Love and war in Afghanistan [1 ed.] 1583226753, 9781583226759

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/(,

lis

book

fu '^

V'M

i

*4h^

puts a luiinan face

on

interi^ational conflict

— Barnett Rubin, author of The

and

political

Fra^Jincntiition

violence like no

work haVe

ofAfghanistan

Love and War in Afghanistan

h

ALEX KLAI

.

..

GULCH IN CULM AM ADOVA-KL AITS

I

S(

I(/;

///

.^scnts tlic

l/(»

.

mk

April 2(M)4,i)t fourteen oixiinarv wonicii

vp.....v.

t

-century of unnitcrruptcd war, the pcoy ed foreign invasions, et

nie strife, a

fbndanientalist

unendinii

lie

s. 1

Islamic ttHalitari.

he country remains an oh nalists,

acadenncs, and filmn

from around the world.

midst of it

In the

all

:e to discover, here

voices of the Aflrhan nee )ple themselves,

le

We

hear from CUilbuddin,

fliihter:

Nikolai

soldier

who

fF

foruK

nad), a

defects

who

Mahtabi^ul,

a

from

loses first

Uk

Sovie

the

her husband,

i

children, to war, exile, and a monstrous act of

human

cruelty; NiyazTurdi,

Soviet

bombs

Humaira

the

-ling

women

'ihanistan;

"'"""^'"'^ his officials.

at

We

hit

by

tumultuous

life in

and standing up to Tajik gangsters

whom

a

confessional

she w^orks in pbst-Tiiliban

and Ali Muhanimad, an orner\

mind even

in the

meet eloped

the age of twelve, and

thing in

a

muiahedin, becomes

with

is

night before his wedding;

w^ho, after endunno; exile

for

whose house

their

fntrptht^r Ahn^r,.

power ,11

^v-,»

presence ofTaliban

lovers,

boys

who marry

women who do to

every-

keep, their families

ti-i^^ken,andhoDef

Digitized by the Internet Arcliive in

2012

littp://arcliive.org/cletails/lovewarinafglianiOOI 27

things

went

flying through the air in

He

have been in shock.

he raced back to

move — house

his

of all

his children

that

I

and

first

ran back to

his wife.

two

I

to the

poor man must

one whole minute.Then

jaan, Bonafsha jaan,

Ruqiya jaan, Zahro jaan, Islam jaan might follow the

directions. The

for about

didn't

"Jalil

all

." .

.

—he was

Parawana jaan,

names

calling out the

was terribly afraid that another rocket

same

but

spot,

felt

I

so horrible for Iqbol

him.

assist

We were able to immediately locate the bodies of two of his girls and their mother, Bonafsha, but as

rest

his

his

assess the

damage.

Another

When ing, they

Iqbol's family

bomb had

was alone in

his

knees with a lull

a villager's

his

in the village that

barn and killed

their

all

unbearable grief.

the neighbors heard that a few of his children were

the ruins.

still

miss-

family, after

all,

I

But however much they searched, they

knew

my

that

I

was waiting for

Rashid must have been worried

even

"Where's the

an hour, there was

was the only casualty

landed on

couldn't find the bodies.

weren't

the wreckage,

girl.

brought over their shovels and pickaxes to more effectively

rummage through way My

started crying. Within

head and

livestock, but Iqbol

neighbors or

sick

relatives,

my

should have continued on

me

back in Farkhar, and Uncle

about me. These people

and only

a

few hours

who

earlier,

I

died

didn't

know their names. But Iqbol and his family had shown me very kind

hospitality,

and

I

couldn't just walk away in this time of mourning.

spent the night in the village

morning

I

night,

I

me

house, and in the

heard that Iqbol had continued searching for

three children by kerosene

with

Maybe my

at Iqbol's brother's

attended the funeral ceremonies for those whose bodies had

been found. All

to

we pored through

and some of the neighbors came out of their houses to

in the fighting

I

as

of my family? Where are they?!?" Iqbol crouched on

arms over

day.

much

remaining two boys and one

w^e just couldn't find the

a

lamp.The next

glimmer of hope

day,

when saw I

in his bloodshot eyes,

Iqbol,

"Who

he

his

said

knows?

children just ran off somewhere or they were transported by

Allah straight to heaven." As he and the neighbors continued searching

everywhere, someone happened to notice repeatedly over a patch of ground for to

show

urged

us

where

my

many

a

bee that had been circling

hours. "Maybe the bee wants

children have been buried? Let's dig here!" Iqbol

his fellow villagers.

2S

And

precisely in

AND WAR

lOVi:

103

were divorced. My husband

problem and bring her back

depends on what the mullah

why

Zakira

says. To

said that he's

to live with us.

be honest,

I

he wants to bring her back here. What use

of us poor? Who's the source of scandal?

