Lemar-Aftaab - Oct-Dec. 1997 - Articles - Beauty Before Age A Cultural Consideration

Beauty Before Age
A Cultural Consideration

By Dr. G. Rauf Roashan

Some years ago, I was asked to conduct a seminar on the needs of Afghan students in the San Francisco East Bay area. It was sponsored by the Hayward School District at Cal State University in Hayward , and was run by a group of educators dealing with different aspects of cultural needs of students in crisis situations.

At the seminar, I tried to depict a picture of the Afghan youth to the audience so that they should become aware of the fragile nature of these displaced individuals. I mentioned that the Afghan youth were torn apart between two cultures neither of which they understood. This fact, unfortunately is still true in many locations in the United States.

The Afghan community insists that the Afghan Islamic culture is the best and should be preserved by its youth. The demands of the society are otherwise. The parents, estranged from their base culture and the security of their native homes, are afraid for their children and hesitant to accept the fact that eventually it is the culture of the host society which will win over. It is unfortunate however, that parents and elderly themselves are equally torn apart between two worlds: a fading world of old customs and traditions and a new world which is alien to them and which has treated them as aliens.

If the elderly are worried about the youth, the youth have an equal right to be worried about their elderly. The solution to this problem however cannot be simpler than a reconciliation between generations. This is easily said than done. It is to be appreciated that every culture has important social and moral values as well as negative aspects and that there is no one perfect universal cultural behavior. The reconciliation can effectively occur here. The new comer to this society should accept the fact that the old culture he has brought with himself is not perfect and that the new one he is required to appreciate has both positive and negative aspects. He should try to merge the two focusing on the positive aspects of each and shunning the negative ones.

While it is true that the old culture demands for age to come before beauty, for example, the new comer should realize that beauty can be as and even more important than age.

In the Afghan cultural traditions, there are magnificent qualities such as hospitality, honesty, valor, true friendship , respect for elders, affection towards children, strong family bonds, struggle for freedom, good neighborly relations, helping the poor, providing sanctuary to the needy, protecting the weak, respecting other people’s honor, faithfulness and a host of other human qualities. These are admirable characteristics and should thus be allowed to represent the imported Afghan culture in the United States and the Afghan youth should take pride in them. On the other hand reactionary thoughts, superstitious behavior, restrictions on peoples choices and actions, surrendering to the dictates of the powerful and clinging to the medieval ways of thinking and practices are negative attitudes and should be shunned. In other words, as far as possible, positive aspects of both cultures should be adopted.

On the other hand let us consider some practical aspects of the Afghan culture. Let us take music. Should we trade the music of Ahmad Zahir with that of Michael Jackson? Should we forget about classical vocalists of Afghanistan and consider them something of the past? And what about Afghan literature, poetry and prose and dramatic arts and fine arts and calligraphy and wood carving and pottery and needle work etc.? Are those also something to be considered old and ancient and worth keeping in museums or should they be considered alive and throbbing? I think the answers to these questions are obvious. In this day and age, when the West extends itself to understand and appreciate cultural manifestations of the East, we, the Afghans should not only help bring the two together but should try to understand both so that the merger will be smooth and healthy and mutually beneficial. Afghanistan, historically has been the cross roads of civilizations and that is probably the main reason for the Afghans to easily accept change and new ways of life. Many cultures have thrived in Afghanistan and the present day Afghan culture is the end product of historical merger of many cultures for example those of Greece, Islam, central Asia, west Asia, south Asia, the Indian sub-continent, the Mongol and the Chinese. It bears traces of Zoroastrianism and Buddhism, and even some of other less known local faiths such as those practiced by the Nuristanis in eastern Afghanistan.

Having said the above, it now remains for us to consider methods for meeting of the minds of the young and the old in an attempt to bring the two generations together and give them a chance to appreciate and understand each others’ points of views. This could be done in those areas of the United States where larger groups of Afghans live closer to each other for example the San Francisco Bay Area, or in Virginia or in New York. The Afghan communities could, in these places organize conferences and seminars whereby participants will be divided into four groups. Two groups consisting of members of the younger generation and two composed of groups of parents. Work rooms could then be provided for a meeting of the youth group A, with the parents of the youth group B and the youth group B with the parents of group A. Consequently the youth groups and the parent groups would meet separately and share their impressions regarding the exchange of ideas between the two generations. They would seek practical ways and means to appreciate each others needs and problems and jointly work for meeting those needs and solving of those problems.

The results of such a work-shop could then be published and shared with Afghans all over the United States. As to who should take this responsibility, it is to be mentioned that already community based organizations serving certain needs of the Afghans are in existence in these areas and it is well into the sphere of there terms of reference to take up this issue.

This was but one suggestion regarding preservation and promotion of the positive aspects of the Afghan culture in a new society, in a melting pot of all cultures. There certainly are other ways to achieve this goal and it is the responsibility of those who may be aw are of other methods of a smooth merger of the two cultures and of bringing the two generations of Afghans in the United States closer together.

Dr. G. Rauf Roashan has his own editorial section
Country Corner at afghani.com.