Cross border dacoits raid Badugal village

CHITRAL,15 Nov 04: A group of Afghan nationals from Kunar province raided a Pakistani village Badugal and decamped with 70 heads of goats and kidnapped its shepherd. The raid is said to be for the second time within a short span of one month. The village is situated at a distance of 40 kms from the Arandu border. The looters allegedly entered the village with heavy arms. The locals could not challenge them being unarmed. in the previous raid last month, the same group had snatched with 18 heads of goats. According to some locals, the incidents are the results of rivalry between two brothers living on both sides. One is living in Badugal while the other in Nooristan of Afghanistan who have developed bitter enmity over land dispute.(report by Zahiruddin)

Heavily armed "Shepherds" from Afghanistan are stealing "shepherds" from Pakistan. Oh, and goats.

That's the story, anyway. Keep checking out the Chitral news. http://www.chitralnews.com/index.htm

Osama may be there. Or maybe someone got his goat!

http://www.afghan-web.com/sports/buzkashi.html
Buzkashi, which literally translated means "goat grabbing" is the national sport of Afghanistan. Many historians believe that Buzkashi began with the Turkic-Mongol people, and it is indigenously shared by the people of Northern Afghanistan. There are two main types of Buzkashi, Tudabarai and Qarajai. Tudabarai is relatively simple compared with Qarajai, even though they share similar objectives.

In Buzkashi, a headless carcass is placed in the center of a circle and surrounded by the players of two opposing teams. The object of the game, is to get control of the carcass and bring it to the scoring area. Although it seems like a simple task, it is not. Only the most masterful players, (called chapandaz) ever even get close to the carcass. The competition is fierce, and the winner of a match receives prizes that have been donated by a sponsor. These prizes range from money, to fine turbans and clothes. In order for someone to become a chapandaz, one must undergo a tremendous amount of difficult training. In fact, the best chapandaz, are usually over the age of forty. Buzkashi, is definitely not a game for the weak.

The players are not the only ones who undergo arduous training; the horses that participate in buzkashi must train for five years before ever making it to the playing field. Buzkashi, is indeed a dangerous sport, but intensive training and excellent communication between the horse and rider can help minimize the risk of injury.

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,10330-1288070_1,00.html

In Kalash society, gods, men, goats, altars and high mountain pastures are revered, while women, birth, sex, menstruation and death are condemned as impure. Even today, women are isolated in the bashali, a hut downstream from the village, when giving birth or having periods, only re-emerging when the “crisis” is over.

[Possibly Bin Laden is hiding in a bashali because no man would go in there to look.]

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