If she

that she will continue to bring misfortune

going to try to

But everything

really don't is

a

wife

comes back

on our house.

understand

who made

all

here, I'm sure

CHAPTER

Najib,

M

y father was

of

very rich man; he had shops

able to afford five wives.

many of the I

a

Son

My

mother was

Abdul Shafiq

all

his

FIVE

overTaloqan and was

youngest wife. In

fact,

children firom his other marriages are actually older than her.

was the second youngest of his eighteen children. My mother had three

boys and one

girl.

My father would never tire of telling us the story of how he managed, by hook and by crook, to work

his

way up out of dire

poverty. His par-

when he was very young, and he was raised by some distant relatives who lived in a small village. As is often the case here when orphans ents died

are

adopted by

relatives, his

position was the lowest in the household.

He

was forced to shepherd their animals, clean their house, and perform other menial

tasks.

Nevertheless, he was determined to get an education. There were

government-run schools

in his village at the time, so

no

he tried to learn to

read and write from the mullah at the local mosque. In order to study,

he arranged to have some other shepherds look ple of hours each

day When

his

after his

animals for a cou-

adopted family heard that he was shirk-

ing his responsibilities and was sneaking off to the mosque, they

punish him

him

up,

severely.

One

he escaped into

and hid for

time,

when

his

adopted father wanted to beat

a tandoori oven, closed the

several hours.

->

105

think that he and Anwar s mother were

jealous. really didn't

I

know how

determined to defend she can,"

I

can't

I

was

daughter. "I'm sure that she's trying the best

said. "She works

in the evening serving I

my

to respond to his accusations, but

all

day from early in the morning until

your family But even

imagine that she would ever

was

if she

at

late

her wits' end,

talk

back to anyone. She's too well

like

daughter!" he yelled in a rage.

disciplined for that."

"See what

I

mean. Like mother,

"How do you have the nerve to talk back to me like that? You're living in my house, eating my food, and then you speak to me like that? And why do you

bring up the fact that

responsibility!

family

.

I

collect

to ever see

at this

all

day long? This

my best

control myself.

my

house right now!

your ungrateful face here ever again!

moment,

very

tried

your things and leave

call

I'll

the police and have

to maintain

have power over me. But

n't

working

is

her

.

.

"Go and want

she's

Any Afghan daughter-in-law would serve her husband's

my

I

don't

If you don't leave

you thrown

out."

composure, to show him that he did-

when I saw my

daughter crying,

My eyes produced a fountain of tears as

I

I

couldn't

walked out the

front door. I

had

a close friend

Kabul. And

I

I

knew from many

years ago

when I had lived

was sure that she and her husband would agree to take

in temporarily.

So

my

daughter and

I

took

a taxi to

in

me

her house. We must

have cried a thousand tears in that fifteen-minute taxi ride. After

my

we

arrived at

friend's house,

I

had

a

long discussion with

daughter. She couldn't imagine living without me;

been separated

But

my

I

for even

never

one day over the twenty-seven years of her

life.

urged her to return to her husband."! don't want you to break up

your marriage and ruin your

life

because of me. We'll

each other from time to time.You have to go

husband, and his family and be a respectful

even

we had

if his

parents are far

be able to see

from the most welcoming in-laws." I was wor-

ried about her reputation and

divorce her.

still

home to your daughter, your girl. Anwar is a good man

what people might

say if

he were to

I^'S

Soon

after

AND WAR

AICHANISIAN

IN

was forced to move out, Anwar changed completely.

I

must have fmally

fallen victim to his parent's

began drinking

also

lOVi;

139

and regained her strength, and

I

looked

much

after the children as

as

I

could manage, feeding them, washing them, and cleaning up after them.

Thanks

to the

money my son

my

everything that

we

cent. In fact,

One

our house to

to

him

didn't even see

my

time,

from London,

sent

grandchildren needed.

nephew,

who

We

visit.

was able to pay for didn't contribute a

months.

at all for six

was about the same age

him

received

became convinced that he must be her she had

I

Anwar

so

warmly

Anwar, came

as

that

seen him, she must have forgotten what he looked

last

Ahdiya

little

had been so long since

father. It

like.

She

jumped up on my nephew, wrapped her tiny arms around his neck, and said, "Daddy, I missed you so much. Now, I won't let you go. You're not going to leave the house without me." She kissed him again and again on the cheeks. was then

My

daughter cried for

that she realized that she

still

a

long time

after she

saw

this. It

loved her husband in spite of all

the terrible things that had happened.

A couple of weeks later, there was a knock on the door. It was Anwar. He'd spoken

to

my

nephew,

who had recounted

the story of his

our house. Although our relationship had been rocky since to Kabul,

I still

remembered him

fondly.

I

we

returned

had convinced myself that

sharp change in character was the result of his parents' and his interference in his in

life.

