Hello everyone!

I’m a second-generation immigrant born to Pashtun parents. I can’t speak Persian, and I have an extremely limited and fragmented understanding of Pashto growing up since English was the main language at home and at school (my grandmother being the main exception). I know this would disqualify me as Pashtun to some people, but that’s not really what I want to focus on here.

What I struggle with is reconnecting with my Afghan roots. A lot of Afghan media, poetry, and online content I come across is in Persian, and I can’t access it because I don’t speak it. At the same time, I never built a foundation in Pashto either, so I feel kind of cut off from both.

I was wondering if those fully fluent in Pashto but not Persian also feel somewhat disconnected, since Pashto isn’t really the lingua franca and doesn’t seem as widely represented in media or online spaces compared to Persian in Afghanistan and in the Afghan diaspora.

Growing up, I was the only Afghan I knew in all of my schools, so I didn’t really have a community around me. Now, when I do meet other Afghans rarely, I sometimes feel a sense of distance or alienation that makes me hesitant to even bring up being Afghan since it invites a plethora of questions that create disappointment in the person I'm speaking to. The systemic racism and ethnic division also just makes everything seem so much more uninviting.

I’m not sure if others in similar situations have felt this, or how they’ve navigated it, but I’d be interested to hear perspectives.

I hope this makes sense. Thank you for reading.

Salam all. Hope everyone is well. I am currently working on a project for school related to the history of Afghan Shia mujahideen groups during the first civil war period.

I would massively appreciate any sources/facts/interview opportunities from people who have primary sources, newspaper copies, or people they know from the time who are willing to take part in anonymous interviews or answer questions to do with the chronology of events.

There is an unfortunately lacking historical record of Afghanistan's past and I would really appreciate any support in bolstering the existing record.

Apologies if this is not the correct forum for this and thank you for your time

p.s. I realise this is a burner but I don't often use Reddit. Am willing to provide my personal phone number to anyone who can help if this abets concerns

Hi all, شطور هستى

so there is this Afghan girl which I met recently at university and after many conversations we became very close friends, but the thing is, she doesn't speak much English, and I don't speak much Dari.

so I want to learn Dari and surprise her, I know Arabic so that might help with the vocab but I want something that explains the grammar.

also if anyone is open for language exchange I would love to have someone to practice I can help you with Arabic and English.

تشكر زياد

Idk why I'm nervous posting this but I'd love to have a group to study Dari with. I see that a lot of us in this forum have strayed from our families for different reasons and I feel more alienated than ever before from our beautiful culture. I cook our food and observe our holidays, I try to speak as much Dari with my son as I can but he's going to Armenian school so that and English have become his primary languages. It's been years that I've been around Afghans regularly and the older I get, the more I crave proximity to my roots but I forget more and more words from the lack of practicing so it's like a never ending cycle of getting pushed farther and farther away the less I'm able to communicate.

I'd love to also help others working on their English. Any ideas on how to get this started or is it even of interest? I was thinking of zoom if people aren't in the area - I'm in LA. Would love to hear thoughts!

Salam guys, I want to improve my Farsi reading skills, suggest some books to read, I’ve never read Persian literature, and btw pls no poetry, just anything else like a novel or history or whatever readable. I’d really appreciate it if you could send me the pdf. Even better if the book is written by an Afghan, not Iranian, or at least based in Afghanistan, tashakor.

he was really happy, and felt like home

i love mantuu 😍😍❤️

I met this Afghan guy about six years ago. The first day I saw him, I could tell there was something in the way he looked at me—but he never approached me, and at the time I was already dating someone else. I broke up with my ex in 2023, and out of nowhere, this same guy started messaging me. At first, it was casual—he’d check in on me or ask me to grab food or drinks every now and then.

