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Website: Textile Museum Carpet weaving is done in certain countries such as Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Spain, United Kingdom, USA and Canada. Most show colourful patterns and are designed for floors although some are hung on walls for display. Textile Museum showcased an intriguing collection of carpets woven in Afghanistan, collected by Max Allen, the exhibition's curator and co-founder. He gave an enlightening talk at Hart House showing slides of the rugs which reflected the history of foreign invasion in Afghanistan. The carpets are supposedly woven by women which is surprising considering it is a country which has tried to prevent women from working or schooling! The images of war with tanks, bombs, planes, battles are woven into the carpets to show how foreign militaries from the British, the Russians, the Americans, the Canadians, and other NATO coalition forces, have entered the country and clashed with the locals, some of whom probably became terrorists in trying to defend or revenge their nation. A few carpets show terrorist incidents such as the destruction of the World Trade Center buildings in New York, and attack on the Pentagon. Most show the foreign invasion in Afghanistan. These rugs tell stories of the long wars fought in this poor country. It is unfortunate that the wars continue to this day with rich foreign militaries clashing with some poor local terrorists despite the Afghanistan government and military cooperation with NATO coalition troops. Suicide bombings and hidden bombs are often used. There is foreign investment in education and energy in Afghanistan but some terrorists try to sabotage these efforts. These carpets according to Allen, he purchased them from e-Bay website, and probably were passed on from weaver to dealer to dealer in different countries, Afghanistan to Pakistan to USA to Canada. He valued the carpets so highly that he mortgaged his house to buy them! Their unusual use of telling history gives them more meaning than a simple decorative function. Creative craft artists are also historians using carpets as a medium of education which will last for many years in preserved in museums. There are Afghan Canadians who can be proud that their own people have evolved the decorative floor carpet to that of an educational wall display full of historical significance in world history. Creation will hopefully win over destruction, and when the wars are over and peace returns, that foreigners and locals will get along and rebuild the country.
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