The

side

But

I

greeted

clearly

I

sisters'

when he showed up

thought. So

him warmly and

he was not in the

his

of his personality that he had shown us

Kabul was not the "real" Anwar,

our door,

visit to

tried to kiss

him on both

at

cheeks.

mood for reconciliation. He was drunk He pushed his way into

and angry. "Stay away from me!" he shouted. the house, sat

down on

the mattress

on

the floor, and started

smoking

a

cigarette.

"What's going on with you?"

I

asked him. "Why are you behaving like

this?"

"Where's your daughter?" he

yelled.

"She went out for awhile. She's "I hate

her

the market,"

your daughter!" he screamed

a taloq.

"I don't

at

I

want

want

at

me

I

told him.

nervously. "I

want

to give

to give her a thousand taloqsl' he practically shrieked.

to live

with your daughter anymore.

It's

over. You

under-

stand?" I

tried

my

best to keep calm.

"What

has she

done wrong?"

I

asked.

140

"What was

her sin?

lOVi:

-¥

237

about what would happen to everyone back home. The saddest topic of discussion was the Taliban's nev^ edicts: preventing girls

school, requiring

men

so on. Although

was very happy that

to live

under

I

this

my sisters, and their families, as In early 2001

we

I

my

children and

I

weren't forced

my parents,

worried every day about

well

in

banning music, and so forth and

to have beards,

horrible regime,

from studying

Habib's

as

relatives.

who He wrote that the Taliban that belonged to Afghans who had

received a letter from Habib's younger brother

had remained behind in Kunduz

all

these years.

had begun confiscating empty houses

become an object of their rapaKunduz soon, I'm afraid your house

the country and that our house had

left

cious interest. "If you don't return to will

my

become

state property,"

Habib's brother wrote.

He

also

reported that

father-in-law had fallen into very poor health.

My husband was alarmed by his brother's news and decided to return He

to Afghanistan quickly that

was

found

a

crossed the border into a part of the country

under the control of the Northern Alliance and eventually

still

group of men

who were

traveling to

Kunduz.

my husband arrived in Kunduz, he wrote a letter to one friends in Dushanbe. The person who had been asked to

Shortly after

of his

closest

deliver the letter

down my

tracking

me

so that

evening I

had never been

at

I

to Tajikistan before so

could pass

it

along.

around ten o'clock.

had been anxiously awaiting news from

day he had departed. And here was a only problem was that I

it

The

letter,

husband ever since the in

my

hands

—

I

the

what

decided to just tear open the

let-

he wrote, "I've arrived back in Kunduz and have been

greeted with one piece of news

Humaira

's

that's

neighbors found out about

this,

him. All of the possessions to be

found

fmd out

I

learn

that the Taliban have

And when one of our

conniving

Now the house legally belongs to

we left behind I

I

First,

he went to the Taliban headquarters and

negotiated the purchase of our house.

nowhere

worse than the next.

father has just died. Then

claimed ownership over our house.

are

my

from him

suspense was unbearable.

In the

that

letter

wasn't addressed to me. After thinking about

should do for a couple of minutes,

ter.

he had trouble

Somebody suggested bringing it to The letter was brought to me one

husband's friend.

still

or hid, including Humaira's gold,

have no idea

how

I

will possibly repay

23S

IN Al C

AND WAR

lOVi:

family with these "foolproof" docu-

Maybe

these

documents would serve pre-

cisely the opposite purpose, identifying us as illegal

we showed them

A

few days

to the police.

later

German-made bus

I

met another man who

the police generally assumed that anyone

bus were not likely to be

ing in

this

way was

tuman per person

steep.

illegal

could afford the

said that

it

we

— and

man had

We didn't have

would

cost us 10,000

illegal

—Afghans were He

a great business.

could have

made a healthy any better options, so we boarded the German-made

sent the bus off empty except for eight Afghans profit!

on

seats

heard that Iranians paid

but us poor

ticket,

that this

the checkpoints because

at

who

to get to Tehran. In fact,

only 2,500 tuman for a

me

told

a

immigrants. But the cost of travel-

The agent

forced to pay a huge sum. This

He

knew of

he

said that

that could take us to Tehran.

luxury bus usually received scant inspection

this

when

immigrants

and

still

bus to Tehran.

As we got on the very

strict

bus, the driver pulled

me aside and said, "There is one

checkpoint about halfway to Tehran.

past this post.

But

if you

make

it,

It is

very

you can consider yourselves

However, if you don't manage to get through, you might yourselves back in Nimruz."

I

difficult to get

took

as

and hoped

a big gulp

in Tehran.

well consider

for the best.

We had given the agent the last of our money. What would family and

our

I

were sent back

home

penniless?

safe passage to the capital. Several

I

hours

I

do

if

my

prayed to Allah to ensure after

we had

set out,

our

bus was stopped in a long line leading up to

this

dreaded checkpoint.

noticed that the driver nodded his head to

me

through the rearview

mirror, indicating that this was the place he had mentioned. diately

We imme-

understood that what the driver had warned us about was

As we waited more than half an hour families, including little children

for

our turn, we saw

several

true.

