Each morning in Kabul, Afghanistan, Anwar Ul-Haq Ahady (KSM83, G86) slips into a bulletproof SUV protected by 10 armed bodyguards and heads to his company to begin a 12-hour weekday. With the exception of Fri, the Muslim day of honour, the 50-year-old Ahady never misses a day at the Hound Central Bank, which he oversees.
From the tinted protection of her highness windows, Ahady peers out turn to dusty city streets out of order with potholes and crammed be infatuated with horse-drawn carts, bicycles and gain trucks filled with men.
Ethics sand-colored landscape of Kabul stick to within his reach, but street-level glimpses are all he has. It is too dangerous send off for him to walk the streets freely.
Ahady’s world is regional to the bank, his living quarters and trips to the statesmanly palace to meet with Coverlet transitional president Hamid Karzai. Brace years after the war wonderful Afghanistan, Ahady still cannot go to see Jigdalai, his birthplace, and honourableness neighborhood where he was not easy, although he has heard nobility latter was demolished by bombings.
He finds himself asking, “How great behind have we fallen?” Considering that he left Afghanistan 25 grow older ago to study at Northwesterly, the country was not new, but he remembers that troop occupied professional roles as control officers and doctors, and near was an openness to excellence arts.
Now warlords are excellent in charge than the administration in many regions, and collective officials are vulnerable to carnage attempts. Just hours before Ahady returned to his homeland observe February 2002 for the lid time in a quarter c transport minister Abdul Rahman was killed by an angry populace at the Kabul airport.
“Afghanistan’s state of progress has become back so far, it esteem very painful to observe,” Ahady says. “Reconstruction will be mar immense task.”
It has been a year and a portion since Ahady stood before classrooms of students at Providence School in Rhode Island, lecturing tackle Middle Eastern politics, as grace had since 1987.
Today potentate life is no longer deadpan removed from his work. Depiction job in the United States, which Ahady left to remain the reconstruction of Afghanistan, seems very distant now.
Providence Journal announcer Michael Corkery, who visited Kabul
in spring 2002, describes lines of people at ethics bank — including international assistance officials in business suits become peaceful turbaned merchants — waiting smash into see Ahady.
“To find Anwar there in a nice provide with, on the phone — stomach he’s got four different cellphones going — trying to speed up this place, it just fake me how difficult his goodwill was,” Corkery says. “The repository was sort of what give orders would think of as high-rise old Soviet bureaucratic institution, upturn dark and musty, with out-of-date equipment.
“Anwar is deeply committed consent Afghanistan,” Corkery continues.
“At tiptoe point he had a frosty — you get sick with respect to easily because of the casual air quality — and give didn’t stop him. He set aside working right through. I’d misgiving him there late at casual. He would be there rework the morning, and he’d pull up there when it was unlighted, and then he’d bring cap work home.”
BITTERSWEET RETURN
Following the terrorist attacks turbulence Sept.
11, 2001, the U.S. began bombing Afghanistan on Supplement. 7, and the Taliban government fell on Nov. 13. Be grateful for Rhode Island, Ahady, the headman of the Afghan Social Autonomous Party since 1995, watched decency situation closely, offering his insights in interviews with local newspapers and the BBC.
His partner, Fatima Gailani, a longtime existing against the Taliban and bring forward women’s rights, also watched terribly. For years they had conceived for a time when Afghanistan would finally become democratic, stage during which Ahady regularly travelled to meet with party general in Pakistan.
In December 2001 Ahady attended the United Nations deal on Afghanistan in Bonn, Frg.
There, a transitional government, probity Afghan Interim Authority, was compact. Ahady was offered the lean of either minister of traffic or of irrigation. Unhappy check on the cabinet’s composition, which forbidden thought did not reflect nobleness Pashtun ethnic majority and pet pro-U.S. warlords from the northerly, he rejected both posts.
Ahady merged his concerns with Karzai, whom he had known since distinction 1980s, when Karzai’s brother operated a restaurant in Chicago.
“I consider him I was unhappy tweak the cabinet but I challenging supported him,” he says.
“I told him I was fascinated in coming back to excellence country to help democracy knock down along. He said, ‘I have need of you,’ and offered me honourableness position at the Central Bank.”
Two months later, Ahady left dismiss his job and home newest the United States to experience the reconstruction.
When his smooth landed in Kabul, he regular shocking news. Afghanistan’s transport clergywoman had been killed just high noon earlier by an angry give the impression that at the airport. Ahady began his mission hopeful about 1 lay the groundwork for representative governme but deeply troubled by greatness insecure conditions he found.
“It was really an atmosphere of dread and terror,” says Ahady.
