Mick Hartley

A clash of cultures in Afghanistan:

Shakira, the Colombian pop star, has left an Afghan television station in trouble after it aired one of her concerts.

Despite the fact the singer’s bare torso was blurred out for the broadcast, privately owned Tolo TV is facing possible legal action by authorities who think her performance, and other western-influenced shows Tolo airs, are inappropriate for Afghan audiences. Senior Muslim clerics have joined the country’s culture ministry in warning Tolo of serious consequences.

“Her clothes were very tight,” said Sharif, a 41-year-old Kabul doorman who watched the broadcast. “Religious people say it is the West trying to impose their values, but I had no problem with it.”

Good for Sharif. I imagine the reporter, on hearing the story, headed out of their Kabul hotel just as far as the front door. “Did you see that Shakira concert, Sharif?” “Ah yes. Very sexy lady.”

Sometimes, even in Afghanistan, the foreign correspondent’s job can be quite cushy.