Afghan

and women, being grabbed from

and other buses and forced into the police

station.

We

I

saw

how

cars

the

inspectors boarded buses and checked everybody aboard for proper doc-

uments. Almost

all

of the detained Afghans were crying along the

the road, shivering in the into holding cells.Young

November

men were

chill,

side

of

before they were marched

gazing vacantly into the distance, no

doubt wondering what the future held for them back

in Afghanistan.

282

WluMi

AND WAR

lOVr.

IN AICIIANISIAN

saw our poor coiintryiiicn suffering

I

my

control

tears.

them and

cried for

I

this terrible

flite,

I

couldn't

feared

we

vigilant inspectors

had

because

also for us,

I

would soon be joining them. But by the tnne our bus crept forward, the most for their lunch break.

left

continue their work, but

men

as

saw them instruct some young

I

soon

as

waved our bus through the checkpoint.

just

divine intervention.

soldiers to

the inspectors disappeared, the

young

thanked Allah for

I

"Thank you God! Thank you

a

his

thousand times!"

I

nearly screamed.

On the way from Afghanistan

to Iran,

I

met an Afghan

guy, Nazir,

who

had spent many years shuttling back and forth between the two countries.

He knew

Iran.

Nazir had given us

all

the tricks of the trade and had lots of contacts inside

and where we might

problem was

stay in different cities in Iran.

where many Afghans

ple of apartments

that they

good option

wasn't a

We

needed

to contact

He knew

of a cou-

lived in Tehran, but the only

were used almost exclusively by

for us.

who

of invaluable advice about

a lot

a

single

men. So

temporary place to

stay

it

while

down my relatives. So he gave us the name of his friend, Hossein, who Nazir assured us would gladly host our family for a little I

tracked

while and,

Hossein and

his wife, Fatona, lived in a part

don't

know of any words

lived in their

house for

feel as

welcome

atives.

One

All of us

first

—

they just gaped.

capital called Tehran his

wife was Persian.

kind our hosts were. We

and the whole time, they made us

feel at the

days there,

how

house of your

they took us on

and the orderly design of the

Karim and Farzona

—

fifteen days,

you might

as

of our

to describe

were completely overwhelmed by the

ical places,

day

of the

turned out that he was an ethnic Turk while

Pars. It I

help us to find a place of our own.

if necessary,

tall

city.

own

a tour

closest rel-

of the

vast city.

buildings, the histor-

My

children

— Fawad,

were spellbound. They couldn't even say a word

It

was

all

in such sharp contrast to anything they'd ever

seen in Afghanistan.

During our time

in Tehran,

daughters and one son

who

my

wife would often cry about our two

were living

far

away from

us.

My wife

had

Ali

never lived so she missed

Fatona

far av^^ay

them alw^ays

Muhammad

from her children, much

less in a

found the right w^ords to comfort

my

poor wife.

feel. Your situation actually is

"I

very similar

my own. After the Islamic Revolution in our country, many of my rel-

atives scattered

around the world. They lived

time before they were able to

make

lem of loved ones being separated where. For me, it was very

from those

I

is

their

as

way

something

my wife was

cheered up by

become her I

also

grew

this

of us every-

all

faith that

right.

far

away

they are

"This

is

how

close confidante.

close to Hossein. In the evening,

time Hossein asked me, "Tell me,

these wars just never

being used

all

kind Iranian woman, who quickly grew

that I've lived so close to Afghanistan,

are

for a long

land. The prob-

used to living so

But you must have

talking about Iran, Afghanistan, the Taliban,

One

new

that affects

difficult at first to get

care so deeply about.

poor refugees

in a

being looked after by Allah and that they will be

to

foreign land, and

terribly.

understand exactly how^ you to

^ 283

like

seem

to end.

I

we'd spend hour

after

hour

and the world.

my

brother, after

all

the years

never could understand

why

Why can't people understand that they

puppets by power-hungry politicians? What's the rea-

son for this?"

"Ignorance and anger are the main reasons people have continued each other for so

killing

ple have is

killed in these wars.

most of them died

that

else

been

many years," I

—being

was just

a

told him. "Millions of young

But what most people don't understand

as a result

of personal vendettas. Everything

communist or a Taliban or

a pretext. Those

who

peo-

a

mujahedin or whatever

had power used

their authority to

their enemies, their family's enemies, their friends' enemies,

—

that

murder

and

their

neighbors' enemies. And then in turn seek

when the survivors got power, they would retribution. This is how the cycle of violence perpetuates

me and see that I'm alive. But I'm alive only by pure luck." Then would tell him some stories from my own life. A few days after we arrived, several of my wife's relatives who were itself.You

look

at

I

living

and working

in Tehran

came

to visit us. These relatives

were almost

men who had left their families back in Afghanistan and were sending money home periodically to support their loved ones. They offered to provide us with whatever help we needed, especially in terms all

single

.

