Afghans by the Bay editorial By Mizgon Zahir Oct.-Dec. 1998 Lemar-Aftaab Gossip has left the Bay Area Afghans with a bad reputation for too long. It has turned into a vicious game with an outcome worse than violence. The accomplishments of these people have been overlooked and instead, their mistakes have been magnified. The Afghans in the Bay Area have worked hard to get where they are. One of the many positive steps being the three nonprofit radio programs. Two of these radio programs are organized by people under the age of thirty. This involves long hours of exhaustive work every week, to bring across the rich Afghan culture. Fanous Radio, which is an hour long radio program airs on 96.1 FM, Sunday nights from 9 PM. It is run by a group of five individuals and is non-political, and nonprofit, and is directed to a younger generation audience. Shafi Sekandari, the founder of Fanous, has always had a strong passion for radio Broadcasting. According to Mr. Sekandari, "The main goal of Fanous Radio is to teach the younger generation about our culture, and help our elders better understand the transition teenagers are going through." The other radio program is produced by Farida Anwari and Mina Karbase. Radio 24 Hours Voice of Afghanistan which is aired by satellite at ten dollars per month, is a 24-hour service. Voice brings its listeners newly breaking news from a variety of sources, Afghan music, teaches English, Dari and Pashto, as well as a poetry game called Mosharia's. Interacting with Ms.Anwari, I discovered how much work is put into a twenty-four hour radio program. She barely leaves the studio, having devoted her life to her community. Radio 24 Hours Voice of Afghanistan recently introduced a new program by the name of Aenda (The Future). Aenda is aired Saturdays from 2-4 PM and is run by a group of extremely young individuals, many of the staff members being high school students. Shafi Sekandari is the co- founder of this program, as well. Aenda aims to allow teenagers to speak about their struggles and find solutions to their problems, as well as educate the community about the history of Afghanistan. Aenda is a bilingual program, and encourages diversity and knowledge. When I asked the staff how they would describe this program, they said, "It is the stepping stone for our youth to get involved with the community at a young age. Eventually, this will be more then a radio program. After all, we are the future." Radio programs are not the only steps of positivism in the Bay Area. Many people have organized Afghan sports leagues in football and soccer, Afghan Student Associations in schools and Universities, and other events that bring the Afghan community together. . Fareed Attaie, who is 22 years of age and has played organized soccer for three years, is an embodiment of teamwork. Even while injured, he continues to play, showing his devotion to the team and the sport. When asked about his goals for the future, he stated, "Soon, I'm going to get my Bachelor in Management Information Systems and Accounting. Athletically, I want to become a very complete player in soccer, which needs time, experience, practice, and a lot of dedication to the sport." Dedication is what Mr. Attaie and many other Afghans have in the Bay Area. They are dedicated to their culture, to their school, work, and more. Dedication to school has been an extravagant part in many Afghan's lives here. No matter what their age, a majority of people are stepping forth and attending school with many strong goals. As one 25 year old put, "Never forget that you are an Afghan. The facade of acceptance by Americans is just that-- a facade. Be proud of your heritage and culture". A majority of Afghans in the Bay Area have a love for their heritage. They also have an undying love for their country, as well as its people. This undying love was displayed when Afghanistan was bombed by America after the terrorist attack in Africa earlier this year. Day two, after the news was received and the prejudice began from misunderstandings, Afghans marched along Fremont Blvd. in their traditional clothing, holding signs and making a point that they are not the terrorists. Unity has always been displayed between Afghans. Every year a big event is held to welcome in the New Year. The parks become a playground for children and adults. Kites touch the blue skies. Chess games hold their place on the green grass. Traditional clothing of all kinds are shown off, and clubs collect money to send to their people in Afghanistan. Every year the support these clubs receive are astonishing. Afghans come together with peace and welcome in the New Day of another year. The list of what Afghans have done and are doing in the Bay Area continues to grow. Although it is human nature to magnify ones mistakes, we must start overlooking our mistakes and start encouraging our success. Send all comments to Mizgon Zahir: mizgonz@hotmail.com Related Links: A Light in the Sky for the Youth by Mizgon Zahir (Jan.-March 98) Da Zwanano Zagh: Preserving the Heritage of Afghan Culture by Homayoun Samadi (April-June 98) San Francisco Bay Area Now Roz Celebration by Sonia Rahel Ahmadzai & Soleiman Rahel (April-June 98) Copyright © 1998 Aftaabzad Publications. All Rights Reserved. May not be duplicated or distributed in any form without permission.