What Are Chai Boys

In the later insurgency years, more and more fighters would kidnap young boys and keep them at their military camps, nominally as porters or “chai boys” but in reality almost always sexual slaves to multiple men as a way to further project those men’s power and status.

What are the causes of Bacha Bazi?

The spread and expansion of Bacha Bazi in Afghanistan has several factors and causes, such as lack of rule of law and corruption, ambiguity and gaps in the law, limited access to justice, poverty, insecurity, and existence of irresponsible armed groups has contributed to the spread of these phenomena which is discussed.

Who created Bacha Bazi?

But in 2017, two Americans attempted something unconventional. Lyricist Charlie Sohne and composer Tim Rosser created a musical about a subject even Afghans would consider too sensitive and unsettling – “bacha bazi” or “boy play”.

Is Bacha Bazi illegal?

Bacha bazi is a centuries-old practice. After the Taliban came to power in 1996, bacha bazi was banned along with homosexuality. The Taliban considered it incompatible with Sharia law. Both bacha bazi and homosexuality carried the death penalty, with the boys sometimes being charged rather than the perpetrators.

How many Pashtuns are there in the world?

The total number of Pashtuns is estimated to be around 49 million; however, this figure is disputed, because of the lack of an official census in Afghanistan since 1979.Pashtuns. پښتانه c. 49 million Regions with significant populations Pakistan 43,444,221 (2021) Afghanistan 15,390,402 (2020).

Are Afghans Arab?

Afghan Arabs (also known as Arab-Afghans) are Arab and other Muslim Islamist mujahideen who came to Afghanistan during and following the Soviet–Afghan War to help fellow Muslims fight Soviets and pro-Soviet Afghans. Estimates of the volunteers number are 20,000 to 35,000.

What language do they speak in Afghanistan?

The people of Afghanistan form a complex mosaic of ethnic and linguistic groups. Pashto and Persian (Dari), both Indo-European languages, are the official languages of the country. More than two-fifths of the population speak Pashto, the language of the Pashtuns, while about half speak some dialect of Persian.

How many Taliban fighters are there?

The Taliban’s strength is even harder to measure. According to the US Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, estimates suggest a core strength of 60,000 fighters. With the addition of other militia groups and supporters, that number could exceed 200,000.

What is a Hazara in Afghanistan?

Hazara, also spelled Ḥazāra, ethnolinguistic group originally from the mountainous region of central Afghanistan, known as Hazārajāt. Poverty in the region and ongoing conflict since the Afghan War (1978–92) have dispersed many of the Hazara throughout Afghanistan.

Who are mujahideen in Afghanistan?

mujahideen, Arabic mujāhidūn, members of a number of guerrilla groups operating in Afghanistan during the Afghan War (1978–92) that opposed the invading Soviet forces and eventually toppled the Afghan communist government. The following is a discussion of these factions during the Afghan War and its aftermath.

What does Pashtun mean in English?

: a member of a people of eastern and southern Afghanistan and adjacent parts of Pakistan.

Which country has most Pathans?

Pashtuns are one of the largest ethnic minority in Pakistan, making up over 25% of the total population of Pakistan.Pakistan. Province Pashtuns Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 30-32 million (as per 2017 population census of Pakistan) Federally Administered Tribal Areas 5.5 million.

Who was the first Pathan in history?

The first historical reference to the Pathan (AD. 982) refers to Afghans living in the Sulaiman Mountains. The first significant impact they had outside of that area was as troops in the armies of Mahmud of Ghazni, a Muslim Turk, who led a number of invasions against the Hindu kings in north India around the year 1000.

What race is Afghanistan considered?

Ethnicity and race Afghanistan is often listed as under the category of South Asia but for U.S. Census purposes Afghans are racially categorized as White Americans. Some Afghan Americans, however, may self identify as being Asian Americans, Central Asian Americans or Middle Eastern Americans.

Is Pakistan Sunni or Shia?

Almost all of the people of Pakistan are Muslims or at least follow Islamic traditions, and Islamic ideals and practices suffuse virtually all parts of Pakistani life. Most Pakistanis belong to the Sunni sect, the major branch of Islam. There are also significant numbers of Shiʿi Muslims.

What race does Afghanistan belong to?

Demographics of Afghanistan Nationality noun: Afghan(s) Major ethnic Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek and others Language Official Dari and Pashto.

How do you say hello in Afghanistan?

A common verbal greeting is “Salam” or “Salam alaikum”, meaning “Peace be upon you”. People usually place their right hand over their heart when they speak, to show respect and sincerity in the greeting.

Is Pashto hard to learn?

Why is Pashto hard to learn? Pashto is a language spoken in both Afganistan and Pakistan. It’s written in Perso-Arabic, a writing system similar to and derived from the Arabic alphabet. Pashto grammar is difficult–which nouns go with which verbs depends on tense.

What religions are practiced in Afghanistan?

Islam is the official religion of Afghanistan and the majority of the population is Muslim (approximately 99.7%). There are some very small residual communities of other faiths, including Christians, Sikhs, Hindus and Baha’i.

Who funded the Taliban?

Saudi Arabia still supported them by providing pick up trucks and money, while Pakistan supported logistics and sent officers to help attacks. Iran, Russia, and Uzbekistan all supported the Northern Alliance. The support from the former two included vehicles and helicopters.

What does Taliban mean in English?

The word Taliban means ‘students’ or ‘seekers’ in Pashto, one of the two official languages of Afghanistan. Officials declared a new “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” after seizing Kabul on 15 August, the culmination of a lightning campaign in the wake of the US withdrawal troops from the country.

What race are Hazaras?

Hazaras are Dari-speaking people, thought to be of Turk-Mongol race, the country’s third-largest ethnic group which constitutes about 20% of the Afghan population. They, however, claim to be something around 25-30%.