284

of locating

in ai(;hanistan

live.

we

wasn't so long ago that

who

and those

try,

and war

"We understand what you are going through one of them told me with his arm around my shoulder. "It place to

a

right now,"

< iovj:

ourselves were

had been here longer

new immigrants

coun-

in this

Now

assisted us.

it's

our turn

to return the favor.'* I

also

thanked them earnestly for their generosity. But

had some

they prove unable to

your kind I

didn't

—

ter

I

I

offer."

want

I

my

—

family

disrespect to

my

especially

doubt help

to live in a setting that

my

us.

that

I

"But

if

you up on

wife's relatives, but

twelve-year-old daugh-

dominated by young,

was so eager to track down

come

them

told

I

will very gratefully take

mean any

didn't

to take

we

assist us,

into an environment

wanted

who would no

relatives in the area

single

was more family

men.

friendly. That's

why

my relatives. knew that several of them had I

over with their children or had started families in Iran. Eventually,

who knew that person, who knew that person I was able to find some of my family in the district ofVaramin, which was

by asking

this

person,

.

located about forty miles from Tehran Pars.

my relatives, we

reunited with

The evening

before

most sincere thanks tality.

and we cial

will forever

time for us

after

to Hossein

out of Hossein's house,

and

his

finally

was

really

offered

I

my

wife for their wonderful hospi-

heart and your

home

to

me

and

be indebted to you .Your kindness came

—when we

I

rented a small house near theirs.

we moved

"You opened up your

The day

.

needed

a place to get

at

my family, such a cru-

accustomed to

this new land, to gather our thoughts, and to make plans for the next stage. And you you provided us with just the respite we needed." could.

n't

.

I

.

go on any

further.

have never been

I

at a loss for

words, but

at that

up. 1 couldn't believe how kindly they had we were complete strangers to them. Hossein, ever the gracious host, said, "We would be happy to host you here in our house for as long as you'd like. We've very much enjoyed the time

moment I was

totally

choked

treated us, especially since

that you've spent

with us and hope that you

ence often in the future!"

When we

left their

lamp, a carpet, a tea

none of these gone

far

He

gave

me

will grace us

a big

warm

with your pres-

hug.

house, Hossein and Fatona gave us a kerosene

set,

essentials,

mattresses,

and

pillows. They

necessary to starting a

beyond realm of generous

new

knew life.

that

we had

They had now

hospitality. As the children

and

I

gath-

J

Ali

Muhammad ^285

my

ered together our supplies, Fatona and before

we headed off. "I've gotten so

fifteen days that

I

feel as

as

come back

to visit us!

don't

I

though our family

long time

being broken apart," Fatona

is

you

possibly can, please

"We know how to convey how immensely left

a

used to living with you in these short

she said her good-byes. "Whenever

blurted out

by, too.

wife cried for

them our

address so that they might stop grateful

we

are to

Hossein and Fatona.

We thought that moving into our own house near my relatives would signify a

new and better stage in our lives. But none of us

—could

my wife, nor our three children my sons to go out to the bazaar for

work.

I

also asked

find any

work

neither

for ourselves.

around for jobs for myself. But to be honest,

farmhand succeeded

I,

nor

I

told

and other places around town to scout

couldn't imagine doing anything other than teaching. a

—

in earning

me

money, but

I

really

My experience as

my tired old body was

not cut out for that kind of exertion. I

had been teaching for more than twenty years

didn't

know

any other way to

at that time,

and

I

Unfortunately for me, there were

live.

plenty of literate people and teachers in Iran, and they certainly did not

need

a refugee fresh

from Afghanistan

to help

them

out. For the

first

we depended on the assistance of our relatives, who would often leave us food and money when they came by to visit. What we feared most was the Iranian police, and we tried not to leave the house except when it was absolutely necessary. As a result, we ended several

months

in Iran,

up spending long stretches of time

sitting

around the house picking

over just about anything. This person was .

.

.

n't

that person didn't clean the

have brought us to Iran in the

ever

become

a teacher

first

place

At

that time,

I

.

.

.

.

.

.

not finding

this

a

really

that person shouldn't have

—even

have stayed in Afghanistan^

why we had bothered

thought that if

we

it

died

job

person should-

because that wasn't a good source of income

and so on and so on.We began to wonder to Iran.

at fault for

house or cook well

fights

to

would have been

at the

.

