A Tale of Two Summers and a Place In-Between

Some things burn in the back of your mind and for a long time, I have wanted to mention an essential piece of reading. Last summer, an old colleague of mine recommended a book that even beyond reading, I have continued to find inspirational. In fact, in many ways, it stands as an example of some of the things that I want achieve, InshAllah. The Places In-Between is a rather unconventional travelogue by Rory Stewart, a Scottish writer in which he documents the 2002 winter walk that he undertook from Herat* to Kabul (though his travels actually went beyond Afghanistan). He walked cross country at a time when bombs reigned down from the skies following the US invasion. Sometimes he was accompanied, often not; a non-Muslim stranger in a Muslim land, following in the intrepid footsteps of the Mughal Emperor Babur's journey across Afghanistan.

Rory Stewart now heads the Turquoise Mountain Foundation in Kabul which sets out to equip Afghans with the skills, knowledge and enterprise to bring commercial viability to traditional crafts. At a time when people have mixed feelings on the foreign occupation in Afghanistan, I take much inspiration from people like Rory.

And here is where this summer comes in. Exactly one summer ago, I made the decision that travel to Afghanistan was a possibility. Last week, just as I was about to depart for Kabul, the Taleban took control of a semi-constructed building in Pul-e-Alam, Logar and started firing missiles and rocket launchers into a nearby government target. This summer happens to be election season in Afghanistan, and violence has reached a dangerous level.

My destination was Logar where I intended to stay with a very dear friend who had been asking me to visit all summer. Three hours before I was due to board my plane from Dubai, I was advised by very well meaning Afghan friends, not to go. The irony? I, a Pashtoon, who can blend in and am ethnic Afghan, am caught in that place in-between.

*Qutb Shah father of my paternal ancestors, the Awan, was a ruler of Herat.

Wicked-Pedia: Volume II

"Wicked"

Wicked Ver 1

Perhaps an attempt at reaching out to the Urban-aware* audience. Of course, those who are, will tell me that "wicked" is "good" and not "evil" in the world of Urban-speak. That said, I am quite happy to play on both senses of the word, because it serves to illustrate a point. Wikipedia is the most popular and the largest encyclopaedic reference out there - open-source and free - it is open to all - to contribute articles, to edit and to refine. Wikipedia is growing as people add topics of interest or contribute to articles already posted. I'm a front-end user and remain loyal to its potential. That's the first sense in which I use the word "wicked".

Wicked Ver 2

However, in Volume I of this topic, I explored how Wikipedia is not without flaw. There are poorly written, poorly referenced articles and contributions to this body of knowledge from people who whose point of view does not necessarily conform to the NPOV (neutral point of view) standards that are key to Wikipedia. Worse, there is abuse, deliberate attempts to hijack, push agendas and malicious vandalism; "wicked" in the commonly used sense of the word.

... The Places In-Between ...

But the spirit of open contribution is at the heart of Wikipedia; a repository of information that is bias-free and up-to-date with quality citations and links to other referenced works. Editing is continual and occurs through a process that is behind the scenes - some modifications are not checked because of vastness of scale and the principle of "good intent", others are subject to automated bot checks, and others are edited by teams of volunteers to ensure that the rules are followed; neutrality, reliable citations, academic style of writing, spelling and grammar. Disagreements can be reported through processes that includes teams checks and adjudicators. (... to be continued ...)

*Personal Opinion: Urban-speak is not always for the faint of heart