Political satire show has Afghans glued to their TVs
'Alarm Bell' creator has been threatened and beaten but jokes about Karzai go on
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Independent Minds
'Alarm Bell', with its extravagantly-dressed presenters, has no shortage of material as it pokes fun at politicians
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Today, President Hamid Karzai will be inaugurated in front of an audience of foreign dignitaries. But appearing on Afghan television, he is a little less statesmanlike. The incessant bickering, it seems, has grown too much, and Mr Karzai snaps: instead of calmly swearing an oath to his country, he is trying to strangle the US ambassador, jowl quivering next to spit-flecked jowl. A UN official gazes placidly at the unfolding chaos but luckily there's someone here with a little more nerve. "Shut up," screams a cross-dressing interpreter. It's not exactly The Daily Show, but this is political satire, Afghan style.
Zang-e-Khatar ("Alarm Bell"), is a popular TV show in Afghanistan that has been thriving on the country's political tribulations. It receives primetime billing – 9pm every Wednesday – and almost everyone with a TV seems to have seen an episode.
"It's good entertainment," said Ahmad Fawad, a shopkeeper. "It's our custom to watch it every week." His friend chimed in: "It's funny and it's informative. Our government is weak and Zang-e-Khatar tells people what's going on." The election debacle and subsequent speculation over who Mr Karzai will appoint to his cabinet have provided ample material; the visit of Hillary Clinton, David Miliband and a host of other foreign dignitaries to give their support to a man many foreign governments view as a disaster will doubtless provide plenty more. Host Hanif Hangam, whose silk scarf, dark glasses and turquoise rings lend him the swagger of a hip-hop star, is unlikely to be deferential.
In last night's episode, for example, the show's panellists lambasted the beleaguered President for failing to control his ministers, who they claimed went sex-trawling in Tajikistan instead of attending to the business of State. They wondered aloud how many positions Mr Karzai would give to the Taliban commanders who had delivered the pro-Karzai vote. And for good measure they derided the announcement that a new anti-corruption squad mentored by the British and Americans will clean up government. "Phew!" exclaimed Hangam, the show's creator and leading comic, in an expression of relief that was not entirely sincere.
Owing an inevitable debt to Jon Stewart's US current affairs review, The Daily Show, the show has a satiric sting that has enraged some of its targets. MPs tried to have it banned after it lampooned their opulent lifestyles and broadcast clips of them dozing through debates. Hangam says he has been threatened and beaten up since the show first broadcast five years ago. Now he says he is past the point of being scared – and, after all, he was once thrown in jail for pursuing his previous dream, acting, under the Taliban regime. He glows with pride when asked about his work. "The greatest thing is I made something out of nothing," he says.
On some occasions politicians have noted the criticism, apparently reining in a tendency to throw water bottles at each other during heated debates after the show called for bottling companies to make softer MP-proof receptacles. The Taliban, foreign agents and even hapless pilgrims trying to get to Mecca are all fair game. The only subjects Hangam avoids are those he thinks will inflame ethnic tensions.
"They talk about the lack of respect MPs and politicians [show ordinary people] and I think to a large extent that's true and that's why it's widely watched," Fowzia Kufi, a young female MP, said. "Politicians ignore the programme but they should pay more attention."
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Comments
For well over a century British governments and, for over half a century US governments, have routinely fostered and encouraged corrupt governments.
It's how they do business and conduct foreign policy. Want to fight corruption? Take Britain, America and many similar governments to task.
The chief purveyors of corruption to compliant governments elsewhere!
And 3 million girls in education
And free political debate
Still, its not up to your foreign standards no doubt
In Iraq many predicted that what we are seeing now could not happen. Had these people won the day in 2005 and the coalition had withdrawn we can only wonder at the civil war and conflict that would have ensued and what form of new dictatorship would replace the old.
Just as in Iraq, these voices care nothing for Afghans. To them Afghans are merely firewood upon a pile of which they can burn their USA witch.
