By Alexander Cornwell DUBAI (Reuters) - An Afghan who fled his country over 40 years ago has stepped in to rescue Afghanistan s exhibition at the Dubai world fair after the Taliban takeover in his homeland in August scuttled official Afghan participation in the mega cultural extravaganza. The 62-year-old, Vienna-based antiques dealer gathered up his family collection of Afghan artefacts, including carpets, daggers and jewellery, to fill the Afghan pavilion that had remained shut when Expo 2020 opened on Oct. 1. As an Afghan this was a duty for me, said Mohammed Omer Rahimy, who for years has taken the family collection to exhibitions around the world to promote Afghan culture. We feel very happy that Afghanistan s exhibition is open. The tri-colour flag of Afghanistan flutters at the Dubai fairgrounds, while the white flag used by its new Taliban rulers is absent, symbolic of the challenges facing the hardline Islamist movement in gaining international recognition. Rahimy has lived in
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Photos: Covering 9/11, the Afghan War, and Guantanamo Bay
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