Afghanistan Times 1981
Boy dies of Asphyxiation, Refugee struggle in Afghanistan continues
What remains of Afghanistan today
H
“
e won’t breathe! My boy won’t breathe!”
Kamal’s father cries. “Allah, help him breathe!” In the next few seconds, a gunshot echoes as Kamal’s father kills himself , unable to hold the grief of losing his only son to the toxic fumes of the truck carrying refugees. This escalated in a matter of seconds and eyewitnesses were never to forget this scene.
This isn’t any isolated incident if regarded the situation in Afghanistan. Refugees stay in extremely concentrated impoverished conditions. Afghanistan has become the scapegoat of the cold war. Major historical sites are being destroyed every day. Trucks arrive at Pakistan carrying émigrés every day. As much as the Afghans love their homeland, that much do they hate what is happening to it today.
Afghanistan Times 1981
http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2016/10/4/b04507dcca244ff09a65c563c5d8332 2_8.jpg Trucks of refugees being carried to Pakistan
Refugees die every day in the poor conditions they are forced to live in, constantly facing harassment from drunk Soviet officers and other people trying to gain advantage in such a situation. We gained a chance to exchange a few words with Karim, a truck driver who smuggles the refugees out, regularly hit by the loss of human life such as that of Kamal’s heartbroken father who decided to end up his own life. He makes a living from carrying people to safety, or say less danger. He says, “I’m forced to leave them in a rat-infested basement. I have no other choice. May He (Allah) help us!” He proceeds to tell how their ears’ have become used to the noise of gunfire, how their eyes have accustomed to watch constant death. Amidst all this, signs of hope lay, as he also recalls an incident where a brave Afghan says, “ Tell him I’ll take a thousand of his bullets before I let this indecency take place.” When a drunk Soviet soldier seeked the prestige of a woman in return for letting the bus pass. When we went on to talk to some other passengers on that ride, we came to know of his bravery and short-temper, when he decided to strangle Karim. Regardless, some tales of bravery have the ability to revive the broken hope and eliminate some of the despair among Afghans. After the war, hopefully, Afghanistan will be free from all foreign powers and eradicate any and every form of threat to peace. We hope to the fullest that Afghanistan shall achieve its right to self-determination, be it against the Soviets or the British. All the inner conflicts shall be removed. The Afghan-American community yearns to return back to their homeland. Hope is the only thing we have not lost. The Soviet invasion is extremely condemnable. Many had thought of reforms and development when the monarchy was overthrown, but now we see how it all has unfolded out. From a country of great historical heritage, satisfied people to now. We still have hope. Long live Afghanistan! May the glory and pride of the Afghanistan monarchy be restored again!
Afghanistan Times 1981 i
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https://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00795/azizabad-bombing_795357c.jpg