Friday, a Bloody Day

(Eds note: Below is both a poem and a news report written about a deadly suicide attack in Farah Province one week before the beginning of the Eid-al-Adha holiday.)

A Poem:

Friday morning
People at the market doing their shopping,
Suddenly a loud noise
Made a difference among people
There were many pieces,
A motorcyclist exploded himself
Did not care about humanity
Killed children and injured women.

Again another suicide-attack
Again innocent children died
Mothers deepen in sorrow
Families won’t be celebrating Eid
Children become fatherless
People, fearful, won’t go to bazaar,
And then the bazaar is almost empty

What is our sin?
Why must innocent children be killed?
Always there is a fear
Mothers don’t allow their children to play
And worry about sending them to school
Lives of Afghans are always at risk
Students do not know if they will make it back home
Mullahs are condemn the suicide-attacks
But there is no one to listen

Why they do it?
Everyone has this question in mind.

_________________________________________________

A New Story:

Friday, November 20, 2009 – A suicide bomber rode his motorcycle into a crowded market area Friday and set off his explosives in an attack apparently aimed at Afghans out doing their morning shopping, killing 17 and wounding 35, officials said.

The attack occurred about 50 yards from the compound of Farah’s governor, Rohul Amin, who is pro-American, but Farah’s police chief said the governor was not the target.

“The suicide-bomber was targeting civilians,” said Col. Mohammed Faqeer Askar. “There was not a police patrol or international forces.” Askar said the nature of the attack showed “the insurgents have become weak and do not have the power to fight face-to-face, so they do this kind of action.”

The attack came on Muslim prayer day, when families traditionally go to the market to get supplies for a shared meal. It also came the day after President Hamid Karzai was inaugurated for a second five-year term.

The attack also comes just a few days after a group of armed gunmen broke into a school in Farah Province and set it afire.

“I was walking and suddenly the bomber exploded,” said one of the injured, Hakmet, who was in the market at the time of the attack. “I did not know what happened, but I know I have pains on my foot and I am in the hospital.”

Ismahel, also injured in the attack, said: “I came out to go to my shop, but I did not know that I would never arrive at my shop. Suddenly I heard a loud noise of an explosion. Then I found myself in the hospital … I still feel afraid.”

“I saw a person on motorbike explode,” said one witness who gave his name as Abdulmalok. “I was far and I did not get injured but I saw many bodies covered with blood. People were frightened.”

One of the injured at the hospital who declined to give his name said he was heading to work when the bomb exploded. “Someone carried me to the hospital and now I will be in bed for many days … my family will face many problems. I don’t know why they did this act.”

The Farah governor condemned the attack, saying it was carried out by people “who do not know what is going in this country. They don’t care about humanity and Islam. They have misunderstood Islam.”

By Seeta

Gunmen Attack, Burn, School

Tuesday, Nov. 17—Armed gunmen broke into a school in Farah Province’s Pusht-e-road District today, holding the guard at gunpoint and setting the building afire, ending for now the education of its 1,200 students, as a sign of growing tension over the future of education in Afghanistan.

Nearby residents criticized as cowardly the burning of the school building as well as desks and chairs. “We condemn this action,” said resident Mohammed. “It not allowed in Islam to destroy the schools and mosques. God won’t forgive the people who did and do this kind of work.”

But as a bright spot, two schools, including one for girls, have opened in recent months in the Zekan village of Anardara and the Hour village of Pusht-e-koh, costing the equivalent of $200,000 USD and paid for by the Farah Provincial Reconstruction Team.

Nawid, a tenth grade student, said the gunmen who burned the school “do not have information about Islam and its principles. As Prophet Mohammad said, learning is essential for all Muslim men and women. So God forbids setting fire to schools where students are going to learn about Islam and the country.”

“It would be better to join in with the reconstruction of Afghanistan instead of destroying it,” said Rahim, 20, a Farah Province resident. “We must work to rebuild our country, not set fire to the schools. I hope the Education Department will respond and rebuild this school very soon, since the students do lose their hopes.”

The head of the Farah Education Department, Atiqullah, said 18 classes were being held at the burned school, and he warned, “It will take time to reopen.”

He also noted the newly constructed schools “fourteen classrooms and have space for 500 students in each village.”

Farah students said they were pleased about the new schools but did express concern about protecting them.

“As an Afghan student, I appreciate those people who built schools for girls and boys in the districts of Farah,” said Fahiam, a tenth grade student at Malaga Miwand Girls’ School. “I also condemn the act of insurgency that burned the school in the Pusht-e-road District.”

About 128 primary schools, 99 middle schools, and 46 high schools for girls and boys are currently open in Farah Province, and about six middle schools were upgraded to high schools in the province this year.

By Seeta

Powerful Farmer, Leader—and Mother

I had an appointment to interview Rahima, a female farmer, in a village called Rigi. My male colleague, who was driving, arrived to take me to Rahima’s house. I got in the car and we started on our way. We were following a car driven by Rahima’s husband, Rasul. He was guiding us to their house. It could be dangerous for me to go to the village as a female reporter, and I was worried about security concerns, but at the same time, I was eager to have an interview with Rahima.

We passed the asphalt road and unpaved road began. Our car was jumping up and down. We crossed a bridge and arrived in the village. The houses were small and old, often with farm animals in the yards. The roads were dusty, but the farmland was green with cucumber and watermelon.

After thirty minutes, we arrived at Rahima’s house. Rahima, 40, is an uneducated woman with eight children, including three daughters and five sons, but she is different from other women in Farah because she owns a dairy farm which is famous in her village. She had just finished feeding her 25 cows when we arrived.

