SparklingCrescent
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When I heard about the pregnant woman who was executed by the Taliban, I felt deep sorrow for her — sorrow because she was just a widow who was without a man in her life for four years, and because the man had reportedly told her he would marry her. Where is the crime in that?
I felt anger that the authorities weren’t able to protect her. The Taliban have no right to judge her. The government should protect her, but cannot in such areas.
And I felt confused, as all Afghans do, at how many different laws our people have to live under – the laws of their tribe, or of the Taliban, or of the government. The laws should protect her, but we have so many different laws.
A lot of people probably read about that story and thought, No wonder, they’re just Afghans, or They’re just Pashtuns, what do you expect of such savages?
Well I’m an Afghan, and I am also a Pashtun, and I think what they did, whether it was in the name of religion or tribal custom or whatever, was wrong and horrible.
And I am neither the only Afghan who feels that way, nor the only Pashtun who finds the Taliban’s actions to be extreme. There are many savages in our country, it’s true, because war makes life safe for savages and unsafe for educated people.
When I was growing up my family, like so many Pashtun Afghans, lived as refugees in Pakistan. We looked forward to a day when we could come home to a peaceful Afghanistan, where we could all live in our own country in safety.
We came back with hope, but now we wonder, when we see how unsafe it is in many places, how cruel and unfair it is for people like that pregnant lady, or the couple in Kunduz who were stoned to death because they loved each other.
This is one of the big reasons many of our people lose their faith in this country and leave.
The Non-Law of the Road
When the Western coalition came to Afghanistan with their civilians and military forces and set up a new democratic government for us, my family and many others came back to our country and started working here. We thought, “This will be the end of the black days in our lives.”
But when you see all these cruel acts it just makes our people lose hope.
The government is always saying, “We strongly condemn this cruel and inhuman act.” You think is this enough? No, there should be strong government forces to make sure that people are safe and living in a peaceful environment.
Sometimes Afghans there is no law at all to protect us.
Two years ago my father was accosted by a group of men wearing Afghan Army uniforms when he and his colleagues were driving on the road between Gardez and Logar. The men stopped him and were trying to pull people out of his car and take them away. When my father tried to call for help from the American military base in Gardez, the gunmen shot my father in the shoulder and fled.
Whose laws had he broken? Was it the government’s security law — they were wearing government clothes — or was it the non-law of the road?
I dream of living under a democratic rule of law, one that allows for a peaceful environment and provides equal rights. I have no desire for a law that stones people for loving someone, hangs someone for committing a crime, abuses human rights or enforces its rule by gun.
Improvements
We are experiencing bad things every day in this country. In most parts of southern Afghanistan girls do not go to school, and when the Provincial Reconstruction Teams build a school for them, local militants blow it up because there is no belief in schools and education. I have seen such schools in many parts of Khost Province.
But Afghans have also seen much change and progress in other areas. Nangarhar Province has paved roads in every district centers. Many schools have been built there, and different types of factories have been constructed, or have opened up again.
I have hopes for this government and the democratic system, but the international community needs to do more to make this government strong, and to gain people’s trust by providing jobs for them.
All we need are an honest and clean government, and good leaders.
I felt anger that the authorities weren’t able to protect her. The Taliban have no right to judge her. The government should protect her, but cannot in such areas.
And I felt confused, as all Afghans do, at how many different laws our people have to live under – the laws of their tribe, or of the Taliban, or of the government. The laws should protect her, but we have so many different laws.
A lot of people probably read about that story and thought, No wonder, they’re just Afghans, or They’re just Pashtuns, what do you expect of such savages?
Well I’m an Afghan, and I am also a Pashtun, and I think what they did, whether it was in the name of religion or tribal custom or whatever, was wrong and horrible.
And I am neither the only Afghan who feels that way, nor the only Pashtun who finds the Taliban’s actions to be extreme. There are many savages in our country, it’s true, because war makes life safe for savages and unsafe for educated people.
When I was growing up my family, like so many Pashtun Afghans, lived as refugees in Pakistan. We looked forward to a day when we could come home to a peaceful Afghanistan, where we could all live in our own country in safety.
We came back with hope, but now we wonder, when we see how unsafe it is in many places, how cruel and unfair it is for people like that pregnant lady, or the couple in Kunduz who were stoned to death because they loved each other.
This is one of the big reasons many of our people lose their faith in this country and leave.
The Non-Law of the Road
When the Western coalition came to Afghanistan with their civilians and military forces and set up a new democratic government for us, my family and many others came back to our country and started working here. We thought, “This will be the end of the black days in our lives.”
But when you see all these cruel acts it just makes our people lose hope.
The government is always saying, “We strongly condemn this cruel and inhuman act.” You think is this enough? No, there should be strong government forces to make sure that people are safe and living in a peaceful environment.
Sometimes Afghans there is no law at all to protect us.
Two years ago my father was accosted by a group of men wearing Afghan Army uniforms when he and his colleagues were driving on the road between Gardez and Logar. The men stopped him and were trying to pull people out of his car and take them away. When my father tried to call for help from the American military base in Gardez, the gunmen shot my father in the shoulder and fled.
Whose laws had he broken? Was it the government’s security law — they were wearing government clothes — or was it the non-law of the road?
I dream of living under a democratic rule of law, one that allows for a peaceful environment and provides equal rights. I have no desire for a law that stones people for loving someone, hangs someone for committing a crime, abuses human rights or enforces its rule by gun.
Improvements
We are experiencing bad things every day in this country. In most parts of southern Afghanistan girls do not go to school, and when the Provincial Reconstruction Teams build a school for them, local militants blow it up because there is no belief in schools and education. I have seen such schools in many parts of Khost Province.
But Afghans have also seen much change and progress in other areas. Nangarhar Province has paved roads in every district centers. Many schools have been built there, and different types of factories have been constructed, or have opened up again.
I have hopes for this government and the democratic system, but the international community needs to do more to make this government strong, and to gain people’s trust by providing jobs for them.
All we need are an honest and clean government, and good leaders.