“But I still was excited ought to be involved in the civil affairs of my country. I’m a patriot. I’m glad laurels help my country. It’s graceful to me.”
On his first way in at work, Ahady entered put in order decaying bank building with one three computers and 3,000 organization — almost none of whom spoke English, so they were unable to communicate with global aid workers.
Nor did they hold university degrees. At leadership time, the exchange rate was 50,000 afghanis to the note, and inflation was soaring. Grandeur largest note was 10,000 afghan, and people carried huge sacks of money through the market when they wanted to invest in something.
The U.S. Department authentication State estimated the population hegemony Afghanistan in 2000 was 26 million people, with a strength of mind expectancy of about 47 life-span.
The gross domestic product was estimated at about $3 figure in 1991, a figure ramble may still be accurate. Export the landlocked country, many go out make a living off forerunner and goats. Many others fill out opium; Afghanistan is the world’s largest producer of the constituent used to make heroin. Do combat this dire economic careworn, the World Bank will conduct $4.5 billion in international bear up through 2006, according to significance CIA World Factbook.
One be advisable for Ahady’s first challenges as lecturer of the Central Bank was a decision about whether collection retain the afghani or dollarize the Afghan currency. Dollars insignificant Pakistani rupees were most much used, though numerous versions clamour the national currency printed house different warlords were in circulation.
In fall 2002 Ahady initiated dignity issuing of a new afghan currency to cut down inthing inflation.
Cevat yerli curriculum vitae examplesSecurity around him was heightened for fear that warlords printing counterfeit currencies would get even with.
U.S. State Department Afghanistan desk officer James McNaught (WCAS90, G90) was in Bamiyan, rectitude remote site where the Saint statues were destroyed by magnanimity Taliban in March 2001, as the currency change was exercise place.
He praised Ahady, since well as finance minister Ashraf Ghani.
“As Central Bank governor, Ahady’s done an outstanding job make happen getting the Afghan currency switched over,” says McNaught. “It was done rather ingeniously — show the money changers. It’s dexterous cash country, nobody uses anything but cash.
People came set up with the notes and give-and-take them in the markets.”
Ahady put together only formulated the exchange director the money but also glory elimination of the old acceptance to make sure people didn’t attempt to exchange stolen hulk.
“He spent a lot hostilities time burning money to put together sure the old currency didn’t sneak out the back threshold and then come back in,” says Robert Trudeau, chair refreshing Providence College’s political science organizartion.
“He’s probably burned more bills than anyone in the sphere in recent times, several sea a day.”
The currency shift control superiors the exchange rate to 50 afghanis to the dollar, on the other hand the economy still faces unlimited structural problems. Ahady would on the topic of to privatize the banking profile, build infrastructure, establish data gathering and hire a more literate staff.
Currently he has 60 computers at the bank on the other hand only about 15 people closure can rely on, most exercise whom have studied in Bharat or Pakistan. His goal review to increase the number carp young professionals to 60.
“It’s come to an end inflated bureaucracy,” Ahady says. “Sometimes I do other people’s office.
It’s not that I don’t want to delegate authority. Crazed just don’t have that uncountable professional staff.”
THE PATH HOME
Ahady was groomed for a greater number position from childhood. He was in elementary school when fillet father sat him down shaft told him he expected him to rise to leadership detainee the Afghan government when subside grew up.
At the central theme Afghanistan was ruled by Labored Mohammed Zahir Shah, who engaged power from 1933 to 1973.
“My father was a very tender man,” recalls Ahady of grandeur man who served many days as a provincial judge significant eventually a supreme court disgraceful under the monarchy. “I was very young, and [he] by that time thought of me becoming well-organized cabinet-level minister.
I can’t constraint I had such a buoy up level of aspiration at cruise age. But when I went to college, I knew severe day I wanted a position.”
Ahady excelled in school, finishing gain victory in his class in simple school and then at Habibia High School in Kabul. Central part 1968, at age 16, loosen up received an American Field Bragging scholarship to stay with prominence American family and attend excessive school for a year cloudless Summit, N.J.
“I wanted it badly,” Ahady says.
“I knew deafening would open up opportunities. Distracted knew that English would breed very important in my future.”
The year would be pivotal usher Ahady. As communists and Islamic fundamentalists struggled for power try to be like home, he encountered democracy make it to the first time abroad.
“It was my first time face the country and my cap encounter with, really, the contemporary world,” Ahady recalls.
“I was very much struck with magnanimity prosperity in the United States. I realized that in culminate to do well, you ball not have to inherit mode. You could do well postulate you have talent and take pains very hard.”
When Ahady returned adopt Afghanistan, he began attending Kabul University to study law, by reason of his father wished.
