Curse of 39
Encyclopedia
The curse of 39 refers to the belief in some parts of Afghanistan
that the number 39 is cursed or a badge of shame as it is purportedly linked with prostitution
.
, who was nicknamed "39" after the registration plate of his expensive car and the number of his apartment. The number is said to translate into morda-gow, literally meaning "dead cow" but a well-known slang term for a pimp. Others have blamed corrupt police officials for spreading the rumour in order to charge between $200–$500 to change a "39" plate. Officials have, in turn, blamed car dealers and "those who work for the mafia [who] started the rumours about 39 so they could buy cars with 39 plates cheaper and sell them back for higher prices after changing the plates", according to Abdul Qader Samoonwal of Kabul's Traffic and License Registration department. The problem is made worse by the fact that Afghanistan is a largely illiterate country in which rumours and superstitions thrive, and is extremely socially conservative.
s incorporating the number are seen as so undesirable that vehicles and apartments bearing the numerals are said to be virtually unsellable in the capital, Kabul
. The drivers of such vehicles have reported receiving abuse and derision from pedestrians and other drivers, and some have had their registration plates altered to disguise the numbers. One such driver, Zalmay Ahmadi, told The Guardian
: "[W]hen I drive around all the other cars flash their lights, beep their horns and people point at me. All my classmates now call me Colonel 39." A taxi driver, Ahmad Ghafor, said that he found that "it gets worse when I have women customers in the car. Other drivers signal to me or blow their horn saying 'shall we pay you to drop these ladies to my place?'"
Cellphone owners have encountered similar problems, forcing them to hide their caller ID or switch their numbers altogether. One man with "39" in his cellphone number told the BBC: "I receive lots of anonymous calls asking if I have got prostitutes. I am known as Mr 39 amongst my friends." Some 39-year-old Afghans are said to refer to themselves as being "one less than 40" or "one year to 40." During the 2010 parliamentary elections
, one candidate, Mullah Tarakhil, had the misfortune to be listed 39th on the ballot; two people were killed when his guards opened fire on civilians after a traffic accident, said to have been in reaction to people taunting the candidate over his number. The issue caused particular problems in Kabul after the Persian New Year of March 2011, as the government started to issue registration plates beginning with 39. (To compound the problem, this happens to be 1390 in the Iranian calendar
). Despite the threat of penalties, many drivers refused to register their cars while the number 39 still appeared on them.
." Sediq Afghan, a famous numerologist, has likewise complained that people "only see the negative side" of the number and has called it "a sickness for Afghans". He told television viewers that associating the number with pimps "is a sin because 57 Sura
s from our Quran contain the number 39." The popular television satire show Danger Bell highlighted the issue but only succeeded in publicising it even further. However, some car dealers have been able to profit from it, as the problem exists mainly in Kabul; one dealer told The Wall Street Journal
that he "could knock several thousand dollars off the purchase price of a car in Kabul with 39 on its plate and then turn around to sell it for a profit in the surrounding provinces."
In the meantime, owners of vehicles with "39" in their registration plates have sought to fix the problem themselves. Many have "edited" their own plates by painting or taping over the offending digits, or altering them to make the number 3 look like an 8, or even covering over the entire plate. One driver told NPR
: "I have no choice but to drive this car since I earn my living working here. But I have to cover the 39 plate with a blue sheet. I do this to protect the dignity of this organization and also of myself."
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
that the number 39 is cursed or a badge of shame as it is purportedly linked with prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
.
Origins
The cause of the number's undesirability is unclear but it has widely been claimed to have been associated with a pimp, allegedly living in the western city of HeratHerat
Herāt is the capital of Herat province in Afghanistan. It is the third largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of about 397,456 as of 2006. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan...
, who was nicknamed "39" after the registration plate of his expensive car and the number of his apartment. The number is said to translate into morda-gow, literally meaning "dead cow" but a well-known slang term for a pimp. Others have blamed corrupt police officials for spreading the rumour in order to charge between $200–$500 to change a "39" plate. Officials have, in turn, blamed car dealers and "those who work for the mafia [who] started the rumours about 39 so they could buy cars with 39 plates cheaper and sell them back for higher prices after changing the plates", according to Abdul Qader Samoonwal of Kabul's Traffic and License Registration department. The problem is made worse by the fact that Afghanistan is a largely illiterate country in which rumours and superstitions thrive, and is extremely socially conservative.
