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The Heart of Asia Herald—Newsletter for the Embassy of Afghanistan in Japan

September—December 2017

Volume 1, Issue 4

The Heart of Asia

Herald

Monthly Greetings to you from the Embassy

Greetings to you, dear friends.

Thank you for bringing your attention to the second edition of our new newsletter from the

Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Tokyo. Our goal for this newsletter is to

pique the interest of citizens from our local communities here in Japan. We genuinely hope

that the interesting facts, histories, provinces, and cultures of Afghanistan catch your atten-

tion. We sincerely encourage you to explore the curiosities and wonders that this issue fea-

tures. Please share your thoughts with us or any ideas on how to make the HAH more inter-

esting and enjoyable. Please enjoy reading this issue and we wish you pleasant days.

Message from “The Heart of Asia Herald” Editors:

Greetings to you, esteemed readers of the Embassy of the Islamic

Republic of Afghanistan in Tokyo’s very own newsletter; “the Heart

of Asia Herald.” It is a great honor to be able to address you this

quarter. We here at the Embassy are very grateful to be able to cap-

ture your attention for the months of September, October, November,

and December. We have had many events occur, such as our recep-

tion for the 98th National Day of Afghanistan and our reception for

the International Conference on Bamiyan, to name a few. It goes

without saying that your continued interest and support in our Em-

bassy’s efforts, our Diplomat’s missions, and my own, is greatly ap-

preciated. I wish you continued prosperity in this quarter.

Dr. Bashir Mohabbat’s Message for the Quarter

The happenings &

events

pertaining to

Afghan-Japan Re-

lations.

____________

Inside this issue:

____________

Monthly greetings

1

Progress & Develop-

ments in Afghanistan,

and Current Afghan-

Japan Relations

2

FEATURE STORY:

“Afghan Cashmere”

3

An Introduction to

Badghis Province

4

Notable Afghans:

Olympic Medalist Ro-

hullah Nikpai and

PEACE scholar

Mohammad Hamed

Patmal 5

Cooking Qabili Palao

and Upcoming Events

6

2

Afghan Progress:

Afghan-Japan Relations:

Security On November 20, 2017, NATO’s

Secretary General, Jean Stolten-

berg and Canadian Defense

Minister Harjit Singh Saijan

met with Chief Executive H.E.

Dr. Abdullah Abdullah in Can-

ada. Mr. Stoltenberg praised the

Afghan National Security Forces

(ANSF) for their successful coun-

terterrorist methods and actions.

They have shown progress in the

fight against the Taliban in Af-

ghanistan. H.E. Dr. Abdullah then

thanked the S.G. and the Canadian

Defense Minister for their words

of encouragement and support in

Afghanistan’s journey to peace.

Equally important to NATO’s rec-

ognition of Afghanistan’s anti-

terrorist actions was H.E. Dr. Ab-

dullah’s welcoming of the re-

newal of NATO’s commitments

to ANSF during this meeting.

Health Sector Recent months have seen much

development in the health sector

throughout Afghanistan. As of No-

vember 27, 2017, Japan has an-

nounced their mission to assist

Afghanistan in the eradication of

polio and their commitment in the

prevention of the spread of other

diseases in partnership with Af-

ghanistan’s Ministry of Public

Health. They will focus on im-

proving the livelihood and health

in the Tajik-Afghan border com-

munities through two programs

created to procure routine vac-

cines for around 1.37 million Af-

ghan children under the age of

one. The new agreement was

signed at the Embassy of Japan in

Kabul by H.E. the Ambassador of

Japan, JICA Representatives, UNI-

CEF Representatives, and the Af-

ghan Minister of Public Health,

and the Ambassador of Tajikistan,

among others.

Politics This November, Afghanistan,

Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan,

Georgia, and Turkey agreed to

sign the Lapis Lazuli Corridor

agreement. The agreement sets up

a railway based corridor in which

Afghan goods will travel through

Turkmenistan, across the Caspian

Sea to Azerbaijan, then Georgia,

across the Black Sea and through

Turkey to the Mediterra-nean and

Europe. These goods will be tran-

sited via railway and ships

through the Caspian. The Lapis

Lazuli Corridor is consid-ered to

be a new, innovative and efficient

way that will directly connect

Afghanistan to Europe, proving

extremely beneficial to Afghani-

stan’s trade expansion and re-

gional connectivity, boosting its

economy.

