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Journey To Roots |
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In early May 2000 I crossed Torkham to enter my native land, Afghanistan, after seventeen intense growing years abroad. I felt an indescribable calmness as I stepped onto the soil; my feelings at that moment were comparable to the serenity that a child feels while laying his or her head on a mother’s lap. All at once, I was at home and feeling as if I had never left it. In this land, I was simply an AFGHAN again, not an Afghan immigrant, nor a refugee nor an outsider. The following pages consist of pictures I took and experiences that I had during my two-week trip to Jalalabad, Laghman and Kabul -- the capital of Afghanistan. I hope these pages do justice in presenting frank images of a people engaged in a bitter struggle of untold tragedies during more than twenty years of war. The persons in the pictures have tied their faith with that of Afghanistan. Look deeply into their eyes, you can feel their pain and disappointments. These Afghans’ sufferings have been exacerbated by their current isolation from the international community. Pain suffered alone is always worse than it being endured together with others. Despite their pain and suffering, Afghans have preserved their dignity, as stories by UN colleagues and my observations attest. "I saw a child once trying to put on his back a bundle of wood almost double his size. He tried several times to do so, but failed each time. So I got out of my car and gave him a hand. I was also touched by his efforts and apparent poverty, that I took out all of the Afghani notes from my pocket and tried to give them to him. He, however, said "tashakur" [thank you] and slowly pushed my hand back." I heard about an American tourist in Peshawar who had traveled in Afghanistan recently for a month, spending only \$30. His Afghans hosts often gave him room and board free of charge, he recalled. Even though Afghans have lost much during the Soviet invasion and its aftermath, they still have a lot to be proud of. The on-going war in Afghanistan is fought by the Afghans, but it is obviously being fueled by foreigners. This fire is entering into its 21st year, making it a modern Hellenic war. There are those who repeatedly offer "solutions" to the crises of Afghanistan. However, these "problem solvers," who can often speak little about the history, culture and struggle of Afghans, must first come face to face with the Afghans, who face the brunt of their decisions. It is incumbent upon the international community, the primary and historic role of which is to establish and promote peace, to end foreign interference in Afghanistan as a step towards bringing much needed peace. The international community can begin by following a two-track strategy in order to foster peace in Afghanistan: 1.)
Commit resources to end the flow of arms and ammunition into
Afghanistan and pressure all sides for a cease-fire. 2.) Help establish an atmosphere of genuine inter-Afghan dialogue, which may begin at the local and professional levels as confidence building measures and from there ascend rapidly to the higher national, political and military levels. Also, the international community needs to genuinely assist Afghans regain their strength and to rebuild their land after bravely fighting at one of the hottest war fronts between the free world and the Communist world. Afghans helped bring down the Wall with their blood. Now it is time for the international community to show goodwill towards Afghans, especially at a time when Afghans are trying to resurrect their nation from ashes. Afghans must be welcomed by the international community because Afghans made huge sacrifices in saving it from the scorch of atheist communism. As part of this rebuilding process, it is time for Afghan leaders to lead less and to follow more. Our leaders need to exert more of their efforts on following the wishes of our nation and to pave an open path for Afghans from around the world to fully participate in their civil, political and economic lives. Let us also not forget that each Afghan, regardless of the situation that he or she may be in, has a national responsibility to help in the reconciliation and peace processes of their beloved homeland. We can start by creating a personal and social atmosphere where our ethnic, linguistic, geographic and other differences are causes for celebration rather than reasons for discrimination. Afghans must rise up again in strength, unity and wisdom. Let us Afghan brothers and sisters send a resounding message to those international and domestic sources, who plot to destroy everything known as “Afghan” due to their narrow perspectives and selfish reasons. It is my hope that the following pages will
increase your interests about Afghanistan, its people and its tale. If you have been to Afghanistan or have lived there, I hope
the pictures you see will revive your memories of Afghanistan.
To those Afghans in the West who are considering to return to our
homeland, even if for a short period, I say take that important step.
You would be rewarded handsomely by your experiences with Afghans
and with your homeland. There
is no substitute for coming home. Finally, I want to thank my family and
friends who have supported
Truly, |
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