Afghanistan Institute of Strategic Studies launched the book "The Messenger Under the Hum of Bullets”  translated by Hussain Ehsani, AISS research fellow on the public library of Toronto, Canada, on Friday, May 26, 2023. 

The event was held with the presence of Afghan civil society, scholars, researchers and civil activists living in Toronto and with the participation of speakers including Ms. Nargis Nahan, women's rights activist and former head of the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, Mr. Lotfullah  Najafizadeh, head of Amu TV, Mr. Shoaib Rahim, head of the American University of Afghanistan's Faculty of Commerce, and civil society activist Reza Kateb.

In this meeting, Hussain Ehsani, AISS research fellow and the translator of this book, provided a brief overview of the different chapters of the book and explained its importance in the current situation of Afghanistan. He also pointed out the contradiction between the promises/ commitments of the armed Islamic groups and their actions and  explained how this contradiction disrupts the process of aid assistances provided by international humanitarian organizations.

Then, Lotfollah Najafizadeh discussed the process of providing assistance by international humanitarian organizations after the fall of Afghanistan and explained the challenges faced by Afghan press and media community in accessing  information regarding the process of aids delivery and assistances. 

Reza Katb shared his experiences during the first and second rule of the Taliban and explained to what extent the international  organizations in Afghanistan were involved in the spread of corruption in Afghanistan and the aid provided after the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan with no transparency.

Shoaib Rahim revealed some talked about the promise Taliban made during the Doha negotiations and emphasized that Taliban are acting contrary to what they agreed in Doha. He also added that the author’s knowledge about Afghanistan is limited, to provide a clear and comprehensive understanding of the situation in Afghanistan and the Taliban, institutions like AISS are responsible for creating such clear views.

Latter, Mrs. Nargis Nahan explained her assessment of the book and then discussed the role of international organizations in strengthening gender apartheid in Afghanistan.

At the end of the program, participants also expressed their views and concerns regarding the role of  international organizations in Afghanistan, and the event ended with questions and answers from the translator and speakers.