See them. Watch Iraq. Keep protecting and keep demanding improvement from Afghans
Incidentally, if you want to know why the Afghan police force is so corrupt, under-trained, under monitored, under resourced and inefficient look no further than Germany and the Eu who have been responsible for little in Afghanistan apart from this. They have failed to even try. You wont read this in the self loathing UK media. Try the IHT http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/18/w
Why isnt this reported in UK media? Our soldiers are dying at least in part because of this police training failure. yet because it is Euro's we are silent. yet any deficiency by the UK or US is trumpeted and the "culprits" tarred and feathered in our sewer press. Its dysfunctional.
Do you not question why the "civil war" in Iraq didn't happen? As soon as the Americans withdrew from the towns and cities the violence died down. While the US army was on the streets the "sectarian bombings" were everywhere. This was supported by people like you, and now your attempting to cover it up.
As we established yesterday your view is that God should determine this instead.
You have failed to identify any western money men making unjustified profits whereas I have shown you the massive amounts spent compared to the pittances earned back, and these largely to non US companies
Do you not question why every view you hold crumbles on a simple inspection of the facts?
As for your theory of the violence dying down when the US left you know very well the truth is the US left when the violence died down, a result of the Sunni Awakening, the US troop surge, the start of a genuine national reconciliation and turning away from sect and religious politics and lots of cash from $150 bbls of oil
Your suggestion that violence died down after US withdrawal is the usual anti reality drivel.
Do you no think it is anti social to spread hatred with lies like you spend your days doing?
Do you think Iraqis will vote for you? Why not go try and win some Iraqi votes with your platform matt?
But what you are not saying is that it is not the US that is benifitting, it is private companies. These companies and their owners are the ones who lobbied for an invasion of Iraq. Also alot of the American elite have major shares in these companies (as well UK businessmen) Compare how much THEY have made from Iraq in oil, arms and private security contracts, along with regeneration work privatley.
These projects cost billons. That money comes from the US government which is the American peoples money. It comes from their taxes. This money is then spend on private arms (for the US army) but these are all contracted out to arms companies. This is the same for the rebuilding work. The americans tear it down, then give a construction company the money to rebuild it. That money is American public money. It then becomes privatised in the accounts of the company owners.
This is done with every aspect of the war, the oil, the troops supplies, the vechiles, the weapons, everything. This makes ALOT of money for private induviduals, and the clever part is, it all comes from public funds.
So weather or not the American state benifits is irrelevent. As long as corrupt private enterprise makes it money, everybody's happy. Except of course the wretched of the earth who are not part of these money making schemes. The poor of, not just Iraq, but the world (Iraq is not the only country this happens in)
Then there are people who tout the official line. Some are paid to do so. Some are just to ignorant and cowardly to chanllenge it.
Why isn't _that_ constantly reported in the U.K. media?
And this is of course reported in the UK media. The failure of Germany and the EU mission isn't. Why?
I called for balance. You didn't give it me either.
As for past levels of female education also yes. But today the choice is between Taliban or the nest fist Afghans can make of democratic govt.
unless if course you have a better idea that Afghans will support? But you don't do you? otherwise you could have offered it up for votes.
And attempting to blame the Germans! Just as there were Afghan warriors before the Soviets were present, so was Afghan corruption!
As to a better idea - a less centralised government, a less militarised government (I notice that the Afghans have plenty more M16s nowadays, who's profiting from that, I wonder) and less NATO involvement aren't bad ways to start, of course.
More education and aid programmes delivered by non-government sources, _slowly_, avoiding a grating conflict between local traditions and modern western politics.
Ok "dude" attempting to second guess my age or level of maturity etc does not really constitute legimate debate. Do you have anything that you want to put forward that actually relates to the argument?
1 million Iraqis, i admit is quite alot, however nowhere near "one of the biggest genocides the world has seen"!!!! Almost 21 million people died in the Congo during the Belgian reign of terror. 20 million Russins died in WW2, as well as over 6 million jews.
Also alot more than 1 million people were killed in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos by American forces.
The current conflict in the DRC has claimed almost 5 million lives.
I'm sure you wouldn't question any of those figures, but as soon as its the US, you just want it swept under the carpet.
So its not really that unbelievable now is it?
Yes because that's the only t.v. satire known to mankind