recognition, it welcomes the return of 'tourists' who dare to venture here. Although the administrative formalities and identity checks can be tiresome, the instructions are clear: "Leave the tourists alone and help them if you can".Â
Since the bad guys won, peace has returned, and while there are still a few terrorist groups in the country, the Taliban know all the techniques and the best hiding spots, so they're dealing with it like gangbusters.
The other positive point is that Afghanistan's new leaders have succeeded in almost totally eliminating the corruption that plagued the country under the previous regime. Punishments for breaking the rules are severe, and the taxes levied on the population are finally being put to good use.Â
A final change to the credit of the victors is the rapid resolution of the addiction crisis that was ravaging the country. Formerly a major poppy producer, addiction to heroin, Crystal Meth and other such delicacies was claiming thousands of victims up until the takeover of Kabul. The problem was dealt with in the Afghan way, with junkies captured and put in camps with zero tolerance, sports and waking up at 5am every day until they were completely clean, then sent back to their families. This dramatic problem, which seems impossible to solve in Western countries, is already a thing of the past in Afghanistan, where the lack of respect for individual freedoms gives the authorities free rein to apply the hard way (which seems to work).Â
I've been up close and personal with the Taliban. They have sometimes offered me hospitality (which I politely declined), invited me to drink tea in their bunkers, and one fat, bearded mujahideen even slept on my shoulder during a dreadful bus journey. Although they are generally smiling and interested in my presence, their level of English and my stammering Dari don't allow for wide-ranging discussions. However, here's a general truth from my experience: most of them are as stupid as their feet (which stink, by the way).
I'm not one to mock the lack of education in a country where access to school remains a real privilege, but some of them are so stupid you wonder how they manage to hold their AKs the right way round.Â
You could say that they are not the penguins that slide the further on the ice floe, but the Afghan version would be that they are not the sheeps that make the most wool from the flock.Â
Maybe that's why they compensate with their beards and hair.Â
I have to say, though, that I prefer the Taliban idiots, and the dumber they are, the more I forgive them for letting themselves be taken in. The privileged underestimate the extent to which lack of schooling makes the mind vulnerable, and it is impossible to predict what would have become of you if you had been born in a poor village where the mullah is the only source of knowledge.Â
I've met a few Taliban dignitaries, little turbaned men puffed up with their new-found importance and bloated with pride and pastries. They may assure me that I am welcome and declare themselves delighted by my presence, but a few years ago they would have killed me without a second thought.Â
I understand anger at an armed invader, and I don't grieve for the NATO soldiers who have come to die far from home.Â
War is a dirty business, and generally it's the fault of Westerners.Â
What I will never forgive the Taliban for are the girls' schools that were attacked, the indiscriminate bombs that exploded every day, the Hazara people executed on the side of the road for the crime of having slant eyes and hidden silhouettes who were robbed of the right to have a future.Â
Afghanistan joins the club of beautiful countries of the martyred East, its people strong, its past tragic, its government dreadful, and all because of foreign powers.Â
Perhaps it's time to realise that you can't bring freedom with fighter jets, and that by selling weapons to half the world, it's hardly surprising that they end up being used.
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