A Dictated and Unilateral Meeting
By Mohajir Times
By Mohammad Kazem Kazemi
According to Mohajir Times, citing “Narrative Analytical News Base,” which published a critical note by Mohammad Kazem Kazemi, an Afghanistani poet and researcher, titled “A Dictated and Unilateral Meeting” in response to the Taliban Foreign Minister's session at the Consulate of Afghanistan in Mashhad:
The Consulate of Afghanistan in Mashhad contacted a group of prominent migrant figures to participate in a meeting with the acting head of the Taliban's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Some scholars, intellectuals, specialists, social and economic activists attended this session, especially considering that the consulate officials have had positive interactions with Afghanistani intellectuals and elites over the years, hosting them in various meetings.
It was anticipated that this diverse group, invited to the meeting, would find an opportunity to express their significant and overarching concerns regarding the country's issues. This expectation was based on the consulate's previous practice of holding sessions that mostly allowed for free discussions.
It was expected that the session would be conducted in a way that individuals from various groups could freely express their desires, demands, and criticisms. The effectiveness of such statements cannot be determined, but at least individuals could have persuaded themselves to take responsibility in the provided situation and speak up.
Unfortunately, among all these dignitaries, only three individuals (two religious scholars and one poet and literaturer) were invited to present their views. Moreover, this selection was done in a way that the chosen individuals shared similar perspectives, and the topics discussed were mostly related to minor administrative matters.
While there are important discussions about the composition of the government, national, religious, and linguistic policies, the main concerns expressed by the three representatives of migrants focused on consular service costs or why migrants from Iran cannot participate in the Hajj pilgrimage or establish an independent seminary_(Hawza). Does this mean that all the nation's problems have been resolved, and only these issues remain?
Serious discussions on language and literature were also on the agenda, such as issues related to the Persian language, Anti-Persianism, the state of literature and art, and book publishing. However, the dear friend who was called upon on the tribune as a representative of poets and writers did not address anything related to language and literature.
It was expected that in a situation where a segment of the migrant community responded with respect to the consulate's invitation, they would naturally be open to criticism. The acting head of the ministry and his accompanying team should provide an opportunity for these individuals to express their genuine and serious opinions, concerns, and criticisms. This way, at the very least, those who invested time and credibility in participating in this session would not feel regret, and the efforts made by the consulate officials for this meeting would not be in vain. #MohajirTimes