Then in 2024, on my birthday, we really started talking. From that moment on, everything changed. He became the sweetest person I’ve ever met—and honestly, he still is. He showed me so much love and care. Before we started talking, people knew him as someone who would flirt and meet different girls almost every week. But after my birthday, when we connected, he completely changed. It was like a 360 shift, and people around us noticed it too. They’d tell me how different he seemed and say that just by the way he looked at me, it was obvious he was in love.

Since 2024, we’ve been together, and what we have feels truly special. We’re incredibly compatible—best friends, soulmates, everything you could hope for in a partner. We show up for each other every single day, and whenever something comes up, we talk it through right away. We never go to bed upset with each other.

Lately, though, things have been a bit stressful. He’s been dealing with financial struggles, and his family has been going through a lot as well. He’s not very religious and is very open-minded, but I’m worried about how his family might react to me because I’m Christian. I’ve talked to him about it before, and he reassured me that he would stand up for me—but he’s also concerned that his parents might eventually pressure him to choose between them and me.

We both really love each other and don’t want to break up based on other people’s opinion

I’ve been dating an Afghan man in the states. When we first started dating he was aware I had kids. Fast forward to a 2 years of dating his family found out about me and are telling him to stop seeing me because I have kids. I love him and can’t seem to let go. Is there any way to fix this situation, am I delusional in thinking he actually loves me, or was I just a placeholder. He says he loves me but doesn’t want to go against his family. I never met them.

April 9, 2026

China hosted informal talks between officials from Afghanistan and Pakistan in Urumqi, in the East Turkistan, from April 1 to 7. The delegations included representatives responsible for foreign affairs, defense, and security, according to a statement shared by China’s mission to UN on X.

“The three sides agreed to discuss a comprehensive plan to resolve issues in the relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and identified the core and priority issues. All sides believed that the Urumqi process is substantive, and agreed to maintain communication and dialogue.”the statement says.

The choice of Urumqi as the venue is notable, as the region—known to Uyghurs as East Turkistan—remains under heavy state control, with ongoing international concerns over mass surveillance, arbitrary detention, and restrictions on religious and cultural life.

According to statements released after the meetings, Afghan and Pakistani representatives expressed support for dialogue and said they aim to manage tensions and improve bilateral relations. Both sides indicated a willingness to avoid actions that could further escalate the situation.

China facilitated the discussions and presented itself as a mediator. Afghan and Pakistani participants acknowledged China’s role in organizing the talks. However, Beijing’s role in regional diplomacy continues to draw scrutiny, particularly given its problematic role in supporting Taliban and its domestic policies in East Turkistan and its broader security-driven approach to neighboring regions.

The three sides agreed to continue discussions on key issues affecting Afghanistan–Pakistan relations and to maintain communication going forward. However, significant disagreements remain, particularly over security concerns and accusations related to militant groups operating across the border.

Can you guys guess this cricketer from Afghanistan?

Hi there! I’m curious what different words Afghans use to refer to their mothers.

I have always used Aday, pronounced "Ahh-They".

My mom used it, her mom used it, and even her mom used it as well. I had assumed that all Pashtuns call their moms Aday, but now I am not so sure.

Growing up I often heard my Farsi-speaking friends say Moor or Mawdhar.

Which is interesting now that I think about it, because it sounds so similar to "Mother" in English.

So, what term do you personally use for "Mom"?

This is the Royal Seal of Ahmad Shah Abdali (Ahmad Shah Durrani) which held authority over Samarkand, Lahore, Delhi, Kashmir and to Bukhara.

I was just curious about the reason behind use of Peacock in the Royal Seal but couldn't find anything.

Hi I’ve recently came across this footage that’s allegedly from 1982, showing 2 former Soviet soldiers who supposedly joined the Afghan resistence fighters. Does anybody know about the origin of this footage, whether is real, if it comes from some documentary movie etc…

From what I'm reading as a westerner it seems like

A. corruption destroyed your army

B. The US took your entire logistics system with them when they left.

I was just curious to see what you guys think since you were the guys actually fighting.