Armanshahr Foundation held its 117th public debate “Goftegu, a bridge between the elite and the citizens” (7th year) with the title of “Face-to-Face: Elections and young people’s red line” at Allameh Saljouqi Hall in Herat on 13 June 2013.
The meeting’s moderator, Hamid Saljouqi (Dean of the Law and Political Science School of Jami University) spoke about action and the participation of the young people in various political, social and cultural affairs in the past decade. In conclusion, he asked questions about the relationship of the young people with elections as political action and called on the speakers to address the issue.
The first speaker, Seyyed Masoud Hosseini (deputy president of Jami University for academic affairs) discussed “political, cultural and social initiatives of the young people for expressing their demands in the past decade” and argued that the young people’s achievements had been very valuable in political and cultural dominance.
Criticising the ruling administrations, he said: The young people have been tools of the powerful throughout Afghanistan’s history, but they have taken the initiative in various political and cultural dominance during the past decade. They are protectors of national interests and revivers of religious realities. Their strong presence in the field of politics shows their advanced political knowledge. The young people have grown considerably in the field of culture. They have extensive participation in the media and other areas.
Ms Lilma Nemani (University professor and women’s rights activist) asked “why do young women vote and what do they want?” She then said: women’s idea of the newly established government in Afghanistan – that had used modern western concepts to pretend to support them – was that they can achieve all their demands with the support of the government. However, it seems that their conditions and status have not changed considerably after 10 years. Even though their educational conditions have progressed, the little achievements of the past few years cannot be used to deny the reality that women’s social, political and economic conditions are deteriorating by the day.
She concluded: Women must go to the ballot box based on a political concept free of ethnic, cultural and sexual prejudices.
Mohammad Faghiri (journalist and civil rights activist) examined “the 10-year experience of the young people and its impact on the coming elections.” He said: The trend of historic despotism in Afghanistan is the biggest obstacle to the presence of the young people on the important political and social domains. On the other hand, the religious traditional ideas pose a great danger to the young people’s intellectual development. In the 1960s, the young people were in much better intellectual conditions because, unlike today, they participated considerably in various groups and parties.
Outlining the present political, social and cultural problems and the decisive role of the economic system, he stated that political development will be impossible in Afghanistan so long as the economic crisis has not been overcome.
Omar Ghodus Khatibi (student of law and political science) discussing “students, elected representatives and the coming elections,” said: The role of the students in the elections is very important and influential. They look to the future and they are able to benefit from the past experience. We hope the young people will produce constructive ideas in the future.
A question and answer session followed. Mr Abdullah Elham, a student of Herat University, asked: There is a conflict between what Mr Hosseini said – who described as a valuable achievement the students’ activities in the university – and Mr Khatibi’s assessment who described them as some kind of rule breaking. Which one is true and acceptable?
Mr Hosseini defended the student movements and said: Their actions to gain their academic identity are essential. Mr Khatibi endorsed his remarks and said: I support the student movement but they should not take a violent and nondemocratic form. The student movement in Afghanistan, in my opinion, is influenced by ethnic and sectarian tendencies and has produced none-civil results.
Ms Belghais Azizi, a literature student from Herat University, asked Ms Nemani: What is the main reason for women’s defeat in the past decade in your opinion?
Referring to the history of the women’s movement and the challenges facing it, Ms Nemani answered: The main reason for the failure of most movements of women has been the abuse of women’s conditions and the absence of goal-oriented movements.
Mr Mohammad Ahmadi (an engineering student) objected to Mr Khatibi saying: Unlike you, I do not agree that the student movement is inactive and disorderly. The student movement is not based on the capital and has not originated from the Kabul academic environment. It is mainly based in different provinces. I also strongly disagree with your view that the student movement has ethnic and sectarian tendencies. The student movement is a pluralist movement and the only movement that represents the different ethnicities and groups in Afghanistan.
Mr Khatibi defended his ideas and asked: what have been your achievements in the university in the past decade? What have you done to advance the student movement?
Mr Barzin Khatibi (deputy president of the National Congress Party of Afghanistan) objected to Mr Hossaini – who had equalled the achievements of the past decade to all achievements of the previous decades – saying: The history of Afghanistan did not begin with the last decade and the achievements of the past decade are closely related to the country’s past.
Mr Saljouqi (the moderator) said that one of the most important requirements for a fair and transparent election was the modernisation of elections and using mass communications, e.g. the media and the social networks, which the young people have access to. He asked the participants to comment on the issue.
Ms Nemani said: In my opinion, the issue of government’s legitimacy is more important than modernisation and technology in elections. The large gap between the government and the people has reduced the hope for the young people’s participation in the elections. Mr Hosseini agreed to some extent with her and said: I am pessimistic about the future and the elections.
Mr Mohammad Nasser Rahyab (Herat University professor) said: In my opinion, there are major differences between urban and rural women. Elections are a luxury and unreachable phenomenon to the rural women, as they are deprived of their most basic rights. Our young people do not base themselves on values to approach the modern world; they are deprived of reasonable ideologies and have become completely materialistic.
