La Voz

Media Credit: Joanna Law M. Yahya Ayubzai

Former member of the United Nations, M. Yahya Ayubzai, spoke about the future of Afghanistan last Wednesday in an oncampus event sponsored by the Global Studies department of the Multicultural Center of De Anza College.

He said Americans should consider the consequences of bombing Afghanistan and take action to improve the future of the country.

"We don't just drop the bomb and walk away," Ayubzai said. After the United States overthrew the Taliban, Afghans anticipated the U.S. would improve their lives, rather than merely blasting their homes, he said.

"I don't think there were any plans to improve the life of Afghans or dramatically turn the place into a more stable and peaceful country," Ayubzai said. One of the apparent phenomenons he noticed after the political shake up is the large gap between the rich and poor.

Ayubzai said corruption is almost a common practice among the people who have power in Afghanistan. He said the people possess a sense of greed, and they are proud of it.

People used to hide what they stole, but now they boast their sins, building high-rises and making sure their corruption is visible to the public. People are not ashamed of anything, especially those who have power, Ayubzai said.

Afghanistan was once hospitable and generous, he said. But now everything is materialistic and has a price.

Although the U.S. is supposed to provide financial aid to narrow down the gap between the rich and poor, the money never gets materialized. Only a tiny fraction of the aid went to the common people.

The rest of the money is swallowed up by contractors and consultants, who Ayubzai said, go to Afghanistan like movie stars.

He said these people establish offices in Afghanistan and write documents and papers envisioning the future of Afghanistan.

"They took the money, but they did not contribute anything," he said.

Ayubzai, who teaches political science at Modesto College, said there is an unequal relationship between the U.S. and Afghanistan.

Hamid Karzai, the president of Afghanistan, has done nothing substantial to improve the lives of Afghanistan except for subserviently agreeing with whatever the U.S. says, Ayubzai said.

"Karzai is a charming person. Everybody likes him," Ayubzai said. "And he has made a lot of promises, but he hasn't dealt with most of them, such as employment and security."

During his seven-month trip to Afghanistan, Ayubzai traveled around the country to talk to common people.

To him, the common people represent the life and culture of Afghanistan, and during this trip, Ayubzai learned that one should never conform to anything. He said people should not mimic the majority of what the society says.

Article Tools