On November 4, His Excellency

Ambassador Dr. Bashir Mohabbat

had the honor of attending

“Afghanistan Day” hosted by

Minato International Associa-

tion. Approximately 100 guests

attended the event, including other

diplomats and staff at the Em-

bassy of Afghanistan. Guests en-

joyed traditional Afghan music

performed by Chalpasah as well

Afghan goods. Cuisines and bev-

erages and goods were provided

by Afghan Brothers, Afghan Ba-

zaar, and Afghan Saffron.

On November 29, H.E. Ambassa-

dor Dr. Bashir Mohabbat attended

and presented a speech to the Pub-

lic symposium on the occasion of

the 15th Anniversary of Support-

ing Education for Women and

Girls in Afghanistan held at

Ochanomizu University. In atten-

dance was the Women’s College

Consortium, Ochanomizu Uni-

versity faculty, and esteemed

members of MEXT and JICA. The Women’s College Consortium

was founded in 2002 and in these

past 15 years has devoted an in-

credible amount of time and effort

towards the improvement of fe-

male education in Afghanistan.

H.E. Dr. Mohabbat thanked those

in attendance for their efforts and

commitment towards Afghani-

stan’s development.

On October 30, the Embassy of

the Islamic Republic of Afghani-

stan in Tokyo held a reception on

the occasion of Afghanistan’s

98th National Day. Approxi-

mately 300 guests were received

by the embassy to celebrate this

auspicious event. The reception

featured speeches from H.E.

Ambassador Dr. Bashir Mohab-

bat, H.E. Mr. Natsuo Yamagu-

chi, Chief Representative of the

Komei Party, and longtime friend

of Afghanistan and the Embassy,

and His Excellency Ambassador

Mr. Hiroshi Oka, Assistant Min-

ister & Director General of the

Middle Eastern and African Af-

fairs Bureau of MOFA Japan. All

three speakers spoke highly of Af-

ghanistan’s development and hon-

oured this momentous day.

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The Heart of Asia Herald—Newsletter for the Embassy of Afghanistan in Japan

Afghan

Cashmere Afghan’s Luxury

Cashmere comes from cashmere

goats.

These goats are the only

animals able to provide the

luxurious, highly coveted fibers

of cashmere.

About 4 goats are needed for

one sweater.

Afghanistan is home to 7million

goats and is the world’s biggest

producer of cashmere behind

China and Mongolia. Afghanistan is known

as a country that is

endowed with a very

rich quality of cotton,

silk, and cashmere.

The Ministry of

Commerce and

Industries even has a

“Cashmere Action

Plan” to increase its

production’s profits

and efficiency.

In fact, the cashmere

industry today

provides thousands

of jobs for Afghan

women, who hand

wash and spin the

cashmere into high

quality products.

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Kilim Rug designs are made by

interweaving the variously colored

wefts and warps in bold designs.

Kilim rugs are of Turkish origin,

being a style particular to Afghani-

stan, especially in Badghis. The

utilize wool, cotton, and silk found

in the Badghis province.

There are still remains of the

ancient Qala-e-Nariman in

Badghis province. This was a

famous fortress & castle used

during many battles against

Genghis Khan.

“If leadership rest inside the lion’s jaw,

So be it. Go snatch it from jaws.

Your lot shall be greatness, prestige,

honor, and glory.

If all fails, face death like a man.”

-Hanzala Badghisi

Badghis is one of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces and is located in the Northwest area, sharing a border with

Turkmenistan. Its capital is Qala-e-New and has a total population of about 500,000 people. During the period

of the Sasanian Empire, which reigned in the region from 224 to 651 AD, Badghis was a part of Sasanian terri-

tory. Badghis was part of the Herat territory until 1962, when Afghan administration was put into place.

Its landscape consists of 20,590.6 km2 of rich agricultural lands, making agriculture its main economic re-

source. This area is known for its immensely beautiful, lush, and bright spring season that features rolling

green valleys and colourful flowers. Inside the province lies the Murghab River in the North and the Hari-rud

River in the Sounth. Badghis is famous for its production of pistachios, cashmere, and wool. The majority of

its citizens raise sheep, cattle, and goats.

Its industry features carpets, cashmere, Karakul, and wool. Badghis is especially known for its rug industry.

Most notable is the master rug craftsman, Haji Mohammad Ewaz Badghisi. Ewaz Badghisi is a Badghis

native, beginning his craft in the 1970s in the province before seeking refuge in Kabul during Soviet occupa-

tion. He and his family returned to Badghis, and in 1992, he established the “Samarkand-Bukhara Silk Car-

pet” workshop. It is a Joint Venture Workshop with the aim of reviving the lost tradition of carpet weaving in

Central Asia. His company produces Kilim rugs, which take months to make from locally sourced silk and

other materials from the prosperous Badghis province.

