Afghanistan's Mitra Hemmat: Retail entrepreneur

Mitra Hemmat has occupied rarefied air since returning from Iran to Afghanistan in 2005, where she quickly achieved status as the nation鈥檚 top student, and won a scholarship to study in India.

A doctor who wears a black headscarf with a faux diamond broach, at 28 she accepts few limits, and dreams of giving back to her country 鈥渢o help my people.鈥� She plans to serve through medicine and one day win election to parliament.

鈥淲e just want peace; we don鈥檛 want to have to think about who is the president,鈥� says Ms. Hemmat. 鈥淚f it is bad, if things change [for the worse], I will go to another country,鈥� says Hemmat. 鈥淢y passport is always in my pocket. I would not stay.鈥�

But when asked if she is optimistic, she does not hesitate: 鈥淵es!鈥�

Hemmat now runs a high-end shop in a central Kabul mall, which has the exclusive franchise to sell a line of organic Swedish body lotions, oils, cleansers and cosmetics. The bottles are immaculately lined up on the shelves; a flat screen TV shows promotional videos; and Hemmat鈥檚 brother 鈥� an electrical engineer with gelled hair and one extra button of his lean-cut white shirt undone 鈥� talks to customers from behind the counter.

The shop was a substantial investment, and opened one month ago. But so far customers are coming and two other Kabul branches are planned. Several smart phones are plugged in, sitting on the glass counter.

鈥淲hen you see other countries, life is very easy and work is good,鈥� says Hemmat. 鈥淲hen you come back to my country it is very different: there is no money, and it is very difficult for women. The Taliban is very bad; they just want to kill women, I don鈥檛 know why.鈥�

She says Afghanistan鈥檚 next president should sign the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the US, which outgoing President Hamid Karzai has refused to sign. The BSA would allow some US forces to remain in the country beyond the end of the year to focus on training Afghan security forces and assist in counterterrorism operations.

鈥淎merica does many good things here鈥� America will not leave here because they spent a lot here,鈥� says Hemmat. She hopes to get US funding for a project to employ uneducated women.

But all plans depend on security and reductions in violence. Before the vote, the Taliban conducted a string of attacks in Kabul that targeted foreigners and election offices, using suicide and car bombs to instill terror. But election day passed with no significant incidents.

鈥淚鈥檓 waiting for the election [results],鈥� says Hemmat. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 good, I will do everything.鈥�

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Afghanistan's Mitra Hemmat: Retail entrepreneur

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