ID card sparks identity problem for Afghanistan
It is a single word that outsiders commonly use to refer to nationals of Afghanistan. Its formal placement on the country’s longplanned electronic identity card, however, has inspired a hashtag and arguments that reflect a national divide: #IAmNotAfghan.
President Ashraf Ghani and First Lady Rula Ghani became the first citizens to apply for the new card last week. But the proposed use of the word Afghan on its face may scupper the entire multimillion-dollar project.
“I am from Afghanistan, but I am not Afghan,” Aslam Niazy, a young citizen from
Jowzjan province, said on Facebook on Monday. His post ignited a debate about ethnicity and identity among his friends on the social network, which has since spread across the country, reflecting a schism that continues to threaten Afghanistan’s unity.
Despite its initially apparent accuracy, members of minority ethnic groups equate Afghan as a historic reference to Pashtun ethnicity, a group that makes up more than a third of the population.
“Those who oppose [the card] consider the word Afghan to be a reference to one community of Afghanistan and so cannot represent the identity of all citizens,” said Ghulam Ali Danishgar, a sociologist in the capital Kabul. “However, geographically we are Afghans.”
Around the world, citizens of Afghanistan are largely referred to as Afghans.
Although the country is riven by suicide attacks from the Taliban and ISIL insurgents, the cards were mainly devised to help provide better access to public services.
Known as eTazkira, a reference to the existing ID document that is needed to get water, electricity, education or housing, the card’s introduction has been delayed for years because of ethnic sensitivities.
“It’s not just about the word but about appeasement of the Pashtun nationalist groups,” said Tahir Qadiry, head of Mitra TV and a senior adviser to Atta Noor, the recently ousted governor of Balkh province, who is an ethnic Tajik and opponent of the card.
“Even though Ghani is a Pashtun himself, he has always showed himself to be democratic and not a nationalist. But now when he finds himself losing the Pashtun support, he is using the politics of identity to regain the Pashtun majority.”
Other opponents include warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum, who despite reportedly being in exile in Turkey retains the title of vice president, and Mohammad Mohaqeq, another anti-Soviet fighter turned politician.
They and Mr Noor are planning to boycott the identity cards in their constituencies.
Afghanistan’s chief executive, Dr Abdullah Abdullah, while not openly critical of the cards, had called on the government to delay the launch pending further consultation.
There is also a broader political interest because the cards should help reduce voter fraud, which is rampant in elections.
The election commission lacks accurate data and fair voting and ballot counting is a subject of regular dispute, with “ghost votes” a major problem.
The cards would also help to hold a census. The last full one was in 1979 and several attempts since have fallen short.
In a bid to avoid discord it was proposed near the end of last year that the ethnicity of the cardholder would be featured alongside the nationality reference. But that was also opposed and rejected by several parliamentarians.
“There is no question that we have a crisis of identity and there is no political consensus on matters of ethnic and national identity,” Mr Qadiry said.
He said he had often heard ethnic Tajiks being told to “go back to Tajikistan”. Ethnic Hazaras have also been called Iranians, and Uzbeks referred to as citizens of Uzbekistan.
But not everyone is divided by the ethnic element of the cards. Farshid Ghyasi, a Kabul businessman, was among the first to sign up on Monday.
“I don’t oppose having the Afghan identity on the ID card but for practical reasons I don’t believe the nationality, ethnicity and religion should be printed on it,” he said.
Ethnic sensitivities over the use of the word ‘Afghan’ on ID documents has already postponed its introduction