.

come

best to

hands of the Taliban.

we would have died in our motherland. Then one evening one of my relatives, Khalil Khan, who had lived in Iran since the 1960s invited us over for dinner. When we were speaking with him in his house, we happened to notice that a couple of his children were preoccupied with something in the next room. They were

At

least

286

AND WAR

< lOVi;

IN AI'CMIANIS IAN

assembling chandeliers from pieces of scrap metal and discarded

Khan

Khalil

per chandelier.

do

that

looked

I

kind of work

this

So

me

told

my

at

wife and whispered/'I'm sure

help us find a job doing this kind of work?

and we

help

need

really

what

see

"I'll

my

to

a

my boys sat in them

ing and assisting

we were

the time

undertake

way

to

said.

make

"But

be possible for you to

it

We

don't have any money,

a living."

in the

this

meantime, why don't you

with

the chandeliers.

were

room with our

big bag

full

this

new

all

days

of our

chandeliers,

we were leaving, our host sent us

conflicts

had been

after this

we

plastic parts necessary to

Our

a result

familial relations

work began, and we

of our economic

when Fawad and Karim had

later,

observ-

children were ready to

opportunity.

improved suddenly and dramatically ized that

my

of the scrap metal and

with

thrilled

host's children,

the chandeliers were assembled. In this way, by

themselves. When

work

make

a

as

the

ready to return home,

home

Two

could

kids with the current load they're responsible for?" For the rest

of the evening

We

fmd

can do," he

I

we

She quickly nodded her agreement.

as well."

turned to our host and asked, "Would

1

plastic.

some company was paying them one tuman

real-

situation.

finished assembling the

returned the completed work to Khalil Khan.

He

was

obviously impressed by the quality and speed of our work. Through his connections, Khalil

Khan managed to

work for my sons

organize full-time

assembling chandeliers.

My sons continued with this enterprise, working very hard. One day, my

children told

chandelier parts

next day

a

we

that their boss

move

home and find other Afghans

Two

days

would

to take

to join us in

all

of the

our work.The

parts arrived at

our

them everywhere we could until there was hardly room about. The work was far more than we could handle. So

decided to advertise the position

children

had asked them

huge truckload of plastic and spare metal

house. We put for us to

me

later,

—came

among Afghans.

dozens of Afghan refugees

to

—

especially

our door begging for work.

We

women

decided that

play the role of supervisors and distributors, while others

do the work. For each chandelier

that

and

we

would

was assembled we were paid

1.15

tumans by the company. In turn, we paid our twelve new employees one

tuman

for each

chandeUer they produced. In

this

way,

we were

able to

Ali

make

A

a very

handsome

that Allah has

287

->

profit for ourselves.

couple of months

launched, Khalil

Muhammad

our modest family-run business was

after

Khan came

me a favor. "I believe land. We've now been living in

house to ask

to our

brought you here to our

Iran for twenty-two years. And throughout

all

of the Ramadans we've

cel-

ebrated here, we've never had anyone to lead the tarobeh prayers for us

every evening before

we

break the

twenty prayers that are recited

Ramadan. "So tarobeh for "It

me,

I'd like to

fast."

would of course be

tarobeh are the additional

after the five regular prayers

request that

my friends, and

The

you lead us

during

in the recitation

of the

neighbors."

honor

a great

for

me

to serve

you

in any v^ay

I willingly agreed. I would have happily done anything for my relwho had already helped us so invaluably. So throughout Ramadan, every evening, dozens of men would come visit me in the guest room that had been set aside for me in my relative's house. And as they streamed out of the room every evening, each of the worshipers would leave me I

can,"

ative,

some money. When Ramadan was

finished,

I

had managed to accumu-

—more than $170— my work! When reached any pocket of my —my pocket, my anyw^here— found money. There was money everywhere. This

late

about 30,000 tumans

for

into

clothes

pocket,

was

my

work

paid

this

Our lives became our

pants

vest

I

first

made good money that

I

relatives

selling shoes

in Iran.

Ramadan

I

spent in Iran,

I

way.

comfortable, and

had given

from

For every

us.

a cart that

My

we managed to

return the

money

older son found an additional job

he would wheel around the bazaar. We

when we had cursed the misfortune of our coming to Iran. Almost every day we'd now say to one another, "Thank goodness we decided to come here! Think about how badly we would be living if we had stayed in Afghanistan." completely forgot the days

Our success in Iran contrasted sharply with conditions back home. Every day we would hear stories about the suffering of people who had stayed behind in Afghanistan. And in the evening, the Iranian-run television stations were filled with news reports about how the war and drought

28S

w ore

aflecting the

homeland.

< lOVr.

Afghan people.

think that

I

AND WAR

if

I

IN Ar(;HANISTAN

was very upset. After

your homeland

all,

this

was our

torn apart by war, even

is

if

you're living safe and sound in a foreign land, you can never be content.

You

thniking about your friends and relatives

re always

who

are less for-

tunate.

As the thirteenth-century Persian poet Sa'adi Shirazi wrote:

odam

Batji

Ki dar

a'zoi yak paikamnd,

yak j^awharand.

ofarinish zi

Chu uzve

ba dard ovarad mzgor,

Digar uzvhoro namonad

qaror.

Tu, k-az mehnati digaron beghami,

Nashoyad,

{Human They

nomat nihand odami.

beings are all

members of one body

are created from the

When The

ki

one member

others cannot

is

same

essence.

in pain,

rest.

