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Subscribe to RSSKABUL, Afghanistan -- Its pitch, they said, was so bloodsoaked that grass would not grow. For years, the only spectacles on offer at the Ghazi Stadium in the Afghan capital were executions, stonings and mutilations by the Taliban, rulers of the country from 1996 to 2001.
On Thursday, thousands of young Afghan athletes wearing soccer uniforms, boxing and running warmup gear, and the belted white suits of martial artists, came to the stadium to celebrate its official re-opening.
This time, the grass has been ripped up and replaced with bright green artificial turf, part of a U.S.-funded stadium refurbishment.
"Of all the international projects implemented in Afghanistan, this is one of the most popular, it enjoys the support of all Afghans," said Lieutenant General Mohammad Zaher Aghbar, president of Afghanistan's National Olympic Committee, and a goalkeeper with the army's soccer team for five years.
"The place that once was used to execute people during the Taliban, and then football played on their blood, is now turned into a peaceful place," he said.
"Sport helps societies get together, it will strengthen our national solidarity," Aghbar said, adding that he was trying to line up foreign boxing and soccer teams to come to Ghazi Stadium in early 2012.
Ghazi, a title normally used to describe Muslim warriors who slay non-believers in battle, is a title also bestowed by many Afghans on those who fought the British army to win independence for Afghanistan in the early 20th century.
During the opening ceremony, the commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and U.S. troops in Afghanistan, U.S. General John Allen, and other military officials were presented with medals.
'Terrible things'
The new artificial pitch will be certified by world soccer governing body FIFA, allowing matches in the Kabul stadium to be internationally recognised.
"It's very important because the stadium has been renovated, it's now ready for use by athletes. During the Taliban days it was used for terrible things, and today its renaissance has begun. It's a really positive day for Afghanistan," said a U.S. embassy spokesperson.
As athletes began to parade around the stadium, Zabiullah, a 58-year old Afghan journalist who witnessed the Taliban executions, pointed at what is now the corner of a penalty area, marked by neat white lines.
"There was thief who stole something from his village ... they cut his hand, right here," he said. "A man and a woman were having illegal sexual relations. They were caught, brought here, given 100 lashes each and told to marry each other ... I also saw people beheaded and shot. Afghans will never forget these bad memories.
"Now, men and women, girls and boys, can watch a peaceful match together."
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Leave a Comment:
Well this is good!
Oh please... A edifice to peace, named after a Muslim holy warrior who 'slays non-believers'. The whole culture is one grand lump of fecal hypocrisy.
To hell with all of them; their beliefs, their traditions, their self-pity and especially their apologists.
This is just a break.
Since the birth of Islamic cult, there were only blood soaked places with Ramadan style love and peace soap operas in between.
Clearly Raisa and Jonathan are ignorant bigots
I'm certainly hoping for the best for the Afghan people but then again I've seen the soccer riots in South America and elsewhere and have to wonder....
Hard to believe this stuff still goes on, to this day. Humans suck.
Not all humans are sick.
Only those heroin addicts of Islam and the teachings of Mohammad have been doing these!
As long as the cult has followings, these will occur again and again.
We ran the Taliban out of Afghanistan years ago, now the Afghans are welcoming them back in with open arms. Once we pull out the Taliban will get right back to what they were doing. The Taliban is the government the people of Afghanistan want.
Yup - and they'll discover that blood and body parts will simply wash-off the astro turf with a garden hose. Assuming, of course, that the water distribution and pumping systems continue to work after all the NGO's and International aid agencies are chased out of the country.
I hope that Karzai is the first victim of this holy cleansing.
I doubt most Afghans want the Taliban back, but they are afraid of them, for good reason.
We have places like this at home, in the United States, that could use some refurbishing. That are of similar quality. Thanks for using our tax-payers dollars to fix up a sand box none of us will ever enjoy. Now how about refurbishing our cities? You can start with Detroit.
If the Mayors and City Government of Detroit were not so corrupt, there would be no need for "refurbishing" in Detroit
With articles like these, it is amazing that a few people or organizations such as moveon.org were against removing the Taliban from power. Those who are more brutal than the Taliban are those who seems to be ok with them in power.
"Ghazi, a title normally used to describe Muslim warriors who slay non-believers in battle".. "part of a U.S.-funded stadium refurbishment"
Oh the irony... wonder how long after we pull out will Taliban turn this back into their YMCA
Well the Taliban are still around - I wonder what they think of all those Afghan sports fans, running around celebrating the return of this stadium? Will it make them think twice, maybe question their activities? Or wil they start taking names and numbers of the "apostates?" I wish the Afghans the best of luck, and thank God I live in America - as bad as things are right now, it's still a far better country to live in than just about anywhere else in the world!
Well thats good. Maybe these people can restore some sort of normalcy back to their lives. But it must be sort of eerie to go back to a place where so many people where butchered like that...kinda makes me think this place is gonna end up on Ghost Hunters or something...
"the grass has been ripped up and replaced with bright green artificial turf, part of a U.S.-funded stadium refurbishment"
So the US taxpayers paid for the new turf...
and the place is called "Ghazi Stadium" :
Ghazi, a title normally used to describe Muslim warriors who slay non-believers in battle, is a title also bestowed by many Afghans on those who fought the British army to win independence for Afghanistan in the early 20th century.
In other words: "Death to the infidels!"
I want our taxdollars back.
This is NOT what Ghazi really means (in such a restricted manner)! It's shameful that Reuters is reporting the word Ghazi as such. Words like Jihad (and now Ghazi) have been grossly abused. Ghazi simply means a victor of a battle, if it's for a right cause. Jihad means to struggle; therefore, there are many kinds of Jihad that media never talks about like Jihad against poverty, slavery, illiteracy, hunger and etc. There are too many people with a simple agenda of spreading hatred.
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Give it some time...someone will be spilling blood on the turf. Just like you can't fix stupid, you can't drag people from a Dark Ages mentality into the 21st century. You just can't force people to evolve....
"Ghazi Stadium in the Afghan capital were executions, stonings and mutilations by the Taliban, rulers of the country from 1996 to 2001."
As long as barbaric Islamic cult lasts, these will regular with breaks. These are lulls befor storms.
This has been the history of Islam and track record of its followers.
This stadium should have been turned into a memorial to all of the victims murdered by Islamic extremists. Turning it back into a stadium dishonors the victims and trivializes the atrocities that were commited by the Taliban. And the fact that we paid for this renovation with our tax dollars is a slap in the face to all Americans.
islam is such a peaceful and moderate "religion "
islam is such a peaceful and moderate "religion " give it time . After the US leaves it will be back to stonings , floggings , and beheadings (oh my )