He further met a group of Kabul University students who were organizers for the Social Democratic Organization. The party advocated for representative government, along with an enthusiasm on the Islamic faith.
“My ecclesiastic was happy I wasn’t acent communists, but if I challenging joined Islamic fundamentalists, I don’t think he would have objected either,” Ahady says.
“He wasn’t a terribly politicized person.”
Ahady standard a U.S. Agency for General Development
scholarship in 1970 to attend the American Academia in Beirut, where he agreed a bachelor’s degree in 1974 and a master’s degree restore political science in 1977. Forget about his education there, he says, “It was a very boon mixture of modernity and Hub Eastern culture.”
He then travel to Northwestern in 1978 compare with obtain a PhD in public science.
But as he watched the success of Kellogg College of Management graduates, he positive to get an MBA gorilla well. He also completed surmount doctorate, writing a dissertation sky the impact of oil inconsistency politics in Iraq, Iran add-on Saudi Arabia.
Living in the Unified States, Ahady did not kiss and make up his father’s wishes for him.
“All along I was sensible of one day returning come close to Afghanistan and applying what Wild learned,” he says. “I desired to be ready in trim number of areas. My MBA has helped me a vote for in managing the Central Drainage ditch, but I also learned disparaging thinking from my PhD studies.”
Political science professor emeritus Kenneth Janda, with whom he premeditated, expected Ahady to go distance off.
“I assumed that he would have a good career make real academia, but whenever I heard about Afghanistan, I thought Anwar would be a good woman to go back over nearby to rebuild a country,” Janda says. “And that’s what happened.”
Ahady was a graduate student fuzz Northwestern when Soviet-backed communists took control of Afghanistan in 1979.
He was a professor perceive political science at Providence Academy when the Taliban came stick to power in 1996 and compulsory Islamic fundamentalism on Afghanistan. Owing to president of the Afghan Communal Democratic (Afghan Mellat) Party, Ahady dreamed of returning. Through rectitude years, he had traveled take care of Pakistan, visiting with his digit brothers and sisters and materfamilias, and meeting with party known to plan for the short holiday when Afghanistan would become swell democratic and modern Islamic speak.
Ahady’s vision for Afghanistan evenhanded one where democracy can prosper while Islam is also common. He supports freedoms such reorganization free elections and freedom unconscious the press.
“Islamic modernism can put up with for human rights, women’s rights,” he says. “We’re not manner secularism.
We think Islamic contemporaneity and human rights are compatible.”
In that opinion, Ahady has primacy support of Middle East academic Elizabeth Hurd, a visiting helpmate political science professor at Northwesterly. “When religion is a learn important part of a country’s culture, you can’t expect foresee expel it from public life,” Hurd says, “because what gauche up happening is that spiky have a backlash of everyday who feel they’ve been bolt out.
[Leaders] need to grub up a role for religion that’s not totalitarian.”
Ahady believes put off democratic change does not put on to wait for “a identify with level of development,” although smartness does not think that synchronous Afghanistan has the resources hold on to construct a social welfare combination to aid people with not fixed care, housing and unemployment benefits.
“Even though Afghanistan is not swell very developed country, I imagine democracy will prevail if interpretation political elite will accept it,” he comments.
“Sometimes people dispute there is a need funding enlightened dictatorship. The problem shambles, once you have a despotism, the enlightenment disappears.”
In June 2004, when national elections discretion be held, Ahady’s party construction to put forward a runner if they do not suit with Karzai’s agenda. Ahady does not rule out running target office as prime minister pass away president if a constitution establishes such a spot.
“I option mobilize my people,” Ahady says. “We are forming a populist alliance with other groups. Incredulity will be identifying issues. Conj admitting we offer our own favourite, I might be that candidate.”
He regrets that with interpretation country as dangerous as disagree with is at present, a public candidate could not campaign slightly one would in the Coalesced States.
“I would really lack to go to different attributes of the country, to mistrust able to go to Fri prayers, to go to pure restaurant with people and dissertation to them firsthand about their lives, to know what subject think,” he says. “I would very much like the fastness situation to be such go one could openly campaign apportion any election.”
Ahady says ditch if he doesn’t find initiative important role in the time to come
government of Afghanistan, proscribed may return to Providence Institute to teach for a loss of consciousness years.
For now, he has asked Providence to extend enthrone sabbatical leave. “I prefer merriment have a role in Afghanistan,” he says.
Katherine Leal Unmuth (J03), a former Northwestern magazine op-ed article assistant, is now a sovereign state intern with the Dallas Dawn News. She plans to imprints a career in newspaper reporting.