The practice of taking young boys to perform as dancers at private parties is known as bacha bazi (literally, “boy for play”) and is an Afghan tradition with very deep roots. Under Taliban rule, it was banned, but it has crept back and is now widespread, flourishing also in the cities, including the capital, Kabul,
Afghanistan is a crossroads between the East and the West, and has been an ancient focal point of trade and migration. During its long history, the land has seen various invaders and conquerors as well as local tribes invading the surrounding regions to form their own empires. In 1919 it regained full independence from the United Kingdom. Since the late 1970s Afghanistan has suffered continuous and brutal civil war in addition to foreign interventions such as the 1979 Soviet invasion and the recent 2001 U.S.-led invasion. Overt homosexuality and cross-dressing have been serious crimes and became capital crimes in the 1990s. (In secret it’s different.) Regime change has made no difference in the legal status of LGBT people. Also see: Islam and Homosexuality
Name: Afghanistan
Population: 22720000
Capital: Kabul - Pop. 3000000
Area: 652090 sq. km/ sq. miles
Language: Dari (Persian) and Pashto
Religion: Muslim
Status of Homosexuality: Illegal
Telephone Country Code: 93
Afghanistan – Faces and Countryside
Afghanistan is a culturally mixed nation, a crossroads between the East and the West, and has been an ancient focal point of trade and migration. It has an important geostrategical location, connecting South, Central and Southwest Asia. During its long history, the land has seen various invaders and conquerors, while on the other hand, local