May
2001(updated December 2002)
Introduction:
This article
was written prior to, and updated after the September 11 incident
with a view to documenting the main observations of the author
concerning the uprooted Afghans for the benefit of Diaspora, Islam
and Gender research project (SSHRCC) at York University in Toronto.
Afghan Diaspora:
The world
wide Diaspora includes 13 million refugees displaced outside their
homelands by war, persecutions or disaster. The United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is mandated on behalf of
international community to protect and assist them mainly through
supporting the host governments. The worldwide internally displaced
persons (IDPs) consist of 25 million people. International community
has not as yet mandated any UN agency to support IDPs. They are
being supported collectively by the aid agencies that may, or may
not, be present (or invited) in their countries of origin. Afghan
Diaspora consists of two major groups. The smaller urban elite
groups (hundreds of thousands), who left Afghanistan in search of
physical, mental and legal security, as well as equitable
opportunities. They consist of the more educated and resourceful
refugees and migrants, who have mostly sought asylum in (or
immigrated to) the 13 more affluent democratic countries, generally
known as the traditional refugee recipient countries [1]. Tens of
thousands also migrated to India (over 20,000), Central Asian
countries and Russian Federation (some 100,000). By far the larger
group (millions) of poor Afghan farmers and shepherds with little or
no formal education were obliged to leave their homeland to save
their lives, in search of physical security, water, basic food and
temporary gainful employment. They had no other options but to cross
the border (legally and illegally) to Pakistan and Iran; the only
two Muslim neighboring countries, which more often kept their
borders open, and helped save the lives of millions of Afghan asylum
seekers. Nearly 80% of Afghan refugees in Iran and Pakistan consist
of women, children and elderly.
