I will never forget that day. I was nine years old when a lady asked me, "Are you "Pashtun" or "Tajik"?

Pashtuns and Tajiks are the predominant ethnic groups in Afghanistan and yet I did not know which group I belonged to so I answered, Afghan "

I was puzzled with this strange question and, not knowing the concept of ethnicity, I rushed home to clarify this issue. I questioned my mother, "Am I Pashtun or Tajik?"

My mother demanded that I tell her what my response was to the lady who asked me the question about my ethnicity. Afghan I repeated my answer to my mother. My...