Afghanistan has dominated the news during this past week. As announced in April by US President Joe Biden, American troops withdrew from the country. Yet the Taliban quickly regained control of Afghanistan, entering Kabul, the capital, on 15th August. They encountered little resistance as the US-backed president Ashraf Ghani escaped to Tajikistan and, as the twenty-year Western occupation came to an end, fear spread about the return of the Taliban.
US President Biden talked about a responsible ans safe withdrawal, but the reality was different with chaos ensuing as people rushed to the airport in Kabul to try and leave the country. People who collaborated with occupying armies over the last two decades are in great danger and, while some were allowed to board planes, and safely reached Italy, Spain, the UK and the US, there is still great concern for all those left behind, and in particular for all those women who fought for their rights and equality, for activists and members of the LGBT communities (under the Taliban's interpretation of Sharia Law, homosexuality is strictly prohibited and punishable by death).
Between the '50s and the '70s Afghanistan experienced freedom and stability and Kabul was known as the "Paris of Central Asia" (black and white photos of those times show women in short skirts and fashionable hairstyles), but under Taliban rule (1996-2001), the country experienced violence and social regression. Women's rights were eradicated: girls were banned from attending school, studying and working (and they couldn't access healthcare delivered by men, which means they could really access healthcare as women were forbidden to work...), besides they could only appear in public wearing full body coverings and accompanied by male escorts. Failing to observe the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islamic law meant to be publicly flogged or executed.
The US-led invasion that followed the 9/11 attacks brought an end to Taliban rule and some changes for women that may be promptly erased by the Taliban regaining power. In the last few days we have seen videos of girls and young women on social media recounting what's happening, with many of them terrified and locked in their houses, hiding from the Taliban. In one video a young girl cried, stating "We don’t count because we were born in Afghanistan (…) No one cares about us. We'll die slowly in history". Two women working at the presidential palace highlighted in another video that the Taliban are behaving as they did 20 years ago, and they weren't allowed to enter their offices despite the Taliban told workers to go to work.
What will happen to them and to the rest of the country is of great concern and it is of great concern also what will happen to all those artisans - many of them women - who have been working for platforms selling online or in stores hand-crafted designs, and who may find themselves cut off from their customers and their chances to make a living.
Most Western companies working with Afghan artisans focus on woven textiles, carpets, rugs, embroideries and jewellery, quite a few of them are retailers and platforms selling ethical products or interior design companies focused on an artisanal approach.
Artisan & Fox for example is a social enterprise empowering artisans in developing regions and developing nations across the globe - among them weavers and silversmiths. Artisans working for the platform are guaranteed 50% of all gross profits from each item, and Artisan & Fox also offers micro-loans, pays for raw materials in advance and helps open bank accounts when the need arises.
Since 2015, Artisan & Fox has been working with over 200 artisans across 11 countries, collaborating with independent artisans, small artisan groups, non-profits, and local social enterprises. Among such artisans there is also Afghan Lama El Desouky who makes geometrically harmonious and linear jewellery collections. Artisan & Fox also sells jewellery pieces made in the old city of Kabul.
One of the immediate consequences of the return of the Taliban may be the end of such artisanal connections and at the moment Artisans & Fox is encouraging its consumers through social media and in particular via its Instagram page to donate to NGO Emergency, that offers free, non-partisan emergency healthcare across Afghanistan, or to Turquoise Mountain, founded in 2006 by HRH The Prince of Wales.
For the time being Artisan & Fox will donate all profits from the "Ode to Kabul" collection, inspired by the lyrical poetry of Persian Master Saib-e-Tabrizi, to Turquoise Mountain so they can provide vital emergency support and services to the artisan community.
But there are other companies that have opted to support Afghan artisans and families: Ishkar (the name references a plant found in the deserts of Afghanistan known for its hidden alchemic properties), that works with artisans in Yemen, Mali and Iraq, has also been selling since 2016 jewellery, scarves, kilims and glassware made in Afghanistan.
To help with the current situation, Ishkar has put together a print sale of images by award-winning photographers, such as documentary photographer Rena Effendi (the black and white picture entitled "Titanic Bazaar" showing women in burkas featured in this post is by Effendi).
All profits from the print sale will go to Emergency centres in Afghanistan. Donations will fund specialist training of local nurses and doctors who will go on to treat thousands of patients in need across the country (prints will be for sale online at special, one-off prices and available for a limited period, until 15th September 2021).
Ishkar also created carpets for Choose Love - a charity through which it is possible to buy vital supplies and services (including food, toiletries and legal advice) that can be donated to refugees. The carpets are handmade to order in Afghanistan and all profits from these products will go directly to Choose Love projects.
Noonday Collection, a site selling jewellery and accessories made by artisans across the globe has also got a selection of products made in Afghanistan. 100% of the artisans who make their pieces in Afghanistan are women and 76% of them worked from home during 2020.
The site has pledged to give 10% of sales on selected styles (until 31st August 2021) to Artisan housing grants in Haiti (recently hit by a devastating earthquake) and to Afghan refugee support.
There have also been companies based in Afghanistan and owned by young Afghans, who attempted to relaunch fashion in the country, such as Laman, a men and women's wear brand combining Western designs with traditional Afghan elements and handcraft that focuses on reviving Afghanistan's rich tradition of embroidery (that differs from community to community and province to province).
What will happen in the future for such a company (a while back Laman came under fire for its models not wearing headscarves at a runway show, and Taliban rule would probably not allow such a label to exist) and for all the Western platforms working with local artisans is uncertain under different points of view: under a new ultra conservative Taliban government the condition of women would regress once again, some of these artisans wouldn't be able to work and cultural and historical sites may end up being destroyed as well (remember the 6th century Buddha figures at Bamiyan destroyed by the Taliban in 2001? By the way, Laman did a photoshoot in front of the destroyed Buddha of Bamiyan last year).
At the moment one of the key issues for the Western platforms working with Afghan artisans may be the logistics as many used shipping companies based in cities such as Bagram, where there was an American military base (that was rapidly evacuated in July) and shipping products out of Afghanistan at the moment is probably impossible.
As the situation in Afghanistan is currently still developing, it's worth following the Instagram accounts of some of the companies mentioned in this post such as Artisan & Fox and Ishkar as some of them provide updates. But what can we do in the meantime for the people in Afghanistan? Well, if you can afford it and want to be more active, you can buy some of the handmade products still available from these companies or you can support a charity currently working in Afghanistan or providing help for Afghan refugees abroad.
Thanks so much for your wonderful work Anna.
Posted by: Kmaustral | August 23, 2021 at 11:38 PM