FAMOUS LANDMARKS and PEOPLE of BADGHIS PROVINCE

بادغیس

Province Focus:

Badghis-

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The Heart of Asia Herald—Newsletter for the Embassy of Afghanistan in Japan

ROHULLAH NIKPAI

Afghans to Know

Afghanistan’s Olympian

Current PEACE Scholar

Mr. Mohammad

Hamed Patmal

This month’s exemplary PEACE Scholar is from the city of Maidan in

the province of Wardak. Mr. Patmal is in the Ministry of Higher Educa-

tion, and a Lecturer at Kabul University, Engineering Faculty. He has

been studying at Waseda University in Tokyo since September 2016.

Mr. Patmal’s thesis centers on “non line-of-sight indoor ultra violet communications.” He is currently

performing research to find some models for the system. Following his studies in Japan and participation

in the PEACE Program, Mr. Patmal aspires to “convey [his] knowledge to the highly talented students of

Kabul University, and [he] hopes to work with board members of Afghanistan Telecommunications

Regulatory Authority (ATRA)” in the near future.

Speaking on Japanese culture, Mr. Patmal emphasizes that he has enjoyed experiencing various festivals,

specifically the “daigakusai” cultural festivals of schools and universities. He also credits his enjoyable

time here to Japanese citizens, whom he’s had much interaction with in his year of study. To him, the ad-

mirable Japanese are incredibly “respectful, polite, punctual and hard working,” inspiring his studies.

We wish Mr. Patmal great success and enrichment in his studies at Waseda University.

Rohullah Nikpai is Afghanistan’s first Olympic medallist. He began training for the sport in Kabul at

age 10, eventually having to flee with his family to Iran where he joined a refugee team. Returning in

2004, Nikpai began training again in Kabul. He continued to compete in various Asian taekwondo cham-

pionships, earning him recognition.

He won bronze at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic games for the 58kg category in taekwondo. This

was Afghanistan’s first ever medal in any event, and his victory gave hope and pride to Afghans all over.

Nikpai returned to the world stage at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, and competed in the 68 kg

category, where he won his bronze medal, Afghanistan’s second medal to be won in its history.

Nikpai continues to inspire Afghan citizens to break through barriers and achieve their goals. His accom-

plishments show a new, successful future for Afghans.

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Upcoming Events Please watch for more notice about these upcoming events on our

Facebook page!

January

1/23: Reception at the Embassy for Japan-East Asia

Network of Exchange for Students and Youths

(JENESYS)

1/26: Minato-ku Embassy Stamp Rally will take place

from end of January, through February, and until the

end of March.

S

T A M P

Afghan Recipe: Qabili Palao (Lamb-Raisin Rice Pilaf)

200ml vegeta-

ble oil

1 chopped

onion

800g lamb

shoulder,

chopped

1tbsp crushed

garlic

2tbsp salt 2L water

75g sugar 2tbsp garam

masala

1 1/2tsp

ground carda-

mom

1kg basmati

rice, soaked

overnight

250g carrots,

cut into

matchsticks

75g slivered

almonds and

75g raisins

1. Heat oil and cook onion. Add lamb, garlic, 1tbsp of salt and cook until lamb is brown. Add

water, reduce heat and stew for 1 1/2hr until tender. Remove lamb and save stock.

2. Place 1/2 of the sugar and cook until caramelised. Add 250ml of stock, remaining salt, 1tsp

garam masala, and some cardamom. Boil, then set aside.

3. Drain soaked rice, cook in boiling water for 5min and drain. Pour over caramelised sugar,

add garam masala and cardamom, and mix well.

4. Heat 1tbsp oil and add carrot, remaining sugar and stir until caramelised. Add sultanas and

cook for 1 min. Remove from heat, stir in cardamom, and set aside.

5. Heat remaining oil until smoking and pour over rice. Top with spiced carrot and lamb.

Cover and cook for 5min on high, then 10min on low. To serve, let cool and mix well. Add

almonds and raisins.

Find us online at: www.afghanembassy.jp.org

Facebook:@AfghanistanInJp

Twitter:@AfghanistanInJp

Pinterest:@AfghanistanInJp

2-2-1 Azabudai Mi-

nato-ku Tokyo 106-

0041 Japan

Consular Services and Cul-

tural Outreach

Phone: (+81)-3-5574-7611

Fax: (+81)-3-5574-0195

Embassy of

Afghanistan

in Japan

Editors in Chief: Mr. A. Agah and Ms. A.

Diaz

Editors: Lily Boland

Japanese Editors: