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Cultural information of Afghanistan

Clarice Torrence

Professor Victor Villarreal

Strayer University

Date: 06/15/2020

Overview

ABC Company wants to expand its operation to Kabul, which is the capital city of Afghanistan. The company is expected to implement five-year projects that will be financed by the Afghan government through the state department to improve its literacy and education. For this project, the company will hire at least a hundred employees to be assigned to different departments. The company will appoint the Human Resource Director responsible for hiring and supervising the project until its completion. Other responsibilities of the Human Resource Manager include

· Developing the HR manual to be used in Afghanistan

· The hiring of new employees to work in the country

· Responsible for Day-to-Day management of HR

Introduction

Afghanistan is a landlocked country in Southern Asia. The country borders Pakistan, China, Iran, and Turkmenistan. The geographical features of Afghanistan include arid land and mountains. Specifically, the Hindu Kush Mountains stretch from the northeast to southeast of the country and separates the northern provinces from the rest of the country. The system of the government in Afghanistan is an Islamic republic where the president is the head of the government and the chief of the state. The economic system of the country is controlled by the central government, which is responsible for the production and distribution of goods within the country. The country is one of the members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

The Local Custom of Afghan

The culture of Afghanistan has been in existence for over three millennia from the time of the Achaemenid Empire in 500 BCE. The meaning of Afghanistan in their official languages is translated to the "Land or place of the Afghans.” The official languages in Afghanistan include Pashto and Dari. The country is characterized by a tribal society that lives in different regions with its subculture. A more significant percentage of afghanis are Muslims who celebrate the same holiday, dress in the same gown, listen to common music, and take the same food (Barfield, 2008).

Local Laws and Orders

Criminal Penalties

The citizens of the United States are not exempted from the laws of Afghanistan. One may not avoid being arrested for possessing the U.S passport, and instead, they may attract heightened attention of the criminal justice offices. The officers may use the chance to exploit their status to benefit financially and politically (Singh, 2019). Any individual who violates the set laws are likely to be arrested and imprisoned. The country has severe penalties as compared to those in the United States. The U.S embassy in the country has limited consular assistance to the American citizens due to security and travel limitations. Most of the arrests in the country are made due to the installations of military photography in terms of equipment and troops. Possessing alcohol is as illegal as driving under its influence. On the other hand, possession of illegal drugs is high prohibited in the country and can attract severe penalties and jail sentences. Moreover, premarital sex or sexual relations between unmarried individuals is highly not recommended in the country because it is forbidden in Afghanistan. United States citizens should also note that they are subjected to the U.S federal laws even in broad. Some of the criminal conduct, such as involving in sexual relations with a minor is prosecuted in the United States.

Arrest Notification

When one is arrested, they should request the officer to notify the United States Embassy as soon as possible. The website of the Department of State provided more information on the arrest and detention of the U.S Citizens. Due to the security and travel limitations, the U.S Embassy has limited consular assistance to citizens arrested and detained in Afghanistan.

Religion and Islam

Islam forms the basis for the foundation of customs and practices in Afghanistan (Ouassini, 2018). All visitors, including those from the United States, are expected to be sensitive to the country's traditions. For instance, it is not allowed to wear clothes that reveal body parts or provocative shirts like shorts and sleeveless shirts. Even though the constitution of the country proves the freedom to religion, proselytizing is prohibited. Blasphemous materials critical of Islam are highly forbidden in the country as it attracts long prison sentences. Muslims who denounce Islam attracts maximum penalties. Any allegation of conversion among the Afghans is taken seriously and penalized severely.

Financial Debts

Some of the United States have been arrested in Afghanistan for involving in financial debts and contract issues. Debts and contract disputes are taken seriously in the country and are punishable by law. Individuals who engage in such conflicts are recommended to hire attorneys at the early stage of the case. Fortunately, the United States Embassy has a limited list of attorneys who operate in Afghanistan.

Women Travelers

The country has traditional practices, especially when it comes to gender roles. Women are expected to wear long-sleeve shirts and skirts that cover their ankles, especially when they are traveling outside the capital. All women are expected to cover their hairs in public; hence, women visitors are required to carry scarves (Ahmed-Ghosh, 2003). Women going to the country are required to be alert due to the high risk of sexual assaults.

