Name: _________________________ Lab: __________________
Date: ____________
3
2
1
-Student underlined key information in
each paragraph
-Student underlined some key information
-Student did not underline key
information
-Student circled unknown words
-Student circled some unknown words
-Student did not circle unknown words
-Student has one question about the text
-Student has one question about the text
-Student did not write a question about
the text
Write one question about the text here.
Afghani artist puts beautiful images on Kabul's ugly walls of war
KABUL, Afghanistan — After nearly 40 years of war, the Afghan capital is among the ugliest
cities in the world.
5
10
Wide avenues once lined with rose gardens are today trafficfilled streets lined with concrete blast walls. After recent deadly
bombing attacks, the towering walls multiplied almost
overnight, appearing in double rows outside government
buildings, businesses, embassies and the homes of powerful
people. They protect those inside from the bombs and bullets
that form the backdrop of city life.
The impression is one of separation. Inside the walls, the elite are protected, while outside, it's
every man for himself.
Blast Walls Are A Perfect Canvas
15
Kabir Mokamel is an artist who returned to Kabul from
Australia four years ag o. For him, the blast walls present
the perfect canvas for transforming not only how the city
looks, but how its residents think about themselves and
their future.
Mokamel uses street art to highlight social problems in Afghanistan caused by the long years of
war.
20
He calls his group the Art Lords — a swipe at the warlords who still dominate Afghan politics
and are celebrated as warrior heroes.
"I want people to define who really are the heroes of my city — the people who clean the city,
for instance," said Mokamel, 46. "Throughout the history of Afghanistan, it's all about the people
who fought, who have swords, who have guns. We want to include something else, like the
25
people who take part in the betterment of the city and of our lives. It moves people away from
the mentality of war and conflict."
Afghanistan Is Rife With Corrruption
Artists from his group recently painted street sweepers in orange work jackets and traditional
scarves on a concrete wall surrounding Afghanistan's secret service headquarters in Kabul.
Alongside is a slogan, written in large black letters, which can be clearly seen by motorists in the
nearby traffic-choked intersection. It reads, "The Heroes of My City: The Street Sweepers."
30
35
40
45
Ahmad Jan, a 26-year-old day laborer, paused on a recent sunny afternoon to look at the mural.
"It's interesting to Afghans," he said. "Everybody crossing the street will take a look and read the
message and then get a different perspective."
Volunteer Maryam Kohi comes every day to help paint. "These
cement walls are blocking the commuting routes and make the
city look like a prison," she said. "Afghanistan is going through
a prolonged fight and the city is polluted with dirt and
corruption. With these paintings we want to take our anticorruption message to the people."
This week, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani singled out corruption as a cancer that threatens the
survival of the country. He said it was Afghanistan's shame to be consistently named by anticorruption group Transparency International as one of the most corrupt nations on earth. He
added that the government had developed a "comprehensive plan" to deal with the problem
through reforms and crackdowns.
"People's perception (of corruption) is always bribery, but it's much
bigger than that," Mokamel said. Corruption also includes social ills
such as poor work ethics, not standing in line, dangerous driving
and street harassment of women.
City Hasn't Kept Up With Population Growth
50
Kabul was originally built for a population of 450,000 people. An estimated 4.5 million live in the
city, though infrastructure such as transport, water pipes and sewage has not kept up. Kabul
used to be a pleasant and friendly place to live, Mokamel said.
"People were very trusting and very friendly," he recalled. "These values have disappeared
because of the ongoing conflict and the breakdown of normal social behavior and interaction."
55
Mokamel hopes to spark a return to the values he remembers before fleeing war as a teenager.
That was his reason for returning to Kabul in 2010. In Australia, he was a graphic artist, studying
for his Master of Fine Arts at Australian National University. "I learned a lot outside and I wanted
to bring it back," he said.
60
The Art Lords' work includes a series that Mokamel described as "healing the wounds of
Afghanistan," featuring red hearts along a stretch of white wall — one is a balloon held by a little
girl and one is being pulled in a traditional handcart. A red map of Afghanistan is covered with a
Band-Aid. The next series will center on suicide bombings, which have claimed more than 50
lives in the capital in recent weeks. Mokamel carries an official
letter to show to police who fear he might be a vandal damaging
public property.
Beautiful Eyes Mean The People Are Watching
65
The first installment of Mokamel's street art appeared in July, at
the front entrance of the National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan's intelligence agency. A
pair of beautiful, feminine eyes gazes out from the blast walls, a warning to corrupt officials.
The eyes were a sensation among local residents, who immediately understood the mural's
meaning. Along with unemployment, corruption is cited by
Afghans as among the toughest problems facing their country.
70
75
While arts are beginning to make a return to Afghanistan, little is
accessible to ordinary Afghans, who are overwhelmingly poor.
Fans of the Art Lords' street art come back day after day to take
part. "I tell them it's really important because the minute you put
the stroke of a brush on a wall, that much of the wall has
disappeared," Mokamel said.
3 Main Ideas
1.
2.
3.
2 Important Facts
1.
2.
1 Thing that You Learned
1.