Perception
Vehicle registration plateVehicle registration plate
A vehicle registration plate is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes. The registration identifier is a numeric or alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies the vehicle within the issuing region's database...
s incorporating the number are seen as so undesirable that vehicles and apartments bearing the numerals are said to be virtually unsellable in the capital, Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
. The drivers of such vehicles have reported receiving abuse and derision from pedestrians and other drivers, and some have had their registration plates altered to disguise the numbers. One such driver, Zalmay Ahmadi, told The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
: "[W]hen I drive around all the other cars flash their lights, beep their horns and people point at me. All my classmates now call me Colonel 39." A taxi driver, Ahmad Ghafor, said that he found that "it gets worse when I have women customers in the car. Other drivers signal to me or blow their horn saying 'shall we pay you to drop these ladies to my place?'"
Cellphone owners have encountered similar problems, forcing them to hide their caller ID or switch their numbers altogether. One man with "39" in his cellphone number told the BBC: "I receive lots of anonymous calls asking if I have got prostitutes. I am known as Mr 39 amongst my friends." Some 39-year-old Afghans are said to refer to themselves as being "one less than 40" or "one year to 40." During the 2010 parliamentary elections
Afghan parliamentary election, 2010
The Afghan parliamentary election, 2010 to elect members of the Wolesi Jirga took place on 18 September 2010. The Afghan Independent Election Commission - established in accordance with the article 156 of the Constitution of Afghanistan for the purpose of organizing and supervising all elections in...
, one candidate, Mullah Tarakhil, had the misfortune to be listed 39th on the ballot; two people were killed when his guards opened fire on civilians after a traffic accident, said to have been in reaction to people taunting the candidate over his number. The issue caused particular problems in Kabul after the Persian New Year of March 2011, as the government started to issue registration plates beginning with 39. (To compound the problem, this happens to be 1390 in the Iranian calendar
Iranian calendar
The Iranian calendars or sometimes called Persian calendars are a succession of calendars invented or used for over two millennia in Greater Iran...
). Despite the threat of penalties, many drivers refused to register their cars while the number 39 still appeared on them.
Reactions
Afghan government officials and numerologists have tried to scotch the claims about 39, though with little success. Gen. Assadullah, the head of the traffic department in Kabul, described the problem as "nonsense" as 39 is "just a number." He noted that there is no religious prohibition against the number and his department has sought to reassure the public by noting where Muslims can find the number 39 in the Quran and even publishing a formula by which the number can be derived from the name "AllahAllah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
." Sediq Afghan, a famous numerologist, has likewise complained that people "only see the negative side" of the number and has called it "a sickness for Afghans". He told television viewers that associating the number with pimps "is a sin because 57 Sura
Sura
A sura is a division of the Qur'an, often referred to as a chapter. The term chapter is sometimes avoided, as the suras are of unequal length; the shortest sura has only three ayat while the longest contains 286 ayat...
s from our Quran contain the number 39." The popular television satire show Danger Bell highlighted the issue but only succeeded in publicising it even further. However, some car dealers have been able to profit from it, as the problem exists mainly in Kabul; one dealer told The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
that he "could knock several thousand dollars off the purchase price of a car in Kabul with 39 on its plate and then turn around to sell it for a profit in the surrounding provinces."
In the meantime, owners of vehicles with "39" in their registration plates have sought to fix the problem themselves. Many have "edited" their own plates by painting or taping over the offending digits, or altering them to make the number 3 look like an 8, or even covering over the entire plate. One driver told NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
: "I have no choice but to drive this car since I earn my living working here. But I have to cover the 39 plate with a blue sheet. I do this to protect the dignity of this organization and also of myself."
External links
- "Loya jirga: Afghan elders reject 'pimp's number 39'", BBC News, 17 November 2011