When asked to visualize modern-day Afghanistan, images of a war-torn nation under the control of the Taliban often comes to mind. However, there was once a time when this country exuded peace and good fortune. University professor Dr. Bill Podlich captured this phase in history when he travelled to Afghanistan in 1967 with Margaret, his wife, and Jan and Peg, their two teenage daughters. The main reason for their relocation revolved around Dr. Podlich's desire to become the Expert of Principles of Education at the Higher Teachers College of Kabul. Aside from teaching, the professor also used his Kodachrome film camera to hold onto 1960s Afghanistan and to document the relationships he'd forged with many Afghans.
What Dr. Podlich captured was a liberal land and Westernized lifestyle. There were smiling boys, girls learning in classrooms, women wearing short skirts on a warm day, and families simply enjoying each other's company outdoors. Sadly, this uplifting atmosphere completely changed only a decade later. Afghanistan was pulled into war, invaded, and became a country ruled by the Taliban.
"When I look at my dad's photos, I remember Afghanistan as a country with thousands of years of history and culture," Dr. Podlich's daughter Peg, who attended the American International School of Kabul, told the Denver Post. "It has been a gut-wrenching experience to watch and hear about the profound suffering which has occurred in Afghanistan during the battles of war for nearly 40 years. Fierce and proud yet fun loving people have been beaten down by terrible forces." Now, the happier times live on in photos.
All images via Dr. Bill Podlich's collection, which is now managed by his son-in-law Clayton Esterson.
Source: MyModernmet via Amazing Oasis
Women without religious clothing, happy children: All ruined by the USA military forces...
ReplyDeleteAll ruined by your Moskovits leaders in Crimeline and the new Saudi Wahabi Islam, Pakistan and Iran... wrong country to invade by Ruskies military and you lost more than half your former occupied countries.
DeleteBeautiful
ReplyDeleteBeside the few skirt clad girls and boys in coats in focus of the camera is there anyone else who is even remotely dressed in western clothes, even in a propaganda photo (20th photo) they couldn't find a marketplace that they could shoot at without a woman passing in a white burka in the fore ground, The question you ought to ask yourself is why you have the right to live your way of life and why you want to impose on us and why we dont have the right to live the way we wish to live and why you cant just leave us alone?
ReplyDeleteWhere are you from, Abdul?
Delete(People needs to decide about the beliefs of themselves, by themselves)
who are the "you", you are referring to Abdul? you shoulask yourself that question if you are a male, straight muslim, who follows the quran and [prophet. why would it be ok to force a woman to have sex with you? or a gay man to not practice his sexuality, and so many things that islam sees fit to do. i suggested to my pakistani friend the other day that he just say he supports women's rights, and he said he would be killed if he did. anyone who doesn't hate hypocrisy, cannot study islam and agree with it.
DeleteGood, old times... They always shall be better than our awfully actual times. *sighs*
ReplyDeletethe mess in afghanistan was caused by US anti-russian sentiment which led to US supporting mujahadeen and the like to oppose the pro-soviet government, which obviously continued westernization.
ReplyDelete