DUSHANBE, August 25, 2008, Asia-Plus — Representatives of Tajik intelligentsia have applied to the government, asking to provide political asylum to known Afghan poet and public figure Latif Pedram, Asia-Plus has learned at Tajik Writers’ Union.
Radical groups in Afghanistan launched campaign against Latif Pedram lately, abasing his honor and dignity, the source at Tajik Writers’ Union said.
Over the last fifteen, year, Latif Pedram is member of the board of the Society of Persian-speaking Peoples of the World, Payvand. He is the leader of the National Congress Party of Afghanistan.
Representatives of Tajik intelligentsia say that persecutions began against Latif Pedram after a number of statements by him about problems facing ethnic minorities and women’s personal rights in Afghanistan.
Abdul Latif Pedram (born in 1963) is a politician and a former candidate for presidency in Afghanistan, where, where he received the 5th most votes during the 2004 elections or 1.2% of the total ballots counted. He emerged as a controversial figure in the press and political circles for campaigning for women”s personal rights, a taboo subject in Afghanistan”s culture.
After the takeover of the Kabul city by the mujahedin he joined the Shura-i Nezar of Ahmad Shah Massoud. He stayed in Afghanistan during most of the war years, moving around the country to be able to pursue his activities. Latif Pedram was finally forced into exile by the advance of the Taliban and their policies of ethnic and linguistic segregation. Before returning to Afghanistan after the demise of the Taliban, he lived for a while in France where he attempted to promote Afghanistan”s Persian poetry and literature.
Latif Pedram is a strong supporter of federalism in Afghanistan. He strongly opposes both Islamic fundamentalism and the American military presence in Afghanistan.
Perhaps his most controversial statement is the demand for a name-change in Afghanistan. In many publications and articles, he proposed the change of the name “Afghanistan” to “Khorasan”, the medieval name of the region, in order to settle some inter-ethnic feuds.