If you do not care about the pain of others,

You do not deserve

When dened. So

to

human

be called a

being.)

hear news about fighting in other lands,

I

when I saw my own homeland

I

am

deeply sad-

exploding on television before

my very eyes, I was completely devastated. Now that my family's economic situation

had grown secure,

Afghanistan.

I

became obsessed with the

could never manage to eat in the evening

I

to the news. The food just reflised to

and my blood pressure rose so high to

calm me.

I

that

I

had to go

learned at this time that

I

was

who

to the doctor for drugs

were more or

of their homeland. In many ways,

had no power

to

change the

after listening

diabetic.

I

less indifferent

envied them. They wor-

ried about things in their lives that they actually had I

of

go down. My nerves became so shaky

There were many Afghans in Iran to the fate

fate

political situation in

some

control over.

my country. So

I

just

quietly suffered in this foreign land.

There were

a

few

—

really

—

very few

Iranians

udiced against us Afghans. Sometimes, out on the

who were streets,

openly prej-

we'd hear young

Muhammad ^289

Ali

men

call out,

mockingly, "One kilogram of Afghans for

one kilogram ofAfghans

right,

refugees everywhere, and

work

chants, we'd just

When

in order to survive.

we'd hear these as

we

could.

forgotten about Afghanistan until that dark day,

2001.

11,

were poor Afghan

duck our heads and scurry off as quickly

The world had September

tumans. All

was true that many of us were willing to

it

low wages

for very

for four tumans."There

five

It's

tragic that they paid attention to us again only

because they themselves suffered

of our chaos. We

as a result

all

saw the

images on television of the two airplanes crashing into those beautiful buildings in America.

who had lost

people

And we were

very saddened for the innocent

their lives. In the days that followed, there wasn't a

single Iranian or Afghan

the

all

with

whom

I

spoke

who wasn't heartbroken for

American people.

But, of course, tries

—

that

had

it

was America

laid the

—

with several other coun-

in alliance

groundwork

for the Taliban

have a saying: "The child that once clung to the

end grabs

me

tightly

by the

collar."

I

movement. Afghans

hem

of my

our sad

plight.

But

it is

am ultimately very grateful that the

such a sad irony that so

in the West in order to save so

When the interim Afghan

many

lives

many people had

1

thought that

back here.

government came

to

power

I

Fawad, especially was adamantly opposed to are

December

and then put

a

gun

My

chocolate,

to

It's

chewing gum, and

in the ditch with a

was young and

I

work

in the bazaar

and

my

I

men.

sold

It's

some

and they would

up the

entire road with

your

with shoes

cart filled

blocking the small alleyway, poHcemen sometimes stop please don't take

fifteen

all my goods? And then they'd beat murmur of objection? It's those same people. You romanticized view of the new government!

even

"Now when

I

cigarettes in the bazaar,

me

shouldn't have a

to return. "Father,

your head and forced you to feed

come and push me raised

my plans

oldest son,

all

Do you remember when

those same people.

rel-

know that the Taliban has left, the same mujahedin who kidnapped you

you rushing off to? Tell me, we

who has come to power?

I

in

was out of my mind to rush back to Afghanistan while

the security situation continued to be so uncertain.

if

to die

immediately wanted to return home. Most of my friends and

2001, atives

what

skirt in the

of this tragedy was that the American people remembered us and

result

but

tall

cart

me

—how

is

and say'Son,

will the other

AND WAK

2(;0 < lOVr.

IN AI-(;H AN ISTAN

me

creatures of Allah be able to pass?' See, the authorities here even call

'son.'What

a contrast!

name of Allah, where do you want

"In the

begun

to build

begun

to understand

live,

what

to run off to?

if I

just

As long

like to live a peaceful life

it is

would be

I

as

I

perfectly

never even pronounced the word 'Afghanistan' again. Why are

you so eager you

We've

ourselves in a normal country. We've just

lives for

don't ever want to return to Afghanistan.

I

happy

that

normal

to leave for this

will regret

God-forsaken place?

If you leave,

I'm sure

it."

My son was exactly right. But my mind was made

—

missed

my

planned to move close to

my

up

I

homeland too much. I

left

Iran

—alone—

nephew who'd been years. It

I

the next day.

living here in this village, Hajji Husain, for

really didn't consider

had been

I

utterly destroyed

dred houses were burned

my native village ofAmbarku.

by the Taliban

five years ago. Almost five

down by

I've

heard that some brave souls

have recently returned there to rebuild, but there are too in

No

sooner had

because

was sure

I

knew

arrived in Afghanistan than

I

realized

I

had made

a

that

that

my

relatives

were not able to help Nevertheless, Six

for

my wife was probably worried to death about of my illness. And some people here began to say, "What

I

kind of a wife allows her sick husband to I

many ghosts

Ambarku.

big mistake.

me

hun-

the invading forces, and most of the

population scattered to the seven winds.