“When we were living as immigrants in Iran, I sewed clothes to support my family. Through this, I saved a sum of money that I invested in jewelry,” she said. Her family returned to Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban, but still faced financial hardship, so she came up with the idea of selling her jewelry to buy a cow which produced milk, and then selling the milk. “I was able to buy one cow, and then I started my business,” she said. “I sold milk, butter, and yoghurt, and this began the dairy farm.”

The farm runs without modern equipment, and Rahima works every day from about 5 a.m. until 7 p.m. She sells about 25 to 30 kilos of milk per day. It is a family business that involves her children and her husband. One son delivers the milk to the homes of her customers. Another son has a shop in the local bazaar which sells milk. Still, all of Rahima’s children have either finished their schooling or currently go to school, and her oldest daughter teaches in Rigi. “I know my daughters could help me here, but I never wanted to play with their future,” she said. “I send them to school so they can become teachers, doctors and others who serve Afghanistan.”

At the same time, she feels she too is serving Afghanistan in her own way. “It is a pleasure for me to work on my farm which I made myself,” she said. “When I work, I feel proud that as a woman, I can do something for my family and community, because I know people use milk to drink and to cook, and this milk is clean, healthy and safe for them to use.”

Her husband added: “I am proud that today my wife, as a female, is able to do what she does.”

Rahima wants both government and non-government officials to pay more attention
to dairy farms in Farah province, providing workshops that would encourage women to go into farming, and improve livestock and agriculture practices. “I ask the government to provide some training,” she said, “since if we could make bigger farms, we could make enough to export, and that is my wish.”

By Seeta

Disabled and Working in Afghanistan

“Disability is not an obstacle in my life. I will fulfill all of my wishes despite my disability,” vows Rahima, 22, a tailor in Farah Province.

Rahima is from a poor family of seven sisters, two brothers and kind parents. She was only two years when she became disabled, unable to stand on one foot.

“I did not know what happened to my daughter’s foot. I did not vaccinate her. Twenty-two years ago we did not have information and in that time there was not this opportunity,” said her mother, Malalai. “At first we did not take her to the doctor because of lack of information. I just took my daughter to some local women who claimed they knew how to fix some health problems. But every day it became worse.”

Unable to walk, Rahima often stayed home because she was too shy. Still, she never gave up. She attended sewing classes in Farah run by international agencies and learned how to sew clothes. After a short time, she became a tailor, and was soon sewing for women of Farah.

Every day Rahima visits about six women whose clothing she sews. “I make clothes for 100 Afghanis (about $2) and each day I can make 10 USD. I can support my family and I can take care of my own needs. I am happy to have this skill today. I do not need to ask money from others. I pay all my own expenses,” Rahima says.

Her life changed even more when Red Crescent provided an opportunity for her to receive treatment for her foot. Several years ago she moved to Kabul and received medical treatment for two months. After an operation, her foot became much straighter. Doctors say she might have had polio as a young child.

“The day I got out of hospital, I felt better when I was getting up,” Rahima said. “My foot felt better. I was very glad and I felt as if I was in the sky. However, I still am not able to walk as others do.” Rahima cannot walk as fast as healthy people and has to force her foot to move. But she is happy with the improvement.

Rahima attended school until eighth grade and is able to write and read, but her family did not allow her to continue her education due to traditional views. She is nevertheless optimistic for Afghanistan’s future. She voted in the second round of Afghanistan’s election. Because of her disability, it took her 30 minutes to get to the nearest polling station and she says she hopes the new government of Afghanistan will pay more attention to the needs of the disabled.

“I am very delighted that this time I am able to vote because in last election I was not 18 years and I could not vote,” she says. “I participated in the election because this is my job.”

By Seeta

Election Day in Farah

Thursday, August 20, 2009: Marina, a 19-year-old woman voting for the first time, was the earliest person to arrive at the Malai Miwand Girl’s School, where the women’s voting center was located.

“I have been looking forward to this day for three months,” Marina said. “I am very happy that as an Afghan woman, I can participate in Afghanistan’s future. I accomplished my role, which was to vote. I understand that our votes are very important, and I would like to thank Afghan security forces for preventing any problems.”

Marina was one of millions of Afghans participating in the election pitting President Hamid Karzai against his main challenger, Abdullah Abdullah. All over Afghanistan’s southwestern province of Farah, voter turnout was strong, although nearly half the polls did not open due to security concerns. Preliminary results will be announced next week, and final results next month.

Security around the city of Farah was tight. Shops were closed so local police could control the situation. Two rocket attacks at 11 a.m. left one child injured, and fewer people went to the polls in the afternoon. Still, officials were upbeat. “It was not considered possible that such a large number of people would show up to vote in this round,” said Hangama Sadid, a provincial council member in Farah.

“We had planned to open 250 polling sites, but we could open 135 because of security reasons,” said Abdulwali Hamidi, an election officer in Farah. “But in all districts, we have two to three voting centers. Participation appears to be high, and everyone felt secure to vote in the center of Farah Province.”

In Farah and elsewhere around Afghanistan, polls were open from 7 a.m to 4 p.m. Each polling site has five centers for women and five or six for men. In most places, five people work in the polling center.

Sadiqa Darwishe, 18, a Third District resident, said she voted with complete confidence. “I am very happy that I could use my vote,” she said. “I voted to select our leaders who will go to work for our country. This is our responsibility. We have a big role in Afghanistan’s life. Today there is no political difference between men and women. We are all voting, thanks in large part to Afghan security forces which made it safe for men and women to vote comfortably.”

It was the second time Afghanistan has voted in a presidential election. The first was in 2004 and won by Karzai. “I am proud to vote for the future of Afghanistan,” said Haji Baba Rahmat, a male voter. “I came and voted, and I am very happy that I did my national duty as an Afghan.”

By Seeta