Lebanon and Afghanistan: Communication with Respect to the of 4.5 Million
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
HOME Interviews Her Excellency, First Lady of Afghanistan Rula Ghani er Excellency, Lebanese-born First Lady of Afghanistan HRula Ghani reflects upon roots, family, academia, and cultural activism. With poise, serenity and sincerity, the multi- lingual Francophone—fluent in Dari and Arabic, too— discussed the role of women within today’s society and recounted her rich journey, from growing up in Lebanon and studying at Université Saint-Joseph (USJ), Sciences Po Paris and Columbia University, to meeting her husband at the American University of Beirut (AUB) and moving to Afghanistan. Reflecting on her roots: We had achieved independence in improving business practices: irrigation looking back at family life in 1943, so my childhood and adolescence systems, seed diversities, fertilization witnessed an important time of growth. methods and such. These discussions At the Geneva Conference on Afghanistan, Lebanon thoroughly shaped my understanding of November 2018 My father studied agriculture in France the agricultural economy of Lebanon. What was your Lebanese upbringing and then, in true entrepreneurial like? Tell us about your early years spirit, returned to Lebanon to start an Public service was also a basis of with your parents. agricultural business called Comptoir my family life—it was always very I was born in 1948, during Lebanon’s Agricole du Levant, which my brother important. My father was involved in golden era, when the Lebanese people continues to run today. As a family, our many charities, especially with l'Abbé were busy establishing their nation. dinner table discussions focused on Pierre (the renowned French priest and Photo by Violaine Martin / UN 168 Magazine - THE VOICE OF THE DIASPORA Magazine - THE VOICE OF THE DIASPORA 169 deputy who frequently visited Lebanon current affairs. Nevertheless, I am very Lebanon and Afghanistan: communication with respect to the of 4.5 million. When to help the poor and HOMEless). My interested in my HOMEland and will elderly. The same courteous preludes to they need to go to father belonged to the generation of continue to visit. dissimilar demographics with our conversations. It’s something in the school, we open educated Lebanese who envisioned a similar traditions way we live and the way we feel about school for Lebanese greatly successful Lebanon. He had Do you find your Lebanese DNA to be people. children in the friends all over, in all communities. This advantageous? Afghanistan is 62 times the size morning, and non- allowed me and my brother to grow up Tremendously. We Lebanese are very of Lebanon. Considering this Both nations have been caught in Lebanese children in an environment in which we regularly resourceful. When we set out to do difference, how do you think the two “survival mode” due to war. Is this in the afternoon, interacted with members of other something, you can consider it done. countries compare? mode universal? to accommodate religious communities, an experience I I’ve been brought up to always tell the In terms of comparison, Afghanistan’s You bring up a very important point. everyone. value dearly. truth and to be attentive to the needs of capital Kabul has a population of 6 Both nations have gone through civil those around me. I don’t know if it’s a million people, which is comparable war, and war is the most horrible state In contrast, look My mother was a terrific woman: Lebanese gene, but most Lebanese share to the whole of Lebanon. So yes, in which one can live. It destroys society, at Europe: they very lively, very witty and an excellent these values. We are open people, and Afghanistan is a much larger country, families, morals: people can no longer receive refugees not storyteller. She loved to entertain people open to helping others. but the issues are very much the same. differentiate between what is right and by the millions but and beautify our HOME. We would Both countries have great ethnic, what is wrong. When you are in survival by the thousands, joke and tease her: “You turned the If you were to be more involved in linguistic and religious diversity mode, if you need to kill to survive, you yet they voice their house into a museum!” She was also Lebanon, in what areas would you which creates a constant change in kill. If you need to destroy the house of concerns that these very educated for her generation. Before most want to contribute to? demographic choreography. When your neighbor, you do so. It is something people are changing getting married, she had studied law Given my experience in recent years, I I arrived in 1975, Afghanistan very both countries have had to endure. With the character of and learned how to drive. She passed would like to work on bringing people much reminded me of the stories my war, people lose their moral compass. To their country. Some away in February 2014. For some time together to live more harmoniously. grandmother would tell me about her change that war mentality is very hard. countries have systems after that, I did not return to Lebanon. It is so important to move from the childhood in Lebanon. During the 1970s Personally, I believe hope can be found of government that are wartime mentality of violence to a Afghanistan was not as developed as in the younger generation. They are not so rigid there is no space When did you leave Lebanon and mentality of peace. This is what I do in Lebanon, but it had comparable cultural so fixed in their thinking: it is easier to for newcomers. I was how closely do you follow the Afghanistan: I help people to develop traditions. change their behavior, their outlook, and once with my husband in country’s current events? positive attitudes to life and courageous their ability to move in the direction of Denmark, where he was I first left Lebanon in 12th grade ways of dealing with their problems. The two countries also share similar peace. teaching at a university, (Terminale) because I wanted to study I can be considered a cheerleader of understandings of social etiquette. and I needed some mathematics (Mathélème), which at sorts. I try and guide people to be more Interacting with Afghan people comes Both countries have experienced medical attention— that time was not a popular pathway aware of their surroundings, to be self- naturally to me, thanks to my Lebanese waves of displaced people. Do you nothing important, for girls in Lebanon. I was sent to a starters who can embrace their talents background. Both share similar customs think that the concept of refugees will just a blood nun’s school in Paris and then began and pursue their goals. Helping people such as showing respect for elders and still exist in the future, or will we live test—and you my pursuit of a higher education. It to identify their problems is important, family relations. I’ll tell you a story. I in a borderless world? can’t imagine was when I returned to Lebanon for a but enabling them to identify their own had just gotten married when a family If we look at history, it has only how difficult master’s degree at AUB that I met my solutions is even more important. I came to visit us: a mother and her son, been 200-250 years since countries it was to find husband. We married in March of 1975 have a lot of faith that people have the along with his German wife and their established borders, and the right to someone who and departed for Afghanistan, but we solutions they need within themselves. little boy. As I was newly married, the freedom of movement is listed in the would assist have since visited Lebanon with our German girl took me aside and asked Universal Declaration of Human Rights me, because I children. It was important to me to We must go back to being human with me: “How do you manage? I can’t and should be respected. Consider was not part bring our children to Lebanon, to foster each other, to taking the time to get seem to be able to interact with my Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, Rumi, Ibn of the system. their connection with the family and the to know our neighbors and the people mother-in-law.” I asked her what the Sina [Avicenna], all these famous I had been country, although I was careful not to around us. When we interact with problem was, and she replied: “For travelers. If you read their stories, they there for three Photo by Office of the First Lady force it upon them. Luckily, they enjoy others, listen to what they have to say, example, when we sit at the table, she travelled freely from city to city, from months and my and appreciate Lebanon. and walk in their shoes to understand keeps offering me food, but when I empire to empire. This free movement case was a very their point of view, this mutual politely refuse, she keeps offering it is now a thing of the past. We have minor one, yet I must say I do not follow news in understanding transforms peace- again and again!” She didn’t understand reached a time in which, we are so it was almost Lebanon very closely. As Gibran Khalil building into nation-building. So many the cultural context and thought her compartmentalized that we can no impossible Gibran stated, “Your Lebanon is a issues can be avoided if we simply take mother-in-law was trying to annoy longer move freely between nations.