Surviving in Afghanistan is a Miracle
An Essay by Mohammad Zaki Zaki
I love Afghanistan where I was born with a fresh mind to make a bright future for me and for my society. We live here miraculously, as every second we are faced with death and terrorism. We are menaced every moment by genocide, explosions, suicide attacks, acid being thrown on the faces of teenage sisters, burning schools, beheading governmental employees on the streets, destroying bridges by hiding bombs under them, violence against women, prejudice against strange nations, and many more negative, inhumane deeds. We feel hopeless and helpless when we see injured people dripping blood on to the streets as their bodies are carried to the hospital. We listen to the latest news on the radio, watch the news on TV and see the bodies of the dead and injured on social media. We hear the piercing screams and sobs of family members who have lost loved ones. The terrorists’ ruthless acts predict a dark future for our country.
As we walk somewhere, the shrill sound of explosions makes us deaf. The people are not safe and do not have a normal mood. When we leave home to go to the bazaar, we need to say the last good bye to our family members because returning home healthy is a miracle that we may not be granted. Every day we witness cruel attacks in various areas of Afghanistan. No one is safe; we are all in danger. Our families are in danger and this is the case with all ethnic groups and religions. I can honestly say that all the provinces of our motherland are in danger and no one can hopefully forecast the fate of our younger generation. The residents are dizzy wondering where they can live in safety. Police officers complain about the purposes of these attacks and wonder if they are fighting against Daeish groups, the Taliban or other internal terrorist groups. They wonder what will happen to them and their families in the future.
Indeed, the security situation in Afghanistan is getting worse day by day. In the past years, after Karzai’s era, it was bad, but now it seems that it is getting even more complicated. It is no longer just the Taliban and a few other terrorist groups fighting against the Afghan government, now ISIS has started killing innocent people in Afghanistan. The recent suicide attack in the Sixth District of Kabul when a bomb was set off killing many people and destroying property is an example of their brutal activities. I do not feel safe in the capital of our motherland traveling to the office to work and back home. How must other people feel who live in suburban areas and in the provinces where there are not as many soldiers or police? The governmental institutions responsible for our security are failing in their job. They have shortcomings which terrorist groups use to their advantage. I see no hope that the government will do anything to address the security situation in the immediate future.
Every year students graduate from schools and universities with beautiful aptitudes, soft hearted and open minded poised to fulfill the emptiness of our country, to participate in the reconstruction of Afghanistan, to eliminate the prejudice and discrimination from our societies, to make the country better than ever, to make the people more united than before, to stop terrorism and criticism. They want to show people around the world the talents of the Afghan people who have gotten an education and forged a path ahead even though they have faced a life that at times deprived them of education while living with war and terrorism and insecurity for them and their families. They want to help, to make a difference, but regrettably they cannot carry out their responsibilities, their hopes and dreams, as well as they wish.