me

many

going back to

I

months

travel

home

alone?" If I died,

would have never forgiven

me

as

much

those

as

I'd

her. The doctors

met back

in Iran.

refused to leave the land of my birth ever again. after I'd returned,

my

wife and younger children came

my decision to return to Afghanistan, refused to accompany the rest of our family. He

back here, too. But Fawad, who had so vehemently opposed told his mother, "You can are leaving over

my

go yourselves, but you should know

when you

promise that you'll remember

And sure enough, once when our family gathered been

you

strong objections. There's no Hfe for you back in

Afghanistan. Every evening

salary hasn't

that

gather together for dinner,

I

my words."

again, to eat,

sufficient for the

he was absolutely

right.

we thought of Fawad. medication to calm

Every night

My

teacher's

my nerves as well

Ali

provide proper food for

as to

home from

Muhammad ^291

my family. Actually, Fawad sends money back

time to time to help support

no running v^ater, and the only

us.

we

electricity

generator that requires a lot of expensive

used to teach in the school

I

Here have

in this village is

we

produced by

have

a small

fuel.

that's just a

couple of miles up the road.

It

was recently reconstructed by an international aid organization. But

as

soon

as

my

sweaty tent, lage.

work was completed and I no longer had

the

school. And I'm a small

and

neighbors asked

I'm grateful that

girls

happy

school in

filial

who

I

me

to begin teaching here in this vil-

no longer have

that

to hike such a distance to the

I'm able to offer

this village

to teach in a hot,

my last strength to help start

and provide an education

for the boys

live here.

A couple of months ago, my son, who had been living in Tajikistan with my

daughter, was granted asylum in

that so

in this

many of my all

my

rather than I

me

children nearby for at least a closer together,

little

while before

I

die.

our family has spread farther

But

apart.

have one son in Iran, one in Canada, one daughter in Tajikistan,

here

at

living

home.

But I'm

tant future, as a

I'm very happy

children have been able to

coming

one daughter

land.

left.

fmd a way for themselves complicated world. However, nothing would thrill me more than

to have

Now

Canada and

I

I

with her husband's family, and two children with

suppose

a sick

I

will die.

that

one day

And whatever happens

refugee in a foreign land.

land, alongside those

could join one of my children in another

man, and I'm sure

I

want

my bones

of my ancestors and

so hard to educate, for

all

eternity.

to

me,

in the not-too-disI

don't want to die

to lie here in

among the people

my home-

I've

worked

Timeline of Recent Afghan History

1919

Afghanistan declares independence from Great Britain after third and

final Anglo-

Afghan war. Lenin

calls

encourages

Amanullah Khan leader of the only independent Islamic

him to

rally

state

and

enslaved Muslims around the world to the cause of inde-

pendence. 1921

1924

Afghan-Soviet Treaty of Friendship signed. Soviets aid leader's

1925

First invasion

Amu 1926

1928

USSR

Afghan

USSR:

the Soviet annexation of UtraTangi Island

on the

returns the island to Afghanistan, a gesture followed by a treaty of neu-

and nonaggression with Afghanistan.

Amanullah

visits

Europe and the Middle

East.

Photographs of Queen Soraya reach Afghanistan showing her in Western clothes

and without 1929

by the

to eliminate opposition to the

policies.

Darya.

trality

1927

Amanullah with warplanes

modernization

veil.

Rebellion against King Amanullah and capital Kabul.

He

flees to

Kandahar

his

Western ways forces him out of the

in his Rolls

Habibullah Kalakani (Bachai Saqaw),an

illiterate,

rounds himself with bandits and peasants.

*293

rks for the

United

l)cvck>pinont

(USAID)

the Altc

I

iiiui.

C

I

in

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Asian

AnicruMii

AIlHi.musi

iwlihoods piOLiiMin.w

winctv of intc Liiikist.

\c ciin\

St.uos A«;ciHy lor Intcrn.uio

GULCHIN GULMAMADOVA-KLAITS .1

I11K1

.uu oiLr.ini/.

C'.uv Intcin.ition.

I'ntcrpnso ,1itioii

liind,

.uu]

to her niotiu

liir

J L

Wc

•^

kf'^

-•

tonJ to think of Afghanistan only as the land of ngly factional the

tiiihls,

naivotics, the dostixnvd

s,

Wc uKn.i Kl.iits.ind

C\

illitciMtiM-R h .uul piH>r, spcikiiiL;

iii

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vwr cxotu

pivscrw

their

tlio

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Kl.lltS loi

woiiKMi.okl

kl

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slu)iikl

nope,

ti

limit hinkllias

i

this

ill

hiH)k the liws

.IS

wonl^ wxMl

nionients o( luinioi

.is

oxtc

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(.ii^nity.

ive,

of

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own

their

C

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111

uiulersneli ininossilile eonditions.

inspire

)

we

.111

c.in to

I

ree

he

prevent then

erizoiimsu

AKHDAR BRAHIMI, UiukT Seeret.irv-( le

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