Comments of Afghanistan’s first lady Rula Ghani draw anger, protests

KABUL: Afghanistan’s first ladies have traditionally avoided appearing or talking in public because of religious, cultural or political reasons.
The current one, Rula Ghani, is not like this and sometimes delivers speeches at government functions or gives interviews. Now she has found herself in the middle of controversy, after her recent statement that “Sadaat” or “Sayeds” are only a group, not a specific ethnicity.
This has sparked anger among the followers of the tribe who have demanded an apology, in the streets and over social media platforms.
In her first interview with Kabul-based Tolo News recently, Rula Ghani also said that she favors Ghani not standing for office again.
Amid the re-emergence of a tribal dispute about which ethnic group’s name and what generally should be included on the new national electronic IDs, Sayeds, who consider themselves descendants of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad (PBUO) and with roots among a number of Afghan tribes, have been pushing to be recognized as a separate ethnicity on the IDs.
Hundreds of Sadaats and their followers have critisized Ghani for her controversial comments. One protest was held recently in central Bamiyan province where angry marchers chanted death slogans about Rula Ghani, who has been renamed “Bibi Gul” after President Ashraf Ghani took office in late 2014.
They have even burnt her portrait, demanding that she “officially” give an apology to all the Sadaats of Afghanistan.
The anger has also made its way onto social media. Some have accused her of fanning ethnic differences in Afghanistan. One said that someone who has changed their ethnicity and religion has no right to determine the status of other tribes.
In the interview with Tolo News, the 65-year-old first lady said that she is a Muslim and had registered herself in the new ID as a Pashtun, the same ethnic group as Ghani that has traditionally ruled Afghanistan for centuries.
Before Ghani took office, Rula told foreign media that she was a Christian, and some during the presidential debate used this against Ghani.
“It was Great God’s will that I was born in a Christian family in Lebanon. I was raised in the Christian religion … in Afghanistan my religion is Islam and my ethnicity is Pashtun …” she said.
The interview was conducted in a huge hall in the presidential palace. She called Ghani a patient leader who she said had prevented re-ignition of civil war in Afghanistan, rejecting speculation that the president’s health was not good.
She said that it was up to Ghani if he wanted to run for office, but said she was not keen for him to do so.
“I will be very comfortable if he does not become a candidate,” she said.

Comments of Afghanistan’s first lady Rula Ghani draw anger, protests