That pretty much goes the same for the Iraqis. I have never seen that either. Odd, isn't it?
Don
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-shahryar/the-real-story-of-afghani_b_663199.htmlThe Real Story of Afghanistan Remains Untold Josh Shahryar
Journalist and Human Rights Activist
Posted: July 29, 2010 01:00 PM
As the American public continues to get weary of the Afghan War, and every day brings a new depressing development, our hearts -- the hearts of us Afghans -- are broken ever so slightly. There are daily more deaths, more schools demolished, more suicide bombers and more government corruption. Then, there are stories about drugs and Sharia law being implemented in Taliban-controlled territories. Twisting these to inform the public are foreign journalists and pundits. They churn out stories about my country that are good to read, but are unfair and unbalanced and even biased against Afghans.
Half a world away, I keep yearning for a day when I can turn on the TV, switch to CNN, FOX, MSNBC or CBS and see a discussion about Afghans where they actually question an Afghan. Day after day I wait, but in vain. I run through articles published about my country in the Washington Post and the New York Times to see opinion pieces written by Afghans -- but almost never see one.
At the least, give me an article in a major Western newspaper where the reporter actually goes and talks to an Afghan who can analyze the political situation in the country. But no, here in the west the news channels have panels of experts who know Afghanistan through books, seminars, classes or an occasional visit, and newspapers interview a pre-prepared Afghan with a colorful character to please your eyes and invoke your curiosity.
Your average media-approved Afghan won't have a last name. There will be a quip informing you that, "like most Afghans, he doesn't have a last name." And there won't be any women. Forget about the opinion of Afghan women. They are veiled and will never speak to a foreigner -- their voices censored by both the Taliban and the Western media. We work for less than a dollar day. Our names always include Allah or Mohammed. We have long beards and hopefully a turban around our heads. Did I mention the part where we can't read and write? Expectations fulfilled, your average foreign correspondent will ask this guy about Afghanistan and seriously expect a well-informed, well-balanced and to the point answer from an ordinary citizen. Then, they will publish this and inform you about a war that you've spent hundreds of billions of dollars on.
Imagine the same thing happening to a story about an issue here in the US. Imagine the journalist going down deep into the Appalachians, finding someone named Jedidiah or Billy Bob. To fit with the stereotype, he will be cleaning his gun, sitting outside his Church and drinking his moonshine. Imagine the journalist asking this character about hedging derivatives on Wall Street and the latest regulation. Imagine the journalist journeying to Berkeley, finding a stoned guy named Chip or Race sitting in front of his Xbox, and then asking him what he thinks about the health care bill's provisions regarding Medicare. Is that the prospective American you expect to see in the mainstream media?
Yes, the level of literacy in Afghanistan is low and finding people who have informed opinions is harder relative to America, however, it is not impossible. But it doesn't look good on a story about Afghanistan to find someone who's a bank manager or a university student or a doctor. Even a nurse would suffice. But no, the Western media would rather find someone who can tell you practically nothing about what's going on in Afghanistan. It is a time-saving measure -- less talk and shorter articles -- but most of all, no difficult and complex explanations on the part of the writer.
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