LGBTI Rights

In Afghanistan, homosexuality is prohibited. Therefore, individuals may be prosecuted for sodomy or having sexual relations between unmarried couples. In the country, the LGBTI community are subjected to discrimination and violence. Individuals traveling to the country are expected to review the section 6 of the Human Rights Report that covers the LGBTI travel information.

Banking

Afghanistan offers limited access to banking services. Most businesses operate under a cash basis except in major cities where the use of credit cards is starting to gain momentum. Major cities also have ATMs that are available in almost every corner; however, most of the United States bank services do not allow any transactions. Not unless they are provided with prior notice of your transaction. They also have limited options for international wire transfers.

Passport and Visa Requirements

All citizens from the United States should carry valid passports and recognized Afghan visas to get into and out of Afghanistan (U.S Embassy in Afghanistan. 2020). Any traveler without these documents is likely to be deported or their passport confiscated and imposed heavy fines. Based on the Afghanistan law, for an international employee to stay for more than three months in Afghanistan, they must make a prior request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Also, any official travels from the U.S government must go through the Afghanistan clearance department process. Such travels are only limited to critical missions. The U.S government employees who wish to make an unofficial visit to Afghanistan must ensure that they make clearance with the relevant department. Furthermore, if you are a U.S citizen born of Afghan parents and in Afghanistan, you are considered as an Afghan national. Therefore, it is not a must to possess an entry Visa.

The registration process commences on arrival in Afghanistan, and fingerprints are taken as part of the immigration procedure. Any foreign national is supposed to register with the Ministry of interior's foreigner's registration office and must be with a representative of Afghan national. If Airport offices are not operational, the traveler is expected to register at the Ministry of Interior' Kabul Statistics Office based in Karte Parwan Square. It is located in front of Nadirya High School. The traveler must issue the registration card when leaving Afghanistan.

Traffic Safety and Road Conditions

Overall, Afghanistan has poor unpaved road conditions with numerous potholes, and most of the urban towns have few street lights. Several soil erosions and cave-ins have been reported on roads such as the Ring Road. There is poor maintenance of vehicles and overloading, which deteriorates the condition of the roads. Rarely do motorists follow the laid down traffic rules, and there is no assistance from traffic police. Vehicles are congested on roads, and traffic is impassible with competition coming from pedestrians, animals, and bicycles. Reports of accidents from cars due to the unregulated traffic patterns, congestion in roads, and uncontrolled pedestrian traffic are many. The situation may be violent, especially if a foreigner is involved. Therefore, drivers should be more attentive on roads, and they should preferably drive during the day. Vehicle owners with tinted windows are prone to arrests. As a result, the U.S department responsible for its citizens should take precautions to protect them from the numerous explosions and existing land mines on roads and countryside. The prevalence of kidnappings and robbery on the outskirts of Kabul cannot be ignored.

Union Influence

The Afghanistan labor union protects children from abuse and ensures the legal pay rate is considered for those of legal age. It has a free membership. It is also responsible for maintaining balance and equality between work and life.

Work Week and Vacation

The legal workdays run from Saturday to Thursday. On Fridays and half of Thursday goes as a day off for workers and students. Government employees are entitled to 20 days off as their vacation. Also, they have sick leave and new government holidays. During Ramadan, employees enjoy all Fridays off and half a day work. However, it only depends on the company's policies and the law of the country for international employees. The school year's plans begin in the spring seasons. It ends on the last days of the fall season. The government schools share a typical uniform of black dresses and white scarf. On the other hand, the private school uniform depends on the choice of the owner.

References

Ahmed-Ghosh, H. (2003). A history of women in Afghanistan: lessons learnt for the future or yesterdays and tomorrow: women in Afghanistan. Journal of international Women's Studies, 4(3), 1-14.

Barfield, T. (2008). Culture and custom in nation-building: law in Afghanistan. Me. L. Rev., 60, 347.

Ouassini, A. (2018). Afghanistan: The Shifting Religio-Order and Islamic Democracy. Политикологија религије, 12(2), 309-326.

Singh, D. (2019). The management of legal pluralism and human rights in decentralized Afghanistan. The Journal of Legal Pluralism and Unofficial Law, 51(3), 350-380.

U.S Embassy in Afghanistan. (2020, March 5). Information on Afghan visas for American citizens. Retrieved from https://af.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/information-afghan-visas-american-citizens/