Afghan teen skaters yearning for peace

WARNING: Article contains propaganda!

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By Farid Behbud, Abdul Haleem

KABUL, March 19 (Xinhua) -- In a bubble-like sport compound hundreds of the war-weary Afghan children are leaping on skateboards to say no for war and yearn for the durable peace in their conflict-ridden country.

"I love skating because I think by skating and other sports, one day we would re-define our nation and demonstrate that Afghanistan is not a land of war, rather a land for peace," a joyful 14-year-old skater Noorzai whispered when his opinion was sought towards sport.

"One day it will become a reality that Afghanistan is land for peace," pointing his finger to a signboard hanged on the wall and inscribed with local word "Skateistan" which means "land of skate".

The signboard also shows a skateboarder crashing a gun by his skateboard before leaping on track, said Noorzai who like many Afghans goes only by one name.

A total of 350 kids including dozens of street children frequently come to Skateistan, set up by an Australian national Oliver Percovich in 2008, to learn how to ride a skateboard in the only skateboarding school in the country, a coach in Skateistan, Shams Razi told Xinhua on Saturday.

The goal of Skateistan, according to Razi, is to "build trust and understanding" among children from all ethnics and elimination of gender discrimination as well in the ethnically divided and conservative nation.

Some girls cannot attend the skateboarding school in the conservative and traditionalist Afghanistan as teenage girls often wear Burka or veil and avoid working or playing jointly with men outside their homes.

The hardliner Taliban regime during its six-year reign collapsed in late 2001 had confined women to their houses and outlawed education for girls.

Many Afghans particularly in rural areas still believed that sport and exercising is the right of boys and not for girls.

Besides teaching Skateboarding to the boys and girls ages ranging from five to 19, the Skateistan also provide children with classes in English and Dari language -- one of the two official Afghan languages -- Dari and Pashtu, painting, photography, poetry, journalism and even filmmaking, according to Razi.

"Our aim is to educate and build trust among young Afghans of different tribes, ethnics from all walks of life, from rich families to poor street children," Razi stated.

Economic problems, continued war and displacement of people have forced many children to work on the streets in order to support their families.

Although there is no official statistics, Mohammad Yusuf the director of Aschiana -- a non-government organization provides shelter to street children believes there are between 60,000 to 70, 000 street children only in the capital city Kabul.

According to Razi, fund has been raised to build an 800-square- meter Skateistan ground and officials with the Afghan National Olympic Committee have donated a piece of land to build the ground.

The bubble-like sport compound is located in Afghanistan's only Sport complex -- the Ghazi Stadium in Kabul that had seen chopping hands, flogging and executing people on charge of involvement in criminal activities during Taliban reign in 1996-2001.

"Several Afghan and international agencies including Germany, Norway, Sweden and Canada embassies in Kabul have been supporting Skatesitan," said Razi.

According to Razi a leading Afghan telecommunication company -- Roshan has provided free Internet service to Skateistan giving an opportunity for children, teachers and coaches to communicate via internet with children around the globe.

The Internet has been a useful mean to master support from children and aid agencies in developed countries and so far dozens of essential equipment including skateboards have been contributed to Skateistan in Kabul.

He said currently a total of 13 coaches and teachers including five volunteer trainers from Australia, Canada, the United States. and Germany have been teaching the children in Skateistan.

Source: Xinhua.
Link: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/indepth/2011-03/19/c_13787807.htm.