why More People in the world are Feeling Happy Except the Afghans

-

 

Afghanistan’s Unhappiness and the Path Forward

In a recent Gallup survey covering 142 countries, respondents were asked whether they felt they were thriving, struggling, or suffering. Globally, the share of people who say they are thriving has risen steadily over the past decade, while the percentage who say they are suffering has dropped to just 7%—the lowest level since 2007. This trend spans continents, with notable gains in countries as diverse as Kosovo, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, and Paraguay.

Afghanistan is the heartbreaking exception. According to the 2024 World Happiness Report, Afghans remain the most unhappy people on Earth—a position they have held for several years. This is hardly surprising. For decades, Afghanistan has been at war—if not with foreign occupiers, then with itself. The consequences have taken a deep toll on the nation’s collective psyche, leaving trauma, mistrust, and despair in their wake.

Since the Taliban’s return to power four years ago, the suffering has only deepened. In their relentless war on freedom of expression and women’s rights, they have banned music, closed public parks to women, and barred them from working alongside men. Their vision of governance is rooted in repression, leaving no space for joy, creativity, or human dignity.

As long as Afghanistan remains under the tyranny of religious absolutism and mired in ethnic rivalries, there is little hope for a brighter future. Yet history offers a path worth revisiting: a constitutional monarchy. Under such a system, Afghanistan’s diverse ethnic groups could feel represented, and the rule of law—not the whims of armed clerics—would guide the nation. Unfortunately, some visitors to Afghanistan give a distorted picture of the reality on the ground. For example, Mr. Khalilzad’s wife, after a recent trip, described everything as fine. But such impressions come with privileges: a foreign passport, money in one’s pocket, the freedom to leave at any time, and enough wealth to insulate oneself from daily hardship. The real test is this: would they bring their children or families to live there? Would they themselves choose to stay permanently? Deep down, they know the answer—no.I grew up during Afghanistan’s constitutional monarchy and remember a country where people of all backgrounds felt a sense of belonging. There was stability, cultural vibrancy, and a shared national identity—qualities now painfully absent. Unless Afghans reclaim a system that unites rather than divides, the cycle of suffering will endure, and the dream of a peaceful, happy Afghanistan will remain out of reach.

Afghans deserve more than mere survival—they deserve a government that safeguards their freedoms and reflects their diversity. It is time for both Afghans and the international community to champion a system that unites the nation, restores hope, and breaks the grip of tyranny once and for all.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Freedom of Speech Under Assault

-
    Arrest of Mohamoud Khalil is a Warning to Free Speech By Wahab Raofi The latest arrest of Mahmoud Khalil for political reasons silences critics, undermines justice and threatens our own freedom of speech. A Syrian-born Algerian citizen of Palestinian descent, Khalil had been a leader of pro-Palestine protests that consumed Columbia University’s campus life. His arrest by ICE for organizing protests and spreading hate speech against the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza — actions that resulted in civilian casualties — has ignited a heated debate on the issue of free speech as protected by the First Amendment. Many Americans believe expelling individuals for political speech sets a dangerous precedent, and outright political expulsions are rare. Instead, the U.S. government typically justifies such actions under legal violations, immigration laws or national security concerns. A statement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said that Khali...
Read more

Iran's war on Afghan Refugees

-
Image
    Iran’s War on Afghan Refugees: An Unfair Scapegoating Strategy By Wahab Raofi   Human beings are members of a whole In creation of one essence and soul If one member is afflicted with pain Other members uneasy will remain If you have no sympathy for human pain The name of human you cannot retain n   Saadi Shirazi, Iranian poet   In the aftermath of the 12-day Iran-Israel war, Iranian authorities have launched a quiet campaign of terror — not against an external enemy, but against their own people,” Karen Kramer wrote in The New York Times . What remains largely untold, however, is that the regime’s crackdown falls disproportionately on Afghans residing in Iran. Much like Nazi Germany, which scapegoated Jews to deflect blame for its own internal failures, the Iranian regime targets the most vulnerable — poor and defenseless Afghans — whether they live legally in Iran or seek refuge from turmoil. This form of collective punishment no...
Read more

Surprisingly, I Was Wrong Not to Vote for Trump

-
  A shorter version of this piece appeared in The Washington Post. This is the full version.     By Wahab Raofi I am a registered Republican. And like many others, I didn’t vote for Donald Trump. His tone and rhetoric alarmed me. He said things that sounded extreme — like letting Europe defend itself, raising tariffs, or threatening to deport immigrants en masse. I feared the worst. But in hindsight, much of what Trump actually did — particularly in his foreign policy — has turned out to be effective. As Bret Stephens of The New York Times wrote, Trump may go down as a “surprisingly successful president.” He achieved what others only talked about. NATO’s European members and Canada began spending more on defense — something past U.S. presidents asked for, but too politely. Rather than dismantling the transatlantic alliance, as his critics feared, Trump arguably reinvigorated it. Realizing my mistake set me to thinking. Much of my adult life has been consumed...
Read more